Why does New York City need an AIDS Memorial?

In 2011 when the New York City AIDS Memorial was conceived, and over 35 years into the fight against AIDS, there was no highly visible public memorial recognizing those we lost and the extraordinarily heroic effort of caregivers and activists who helped change the trajectory of the epidemic. Even though New York City alone lost more than 100,000 men, women, and children to AIDS and the global activist response to the epidemic started here, the history of the disease in New York City is all but invisible: the loss and devastation, the government indifference, the community’s unprecedented response. This memorial is intended both to honor and acknowledge the past and – as the AIDS crisis is far from over – energize and inspire current and future generations of activists, caregivers, and people living with HIV.