#aids activism

[virtual-nostalgia]

David Wojnarowicz

"Silence = Death" (1990) by Rosa Von Praunheim

[magicfemme]

“Still loved."

AIDS QUILT SERIES | VIEW THE QUILT

[bitter69uk]

“Elizabeth Taylor is, in my opinion, the greatest actress in film history. She instinctively understands the camera and its nonverbal intimacies. Opening her violet eyes, she takes us into the liquid realm of emotion, which she inhabits by Pisces intuition … an electric, erotic charge vibrates the space between her face and the lens. It is an extraordinary, pagan phenomenon … Elizabeth Taylor, voluptuous in her sleek slip, stands like an ivory goddess, triumphantly alone.”

/ From fiery pop culture theorist and author Camille Paglia’s essay “Elizabeth Taylor: Hollywood’s Pagan Queen” in the March 1992 issue of Penthouse magazine /

Born 94 years ago today: child actress turned volatile, hedonistic screen diva, AIDS activist, perfume brand magnate and definition of “movie star”, Elizabeth Taylor (Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, 27 February 1932 – 23 March 2011). My favourite Taylor performances would have to include Suddenly Last Summer (1959) and Boom! (1968) (she was truly one of cinema’s definitive interpreters of Tennessee Williams’ dialogue: see also Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and Sweet Bird of Youth (1989)), the gloriously trashy Butterfield 8 (1960), the underrated Southern Gothic Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967) and the brilliantly bizarre Secret Ceremony (1968) and The Driver’s Seat (1974) aka Identikit. Compulsory reading: Erotic Vagrancy: Everything About Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor (2023) by Roger Lewis. Pictured: exquisite portrait of Taylor by Mark Shaw, 1956.

[nourfamilies]

Meet Nour and Her Family — A Story of Resilience Amid Ruins This is Mai and her four daughters, including the youngest — 7-year-old Nour.

Before the war, Nour was a vibrant 6-year-old bursting with personality. She had a flair for fashion, adored her cat, loved going to school, and cherished her long hair. Her days were filled with laughter, play, and the warm comfort of home.

Then everything changed.

When the war broke out, Nour and her family were forced to flee on foot, passing through streets filled with devastation — bombed buildings and bodies. Since then, they’ve had to move eight times, often in the middle of the night, due to constant evacuation orders. They now live in a fragile tent, with little protection from the elements. Here is a short video her mother sent that shows what life looks like for them now:

Nour’s father, once a private driver, is now unemployed — like the vast majority of Gaza’s population. Their family home in Northern Gaza was completely destroyed in the early days of the war. With no source of income and no place to return to, they now rely entirely on humanitarian aid and the kindness of others to survive — for essentials like food, water, and clothing.

Now that the war has ended, Nour’s family is holding on to hope. Their dream is simple: to rebuild a home, find stability, and give their daughters the chance to live a peaceful life once again.

If you're able to help — by sharing this story or donating — it could mean the world to this family as they try to rebuild after 15 months of unimaginable hardship.

DONATE

[proleposting]

From POST, by Leo Herrera

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

The bond between Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe is one of the most poignant and artistically fertile friendships of the 20th century. Their story began in the late 1960s in New York City, where the two young dreamers met and began navigating a shared world of art, music, and poetry. Patti, a fledgling poet from New Jersey, and Robert, a budding photographer, first crossed paths at the Chelsea Hotel, a legendary haven for creatives like Janis Joplin and Dylan Thomas. What began as a romantic relationship quickly evolved into a profound friendship that would inspire both artists’ careers. Mapplethorpe’s portraits of Patti became iconic, especially the 1975 cover of her debut album, Horses, which remains one of the most striking images in music history. "He captured me in a moment of becoming," Patti later reflected, acknowledging how Mapplethorpe’s lens didn’t just see her but transformed her.

By the 1980s, Patti and Robert had taken divergent yet equally impactful paths. Patti moved to Michigan with her husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith, a guitarist for the MC5, and shifted her focus to family life and raising their two children. Meanwhile, Mapplethorpe’s photography career skyrocketed, fueled by his daring explorations of identity, sexuality, and the human form. However, the world he was documenting was also shrinking under the shadow of the AIDS epidemic. Robert’s health began to decline after his HIV diagnosis in the mid-1980s, but he refused to slow down. In 1988, just a year before his death, he held his final exhibit, The Perfect Moment, which stirred controversy for its explicit portrayal of gay BDSM culture. While some critics hailed the work as revolutionary, others labeled it obscene, igniting debates on censorship and public funding for the arts. Throughout this period, Patti and Robert stayed connected, their friendship unwavering despite physical distance and personal challenges.

The year 1988 was bittersweet for Patti, as it marked both her reunion with Mapplethorpe and the devastating loss of her husband, Fred. Robert, sensing his time was running out, asked Patti to sit for a family portrait with her children, a poignant acknowledgment of their enduring bond. This photograph, taken in New York City, captures not just a moment but a lifetime of shared experiences. In it, Robert’s presence looms large, his composition imbued with both fragility and strength. The same year, Patti released Dream of Life, her first album in nearly a decade, featuring the anthemic "People Have the Power." The record was a tribute to her husband and a testament to her belief in art’s ability to inspire change. Yet behind the music was a woman grieving deeply, caught between the joy of creation and the pain of loss. Robert, too, was battling his own mortality, channeling his remaining energy into a body of work that would cement his legacy as one of the most provocative and influential photographers of his time.

Robert Mapplethorpe passed away on March 9, 1989, leaving a void in Patti’s life that she would later articulate in her memoir, Just Kids. The book, published in 2010, serves as both a love letter and an elegy, chronicling their journey from struggling artists to cultural icons. It was Robert’s dying wish that Patti tell their story, a task she fulfilled with grace and raw honesty. "Nothing could separate us. Not even death," Patti wrote, encapsulating the depth of their connection. Today, their legacy lives on through the Mapplethorpe Foundation, which supports AIDS research and photography grants, and through Patti’s music and writing, which continue to inspire new generations. Their story is one of art, love, and resilience—a reminder that even in the face of loss, the creative spirit endures.

(History Through Photos)

[rileycruel]

New York, 1983