AIDS Crisis: Struggles and Activism

This chapter recounts the speaker's early volunteer experiences at Gay Men's Health Crisis during the 1980s, focusing on their relationship with Michael Hirsch and the demands of providing essential medications for individuals living with AIDS. It highlights the urgent efforts to access and distribute unapproved treatments amidst bureaucratic obstacles and the emotional toll of attending countless funerals of friends lost to the epidemic. The narrative emphasizes the challenges faced in advocating for affordable medications and the eventual impact of activism on drug pricing and FDA regulations, while acknowledging the persistent loss felt within the community.