Daily Archives: 06/25/2011

(Community Matters) The Normal Heart is Larry Kramer’s story about the earliest days of AIDS, organizing, advocating and the world ignoring the epidemic because it was thought to be a “gay disease” and because the gay community initially didn’t step up responsibly.

Brilliant – exceedingly well cast and directed. No wonder it won 3 Tony’s.

Larry Kramer’s story quickly brought back memories of our fight in Austin. I wasn’t on the team until 1990 (eventually chairing the Austin/Travis County HIV Commission) but even then Austin was willing to allocate more to its animal shelter than to services and prevention for AIDS/HIV. Only after our own organization of ACT UP, Dikes on Bikes, Drag Queens and Angry Queens were we able to secure increases in funding necessary to adequately take care of our friends before they died. And, they did die, almost every one of them.

Hilary and I went last night; Steven and Brent going this afternoon (they were at Punchdrunk last night). Adlers, Lands, Wynnes and Ellis’ there last night too

(Community Matters) I was in the Golden Theatre when I heard – sitting between Hilary and Anne Wynne. The cast of The Normal Heart had just received a standing ovation, came back for an encore, house lights were coming up and my friend Paul Boskind came onto the stage. “I just wanted to let you know that while your telephones were off, New York passed marriage.”

Steven and Brent were walking in Greenwich Village, near Sheridan Square when they heard hollering. Steven was following Marty Rouse’s news feed, so knew marriage had just passed. The started walking in the direction of the celebration and came upon Stonewall – the US epicenter of LGBT equality. Somehow they got in; Brett started hugging, taking pictures, then we all met at the Standard to celebrate with the Adlers/Lands.