Cleve Jones On World AIDS Day

NAMES Project founder Cleve Jones has been interviewed in a World AIDS Day article about The Last One, a documentary on the AIDS Quilt now airing on Showtime. An excerpt:

"HIV is increasingly a disease of the marginalized populations. Poverty is part of it. Drug use is part of it. Also to a very large extent stigma remains one of our greatest obstacles. In the early days of the pandemic the stigma of homosexuality was really what kept the government, our government and many others from responding. It fueled the hysteria and created many obstacles. Well the stigma has not gone away. It’s changed though. Young people today, the stigma that they experience comes from their own people. From my generation the stigma came from the outside world and really was the stigma against homosexuality. For these young people today though they are being blamed and shamed. It discourages them from getting tested; it discourages them from talking openly about their status. There’s a new study that shows that almost half of gay men do not reveal their sexual orientation to their own physicians. I think that right there was a pretty startling fact. If half of gay men in the United States don’t feel comfortable revealing their sexual orientation to their physicians, we have a real problem."

NEW YORK CITY: 2000 AIDS Quilt Panels To Be Displayed August 11th & 12th

Via press release:

The AIDS Memorial Quilt returns to New York City for a two-day public display, featuring 260 12-foot-by-12-foot sections of this internationally celebrated, handmade tapestry. Presented as a gift to the city by Kiehl's Since 1851, the Governor's Island display will begin with a special opening ceremony/press opportunity at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 11. This opening dedication is a part of the fifth annual Kiehl's LifeRide for amfAR, a charity motorcycle ride that raises funds and awareness for amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, which is dedicated to ending the global AIDS epidemic.

The Quilt display is free and open to the public and will be on view from 10 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. on August 11 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12. The display will feature more than 2,000 panels honoring over 5,014 individuals including many created by and for individuals who call New York home as well as panels created by leading fashion houses like Giorgio Armani, Anna Sui, Ralph Lauren and BCBG to honor those in the industry who were lost to the pandemic. In recognition of the annual Kiehl's LifeRide for amfAR, a new panel for The Quilt created by Kiehl's will also be unveiled and dedicated at this event.

Governor's Island is accessible by ferries.

Note to younger readers: If you've never seen the Quilt, please consider going. You will find it overwhelmingly moving.

COMPILATION: Gay News In The 1980s

JMG reader Dave Evans has compiled an hour of gay-related news reports that aired in the 1980s. Among the topics: hate crimes, housing rights, HIV/AIDS, immigration rights, pride parades, Barney Frank, Ronald Reagan, the 20th anniversary of Stonewall, the NAMES Project,  and rather interestingly, Houston's 1985 battle for LGBT rights.

PREVIOUSLY ON JMG: Compilations of gay news in the 1970s and the first ten years of HIV/AIDS.

Kickstarter For AIDS Quilt Documentary

From the website for The Last One:

Now more than 50 miles long were it to be laid out end-to-end, The AIDS Memorial Quilt is too large to display in any one location. Yet, even at this size, it does not begin to reflect the number of people who have succumbed to the pandemic. As the film traces The Quilt's history and continued growth, we examine how stigma, discrimination, social status and the lack of access to care exacerbate a disease that has already claimed the lives of roughly 30 million people and currently infects another 34 million men, women and children around the globe--including 50,000 new infections a year in the US alone.

Help fund the film here.

20 Years Ago Today

Twenty years ago today I joined hundreds of thousands of LGBT Americans for the 1993 March On Washington, the event that changed me forever, turning me from a stereotypical early 30s clubbing-crazed party boy/casual activist into whatever it is I am today. While South Beach certainly had no shortage of gay mega-clubs at the time, I'd never been in such a gigantic crowd of my people. Heck, before that March On Washington I'd never even attended a major city gay pride event, unless you count Tampa Pride 1985. Which I don't, no offense to Tampa.

But ascending that dizzying Dupont Circle subway escalator as cheers poured down upon every wave of new arrivals, well, let's just say I still get goosebumps thinking about that moment.  Bill Clinton had just taken office after twelve relentlessly depressing years of Reagan/Bush and the sense of optimism and possibility consumed every one of us.  I know that I still attended all of the huge dance parties which initially drew to me DC that weekend, but today I can't recall one minute of them, not even where they were held.

