It was AIDS that killed those men, but it was homophobia that allowed it to happen – and that led to so many men dying alone.
Homophobia killed us then.
Worldwide, it remains the cause of thousands of deaths, through violence and neglect, even today.
11/13
Homophobia killed us then.
Worldwide, it remains the cause of thousands of deaths, through violence and neglect, even today.
11/13
Comments
We need to share the good news that treatment will prevent AIDS.
We must challenge fear by ensuring that everyone knows effective treatment means we can’t pass HIV on to our sexual partners (#UequalsU).
12/13
I can think of no better way of honouring those who died.
#MakeStigmaHistory
🙏
13/13 🧵 Ends.
Effective HIV treatment was established in 1996.
Less than 2 years later I was diagnosed with HIV, aged 30.
I was told that with treatment I could expect to live about another 20 years.
That was 27 years ago.
HIV treatment works.
Treatment also prevents transmission.
Yet 1.3 million people acquired HIV last year and 630k people died of AIDS.
We can end HIV infections and AIDS by ensuring ALL have access to lifesaving, transmission preventing medicines.
Thank you for speaking out on this.
All those friends you lost, I was moved by how vividly you still remember them x
Back in the 80's I didn't watch the news. I heard a few snippets on NPR. Then I read this article and I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach.
I concur that EVERYONE should have access to lifesaving, transmission preventing medications!
I was thinking recently: when I go out on the scene now, I see people of all ages. That wasn’t the case when I came out in mid 90s. There were no older people.
I thought it was bc they didn't like loud music. I realised later it's bc most of them were dead :(
However it’s not accurate to say that ‘most’ gay men who were active in the 80s died of AIDS. Please be careful not to erase survivors. 🙏
Almost died in 2016
I will be 59 this year because of HIV therapy.