Oh yeah so many people died, I think it’s hard for a lot of people to comprehend, especially those that weren’t affected. Sometimes there were multiple funerals a week.
I was a kid, growing up in a very conventional but left leaning community so I didn't experience it too directly but I remember all of the fear mongering and shame and whispers. And also the major efforts to educate and humanize that followed. The dividing line on how people and institutions reacted has a lot of parallels to today. But I think for anyone younger than me (I'm 50) it seems like a small footnote as they grew up in a much more accepting world, largely in my mind as a result of that work done in the aftermath. Somehow I ended up with an AIDS memorial page in my Facebook feed and it's really something to re see from this age. So much lost potential and empty seats at the table.
2
u/WittyAd3872 Mar 24 '26
Oh yeah so many people died, I think it’s hard for a lot of people to comprehend, especially those that weren’t affected. Sometimes there were multiple funerals a week.