What I do remember is my visit to the NAMES Project display, meeting Michael Callen, my purchases from the many t-shirt and button vendors, coming home every day covered with stickers, our straining to hear the speakers from what felt like miles from the stage, and the long, hot, fun afternoon waiting to step off with the Florida contingent, which included a marching band playing Be My Guest from Beauty And The Beast. (They played it a LOT.)

VIDEO: The first clip features Callen singing his classic Love Don't Need A Reason. Callen died of AIDS several months after the March. The second clip includes a visit to the AIDS Quilt.

At The 1996 AIDS March In DC

I was going through my ex's photo albums here in Fort Lauderdale last night and found this shot I took at the 1996 National AIDS Candlelight March in Washington DC.  That's NAMES Project founder Cleve Jones near the center, with Judith Light to his left.  Further to the right in the grey jacket is Betty Buckley.  On the far left is current DC House Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton and to her left in the leopard jacket is Valerie Harper. The gentleman in the white suit is Jim Graham, who is now on the Washington DC City Council.  

Elizabeth Taylor was ill that weekend and participated in the march from a golf cart, but I couldn't get near her due to a mob of press and only got a blurry photo of the back of her head as she went by.  It was an unspeakably moving night and the next day President Clinton and the First Lady walked with Cleve to view the Quilt, which spanned the Mall from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument.  Today the Quilt is headquartered in Atlanta, where JMG reader Gert McMullin oversees its safety and makes laborious daily repairs as panels return from displays around the world.

Cleve Jones: It Starts With Me

Photo Of The Day

Via the White House.

WASHINGTON: Continental Staffers Honored At Dulles AIDS Quilt Display

The travel blog Jaunted was moved to tears.

Ever just started crying in an airport? Until this week, we'd have answered "no"—and even this week, it wasn't anything to do with our flight. No, it was the sheer power of the blocks of the AIDS Memorial Quilt currently on display at Washington Dulles, and in particular this block, "Sewn with love by the flight attendants of Continental Airlines." Over a hundred men (and, potentially, women, though we didn't spot any specifically female names) from Continental and its predecessor airlines—Texas International, Frontier, PEOPLExpress, and New York Air—are memorialised in this one block. More poignant still: the square appliqués with every name are all bordered with the material from the ties of each airline, with the five uniforms, pins, buttons and memorabilia also appliquéd between the clouds below. And a rainbow lei down the bottom. We simply can't imagine the time, love and remembrance that the flight attendants of Continental—now, of course, United—put into this Quilt block.

Hit the link for a slideshow of more AIDS Quilt panels at Dulles. (Via JMG reader thatjohn)

RELATED: As part of the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival, the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display on the National Mall and at over 50 other DC locations for five days beginning this Saturday.

AIDS Quilt Returns To DC

The AIDS Quilt Needs Volunteers

The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display in the nation's capital this summer. And they need your help.

Smithsonian AIDS Quilt Exhibit

Panels from the NAMES Project will be on display as part of this summer's Smithsonian Folklife Festival on Washington DC's National Mall. The exhibit runs June 27th to July 1st and July 1st thru July 4th. When last measured, the AIDS Quilt weighed 54 tons in its entirety. It's the largest piece of community folk art in the world. Bring Kleenex.

The AIDS Quilt: 25 Years Later

Video by Sean Chapin.

AIDS Quilt Ceremony At Gay Games

Like much of what the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence do, this ceremony manages to be simultaneously silly and moving. I believe this is the local Cologne order.

Slain AIDS Activist's Memorial This Sunday

A memorial service for slain AIDS activist Michael "La La" Brown will be held this Sunday at 6:30PM at Bryant Park in Lake Worth, Florida. The park is also host that day to Palm Beach County's Pridefest, for whom Brown was a recent Grand Marshall. Brown, 50, was a beloved bon vivant, a pillar of the South Florida gay community, and was adored by the patrons of H.G. Roosters, his gay bar where he hosted innumerable charity events over the last 20 years.

