In the 1980s an AIDS diagnosis was thought be ‘a death sentence’ by many. So stigmatised was a positive diagnosis that for many it led to isolation or rejection and in some cases suicide. For many others the ‘secret’ of their positive status led to a silence of their lives and needs over decades, and a retreat ‘back to the closet’.
What must it have been like at a time when you would hope the arms of love would surround you, yet were unable to even reach out to touch?
Thank goodness then for those that would not be silenced and those who did care passionately about people living with AIDS: the carers, the lovers, the clinicians, the activists and visionaries, the fundraisers and the friends. How did this community pull together and change people’s lives forever when faced with such negativity and stigma?