I've been thinking a lot today about my first job as a psychotherapist at the Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland. Nearly all of my clients were gay and nearly all of those clients were HIV positive. Some were recently diagnosed while others were ill before AIDS even had a name. A whole generation of gay men were blighted by this disease. Many still are.
I remember the dead today. So many lives lost. So many stories that can never be told. So many dreams that will never be realized. So many gifts that will never be brought into this world.
Remember the generation of gay men who had to leave because of this disease.
The original image I used was captured by the photographer William Gedney at the June 26, 1983 gay pride parade in New York City. You can see the original here at the Duke University Libraries.
Yes, the AIDS epidemic really was and remains today very tragic. The generation of gay men wiped out is without a doubt a great loss to society and the subsequent generations that follow. It really is hard to imagine that this disease wiped out so many. Thankfully medicine has made substantial progress in treatment of HIV / AIDS. No longer a death sentance.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, David. I think to many people have forgotten the devastation that AIDS left behind. The gay community has a long way to go in acknowledging the impact that this plague has had on all of us.
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