Brown was murdered in his home last week (presumably) by the man with whom he'd had a tumultuous relationship for several years. The killer stayed in Brown's home for two days after the murder, answering Brown's phone and walking his dogs. He then hung himself on a bedroom door. Police found both bodies when Brown's concerned employees reported him missing.

The NAMES Project/AIDS Memorial Quilt, for whom Brown served on the South Florida board of directors, offers this remembrance:

This week The NAMES Project Foundation lost a long-time volunteer and dear friend, Michael Brown. With a generous spirit and an unwavering commitment to community, Michael was always there, ready to step in and help at a moment's notice. He was loved by many and will be missed by all of us.

NOTE: Pridefest organizers plan to discontinue their admission charge an hour before the end of the event, in order that mourners attending the memorial not be charged to enter Bryant Park.

UPDATE: Tony Plakas of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has written a lovely tribute to Michael Brown, his close friend. The column also ruminates on gay bar culture and how a single saloon such as Brown's H.G.Roosters, run by the right person, can become the soul and spirit of a small town gay community.

FL Gay Activist Michael Brown Murdered

Beloved South Florida gay bar owner and AIDS activist Michael Brown, 50, was found murdered in his West Palm Beach home on Friday. Brown's presumed killer, Brant Hines, 27, stayed in Brown's home for two days after the murder before hanging himself on a bedroom door. Brown and Hines had had a turbulent off and on relationship for several years.

Michael Brown, owner of H.G. Roosters, a bar that has been a gathering spot for the city's gay community for more than two decades, died of blows to the head and multiple stab wounds, an autopsy showed. Police say he was the murder victim in an apparent homicide and suicide in his Flagler Drive apartment Friday evening.

The other man found dead in the apartment, Brant Hines, 27, apparently killed Brown late Wednesday or early Thursday, when a neighbor heard shouting and crashing. Hines was seen with a black eye the following day, when he answered the door of Brown's apartment, and when he walked Brown's two dogs. He answered the telephone Wednesday afternoon and said that Brown was not available when someone from H.G. Rooster's called, police said. Calls on Thursday were not answered.

Brown, known to countless friends and acquaintances as "La La", served on the board of directors for the South Florida chapter of the NAMES Project, touring the AIDS Memorial Quilt to such far-flung international destinations as Capetown, South Africa, as well as all over the United States. While touring the Quilt, Brown was often accompanied by fellow NAMES Project board member Jerry Suarez, who is a dear friend of mine.

Yesterday Jerry told me, "Michael felt a tremendous responsibility as a gay man, somebody who saw many friends die, to dedicate his life to AIDS awareness and to work for the betterment of gay people everywhere." In 2007, Brown received the Fundraiser Extraordinaire Award from the Comprehensive AIDS Program of Palm Beach County

BELOW: Jerry Suarez, Michael Brown, and Eileen Horan at a 2004 NAMES Project display in Washington, DC.
BELOW: A slideshow of the candlelight vigil and remembrance held Saturday at H.G. Roosters in West Palm Beach, via Wes Blackburn's blog post, Good-Bye La-La.

PERSONAL: I first met Michael in the late 80's when I was working in West Palm Beach, but living in Fort Lauderdale, and would occasionally stop by Rooster's for a drink on my way home. Even though I was an infrequent patron, "La La" always knew my name and would charm me with with a joke and a big smile. Several years later I got to know him better when my new job in the music industry (working for Jerry Suarez) brought me into daily contact with the folks working for the NAMES Project. Michael was a big man with a big heart and his untimely end is a terrible loss for the LGBT people of South Florida. A book of condolences is being hosted by the Palm Beach Post. Make your remembrance of Michael Brown here.

The Handmaiden Of The Quilt

Gentle readers, with the author's permission, I am posting a late comment to last month's post regarding the NY Times article about the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Gert McMullin is the "Handmaiden Of The Quilt", the person directly responsible for its maintenance, repair, and upkeep. Here's her beautiful and touching message:

Joe, the following is in response to some of your readers:

Yes, the entire QUILT has been archived and cataloged. This happens as soon as each 12x12 is sewn together. And to clear things up for some of your readers....all fabric will show its age with time. Any museum can tell you this. We do the best we can while taking into consideration that this QUILT was made to fight AIDS, not to be put behind glass in a museum. Yes it is on shelves in Atlanta....just as it was on shelves in San Francisco.

