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1990: “Please…?” the reporter said. “People think it’s just San Francisco and New York.”
Trembling, I said, “OK.”
Why? Because…we existed. Everywhere.
2021: “Let the Record Show” — a 736-page oral history of ACT UP NY — has 188 interviews with former members, and zero HIV+ women.
The author acknowledges it. Reviewers don’t. Like we never existed.
We did. We do.
I started an A-Z list of long-term survivors: Alice, Beatrice, Cecilia, Dawn, Elaine, Fiona, Gina, Hulda… Then another: Alejandra, Billie, Claire… Antigone, Betsy, Carrie…
Then allies: Allie, Barb, Chris, Dan…
I stop. Remember other lists. Breathe.
Surviving is beautiful, but bittersweet.
So write your book!
Your list reminds me of when someone made a list of “scientists” (mostly dentists, engineers, etc.) who “don’t believe in evolution.” Someone else made a longer list of scientists named Steve who accept the evidence for that every species (bacteria, weeds, humans) has evolved and is still evolving. Also viruses, although are they really “species”?