Senator Jesse Helms has declared he is ‘ashamed’ to have done so little to help stem the AIDS epidemic.

Speaking to a group of Christian AIDS activists in Washington, earlier this week, he revealed it was Bono who influenced him to change his mind. Bono quoted Bible passages to convince Helms that helping the unfortunate meant those afflicted with the AIDS virus.

Helms doesn’t seem to have changed his mind on gay rights. Although his speech avoided the subject, he did stress “There is no substitute for the joy brought by strong and healthy marriages. We must not hesitate to share this truth.”

Other ‘truths’ Helms has shared with us in the past can be found on this page full of gems, such as: “There is not one single case of AIDS in this country that cannot be traced in origin to sodomy.”

In 1990, he opposed a bill that would help U.S. cities and states cope with the costs of treating the disease.

However, in 2000, spurred on by Bono’s efforts and the Jubilee campaign, Helms helped push legislation authorizing $600 million in U.S. funds for AIDS treatment and relief in Africa.

[ thx to William for the link ]