It does not sit and rot on those shelves. That would happen "over my dead body". We do many displays each year. Would we like to do more? Without a question, YES. But, unfortunately the solution to that is what we are sometimes lacking in, and that's funding.

The QUILT is loved and cared for as it has always been. Hundreds of my dear beloved friends lay on those shelves. I care for them every day. They are all my boys. They are safe. They are not rotting. They are not sitting in storage. They are loved.

Remember not everything you read in the paper is always accurate. Sometimes a simple phone call (or if you are nearby) a visit to our warehouse would ease these rumors. We are open 7 days a week for people to visit and/or view panels they have made for the QUILT. We welcome everyone.

Gert McMullin
Handmaiden of the QUILT
The NAMES Project
AIDS Memorial QUILT

JMG: "They are all my boys." Tissues all around, gentle readers? Please consider sending Gert McMullin a message of support and thanks for her dedication and hard work in keep our history alive: gert_mcmullin@aidsquilt.org. Better yet, help our Handmaiden do her job by making a contribution to the NAMES Project. Pictured below: Gert cares for her boys.

Has The Quilt Run Its Course?

There's an interesting story about the AIDS Memorial Quilt in today's New York Times that speculates on the enduring value of the quilt in a day when its message may have "lost its punch". The quilt's caretaker organization, the Names Project, has been mired in infighting and lawsuits for years now and the bulk of the quilt is slowly deteriorating in storage in Atlanta.

The current size of the quilt is six city blocks, several times larger than its last complete public display in 1996 (pictured), which my friends and I flew from Florida and California to attend. Protease inhibitors had just become available and even while walking those hallowed rows of grave-sized panels, there was a palpable sense of optimism in the air.

When I lived in Fort Lauderdale, my boss was the chair of the Florida chapter of the Names Project and he was always shuttling around the state from one display to another. At these displays there were usually donation jars set up, so that visitors could contribute to the costs of storing and shipping the panels, no small amount when the number of panels in a single display could number in the hundreds. My boss would bring the donation jars into the office so that our accountant could count up and bind the cash and checks for deposit.

After a well-attended exhibition at the Palm Beach County Jewish Senior Center, the visitors had been particularly generous and as it was late in the day, I offered to help the accountant count the donations. Looking across a pile of money, Jon stared at me for a second and said, "OK, I'll do the cash. Why don't you do the checks?" He pushed a large pile of personal checks at me. I gathered them up and returned to my desk with the donors register, which the Names Project used to record the names and addresses of contributors.

As I began the laborious process of recording the names, addresses and amounts, I couldn't help noticing the memo line on one of the checks. "For my son, Adam." The check was for $20. My throat clenched up. The next check: "I miss my Ronnie." $10. A couple of checks later: "For my grandson, Michael." $25. I turned on the radio and tried to become more mechanical in my movements. Name, address, amount. Name, address, amount. But I kept finding my eyes returning to the memo line. I couldn't stop myself. "In the name of Ben Johnson, our son." "Daniel Berg. 1965-1995." And on and on.

I only got about 50 of the 200 or so checks recorded, when I came across this notation: "Mama misses you so much." $10. I slammed the register shut, put the checks on top, and walked back the accountant's office. I pushed the door open and said, "Jon, um...listen, I'm sorry but I can't finish this right now. I'll get to it in the morning, cool?" Jon looked over the top of his glasses at my red, watery eyes and gave me a slow, understanding nod, "Yeah, sure Joe." I turned to walk out and he added, "Why do you think I said I'd do the cash?"

The AIDS Quilt is the most powerful memorial in the history of gay culture. If it has "lost its punch", I really don't know if that's a good or bad thing.

BOTTOM RIGHT: My former boss' quilt for his father, Dr.Valeriano Suarez. Sewn to the quilt is a teddy bear wearing surgical scrubs.