This page is dedicated to the memory
of John Pereira, Scott Allen, David C. Bowman
and John (Jay) Pina
My AIDS Activism
The first time I heard anything about the
word AIDS was in 1983. Little did I know how
this disease would effect my life. I lost my
first friend to AIDS in 1986. His name was
John Pereira. He was a kind, gentle and
loving man. His death took me on a long
course that still continues to this day. When
the AIDS Memorial Quilt was displayed for the
first time in Washington, DC on Oct.11, 1987,
John's name was among the first 1,920 names
comprising the quilt. John's name is on the
upper right hand corner of the 12 x 12 quilt
which holds his name. To see John's panel:
Click Here
In 1987 while attending the second march for
GLBT rights in Washington, DC, I was shocked
to learn that our government was spending 3
trillion dollars to build a nuclear aircraft
carrier but not one red cent on AIDS
research. Our nation's president, Ronald
Regan, could not even say the word AIDS until
7 years into his administration. When he
finally did mention AIDS he totally ignored
the impact it was having on the gay
community, refusing to even mention us. Once
again America turned it's back on us. First I
was pissed and then I decided to fight back.
It was time for me to act, despite the cost.
On March 14th, 1987 Larry Kramer had formed a
group called ACT UP (AIDS
Coalition to
Unleash Power). I decided to become a member.
I joined the New York chapter first and then
the Boston and DC chapters.
In Oct. of 1988 I returned to Washington, DC
for the 2nd display of the entire AIDS Quilt
and to take part in my first major ACT UP
demonstration. I also took part in my first
National candle light vigil for AIDS
victims at the Lincoln Memorial. The number
of panels on the AIDS Quilt had risen to
8,288. Aware that a demonstration was going
to take place, the FDA released a statement to the public on
Oct. 5, 1988. On Oct 11, 1988 I and 1,000
other demonstrators, led by ACT UP activists,
invaded the grounds of the Federal Food and
Drug Administration to focus attention on the
AIDS crisis and to protest the agency's slow
drug approval process. About 150
demonstrators were arrested, however, we
achieved our goal and shut down the FDA for
the day. A month later I lost my second
friend to AIDS. Scott Allen was a carefree,
fun loving young man. He loved Martha's
Vineyard and had a passion for sailing. His
zest for life was cut to short.
In 1989 the AIDS Memorial Quilt finally got
some of the recongnition it deserved. On
Feb. 1 it was nominated for a Nobel Peace
Prize and in March, Common Threads: Stories
from the Quilt won an Academy Award for best
feature-length documentary. When the Quilt
returned to DC in Oct. I had to be there. The
number of panels on the AIDS Quilt had risen
to 10,088. I also attened my second National
candle light vigil for AIDS victims. My
generation of gay men were slowing
disappearing from the face of this world. I
felt so helpless. In Dec. I traveled to NYC
to join ACT UP in a demonstration at St.
Patrick's Cathedral to protest the Roman
Catholic Church's opposition to safe sex
education and the promotion of condom use.
In Oct. of 1990 Quilt displays of 5,000
panels each take place simultaneously in five
cities - Houston, Atlanta, Chicago, Los
Angeles and Washington, DC. A total of
100,000 people visited the Quilt at these
showings. Once again I was in DC. By the end
of the year the AIDS Memorial Quilt comprises
some 12,200 indivdual panels.
In Aug. of 1992 I lost my third friend and
former roommate to AIDS. David C. Bowman was
a naive and trusting young man who happened
to get into the wrong crowd. Sometimes I hold
myself responsible for his death. As a mentor
I feel I should have done more to redirect
his path. Could I have saved his life?? I
don't know and I never will. In Oct. the
entire AIDS Memorial Quilt is once again
displayed for the fourth time. For 3 days,
20,064 panels are shown on the grounds of the
Washington Monument. More than 600,000 people
visit the Quilt. Because of prior commitments
I was unable to attend this display. Although
I was not there in person I was there in
spirit.
In April of 1993 while attending the March on
Washington for GLBT rights I was once again
able to view the Quilt. 1,920 new panels were
made and shown on the National Mall. 1,920
panels represented the number of panels of
the original guilt and the National Mall was
where it was first displayed. By the end of
the year the Aids Memorial Quilt comprises
some 25,200 individual panels.
As gay men slowly disappeared across this
country and America turned it's back on us,
lesbians all across this country joined
forces to come to our aid and show support.
As a gay American male I would like to
personally thank the lesbian community for
all your help. I can not count the number of
faces I personally watched disappear.
In Oct. of 1996 the entire AIDS Memorial
Quilt returned to Washington,
DC for the fourth display. I was among the
1.2 million people there to visit for the
week-end. The
Quilt contained more than
40,000 panels that covered the National Mall
from the Washington Monument to the grounds
of the U.S. Capitol. As the Quilt was being
unfolded many people
realized that this would probably be the last
time that the entire AIDS Memorial Quilt
would be displayed. President and Mrs.
Clinton, Vice President and Mrs Gore were
among the visitors. This was the first time a
sitting Pesident visited the Quilt. This
display was the largest AIDS awareness event
in history. While there I also took part in
my third National candle light vigil for AIDS
victims. I toped off the week-end by taking
part in ACT UP's Political Funeral at the White
House. I found myself on CNN news that night.
Today there is a new and heated controversy
brewing
within the gay community. That is the subject
of barebacking (having unprotected sex). My
opinion on the subject is that it is
dangerous, reckless and the ultimate form of
complacency. Barebacking could tarnish gay
men's image around the world with disastrous
results. Already HIV infection is once again
on the rise within the gay community. Sex is
a good thing, but sex isn't everything. Those
who knowingly put themselves at risk seem to
be saying that a shorter life full of
dangerous yet carefree sexual adventures is
better than a longer life of inhibited
condomized sex. What's missing is the fact
that there is so much more to our lives than
just our sexuality.
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