'Came home to die'? [SPOILER ALERT]

In what year was this film supposed to be set? I actually liked it, but was rather annoyed about the anachronistic element in the plot, where a gay character supposedly "came home to die", no greater explanation needed. The suggestion was that in 2006-2007 people in the US with access to drugs and health-care still routinely die of AIDS. Was this script sitting on the shelf for 15 years or something?

I thought Patty D'Arbanville, Daniel Sauli, and Duane Boutte were especially good. The first is no surprise, and I suppose it should be no surprise that a good actor was cast in the lead, but why isn't Boutte given bigger parts in more stuff? I've seen him in three films and he always stands out.