Last June, I watched "We Were Here," a film documenting the AIDS epidemic. (It's on Netflix. WATCH IT.) This was the first time I had learned about the sheer devastation of AIDS. (In general, but in the mid/80's to early-90's especially.) Among many other things, I was struck with the visible suffering experienced by SO MANY. Images of people literally wasting away, covered in KS lesions were particularly jarring. I cried through the entire film. I cried on and off for the next two weeks. I could not believe I didn't know about ANY of that. ❣️Since then I've cried through articles, films, books, and documentaries. After many teary and impassioned FaceTime and in-person chats with my grandma/oracle/gay mentor @richardcortez, he's helped me understand I have SO much more to learn, and has often shown me where to find that knowledge. He has empowered me to speak about what I'm learning.❣️ Think about it: there is an entire generation of LGBT heroes who didn't make it long enough to tell their stories and pass down their knowledge and their culture. And some have, and I could not be more grateful for all I'm learning from them. Their stories are crucial. ❣️ As passionate as I am about femme/masc dynamics in gay culture, this is bigger. And so you'll be hearing a lot from me about this era in the next while. Not because I know a lot. On the contrary! I'm learning. And I'm taking you with me. ❣️ We HAVE TO learn about and honor these people. Their legacy, although terribly glossed over, benefits me and you every single day. Their suffering and their fight cannot go unnoticed. ❣️ #wewerehere #davidweissman #billweber
