I was watching an episode of "Homicide:Life on the Street"…

A great series, ran from 1993 to 1999. This particular storyline had to do with a woman who had murdered a partner that had knowingly infected her with the AIDS virus. Initially, a couple of the detectives were afraid to be in the same room with her, because she had KS lesions on her face. It reflected what was known (and not known) about the disease at the time.

I remember how, in the office where I worked, there were coworkers, young men whom we all liked, who were suddenly getting sick and dying. I wasn’t afraid to visit them in the hospitals, when we could—at first people weren’t allowed to—but many of our colleagues were afraid. It was a very bleak time, and my best friend and I often speak of the friends we lost during those days.

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Punxi · F

Reminiscent of my sister and I.... growing up. Had a ..what ..great- uncle...my grandpas brother. Loud colorful and flamboyant as all get out. But when you're little those labels don't really exist We were tickled when he'd visit. So..."out there" and hilarious. Showed us how do our hair... spoiled us silly.

Then I remember he... wasn't the same. Things changed we he would come around. Remember sitting with my sister.. Alone.... while my folks , my grand parents visited him in the hospital. Attended his funeral.

As an adult I'd come to learn his story....as a gay man in San Francisco during...well.

That he often suffered great depression, anxiety due to public scrutiny...just for ..being.

I I remember having a .." if I knew then" moment.. I'd have loved him better.

🥷

bijouxbroussard · F

@Punxi I understand. When I first began seeing it, it was the early 80s, and I was in my 20s, still very innocent—my saving grace perhaps was that I didn’t know enough to be afraid. If I liked someone I’d hug them, and of course if my friends were sick I’d visit them in the hospital, hold their hands…one of the biggest arguments I had with my late husband was about my going to visit those friends, even while I was pregnant. Looking back, I understand, there was so much we didn’t know, even about how the disease was spread, in those days.