The early years of AIDS were a time of great fear and anxiety for gay men around the world.* The bulk of this was generated by the myster and lethal nature of this new ndn. But there was another element that exacerbated the suatn - the homophobia whipped up by irrponsible media. Central to this
Contents:
- THREE S LATER, MEN WHO SURVIVED THE 'GAY PLAGUE' SPEAK OUT
- 1980S. HIV/AIDS: WHY WAS AIDS LLED ‘THE GAY PLAGUE’?
- CHAPTER ONE: HOW FASHN WAS FOREVER CHANGED BY “THE GAY PLAGUE”
- ‘GAY PLAGUE’: THE VILE, HORRIFIC AND HUMANE WAY THE MEDIA REPORTED THE AIDS CRISIS
- THE GAY PLAGUE: THE HOMOPHOBIA OF THE AIDS CRISIS
- THE GAY PLAGUE: HOMOSEXUALY AND DISEASE
THREE S LATER, MEN WHO SURVIVED THE 'GAY PLAGUE' SPEAK OUT
Gay men who were diagnosed wh HIV the 1980s, before any treatment was available, reflect on the epimic they survived. * aids the gay plague *
Kg said he had to ask himself the early '80s when iends and loved on were dyg of the "gay plague. KgGay men weren’t supposed to get tted at the time, Kg said, bee there wasn’t a sgle treatment available anyway. On TV, policians on both sis of the aisle were batg earnt whether gay people should be quaranted.
1980S. HIV/AIDS: WHY WAS AIDS LLED ‘THE GAY PLAGUE’?
* aids the gay plague *
Instead, he found himself at an epicenter of the HIV outbreak that would shape the gay world the Uned Stat for years to e. An immigrant om Venezuela, Vergel told NBC News he left his home untry bee he was gay and seekg a more supportive environment. When he met and fell love wh his boyiend, Calv, at a chemil engeerg nference Hoton, Vergel cid to live “gay plague, ” as was referred to at the time, was rockg the natn.
CHAPTER ONE: HOW FASHN WAS FOREVER CHANGED BY “THE GAY PLAGUE”
When the AIDS crisis h the UK the 1980s, the tabloid prs seized the opportuny to further monise gay and bisexual men. * aids the gay plague *
He "recloseted" himself, he said, both at work and the gay muny.
‘GAY PLAGUE’: THE VILE, HORRIFIC AND HUMANE WAY THE MEDIA REPORTED THE AIDS CRISIS
At work, he didn’t want anyone to know he was gay. At the gay clubs, he didn’t want anyone to know he was HIV tend to e to the U. ”"Fury, rage and actn"In 1987, a fiery speech was livered at the Lbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgenr Communy Servic Center Manhattan.
THE GAY PLAGUE: THE HOMOPHOBIA OF THE AIDS CRISIS
Gay playwright and activist Larry Kramer, who would go on to found the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), had been slated to be a substute speaker for wrer and activist San Sontag. “If what you’re hearg don’t roe you to anger, fury, rage and actn, gay men will have no future here on earth.
THE GAY PLAGUE: HOMOSEXUALY AND DISEASE
”It was a ll to arms, and Eric Sawyer, a young gay man om upstate New York, answered himself had bee symptomatic the early onset of the vis, '81 when the first reports on HIV were g out, and his boyiend died om plitns due to AIDS 1984. The mayor of New York, Ed Koch, was also a target for not dog anythg to help gay the aims, ACT UP was unpromisg and willg to shock people who preferred to ignore the epimic.
He, like many gay and bisexual men wh HIV, had been holdg on to a folr wh his memorial service plans. Every gay man should be on PrEP, and every gay man should get tted.
He said he wants a new generatn of gay men to be proud of the muny they e om. The early years of AIDS were a time of great fear and anxiety for gay men around the world.