Interview: Jeff Soref
AN INTERVIEW WITH JEFF SOREF, ACTIVIST AND PHILANTHROPIST
How and when did you get involved in the AIDS epidemic?
Around 1982, I had a friend who became very ill, went to the hospital and died within a matter of days. Nobody knew why. There was no place to go to get an answer. One newspaper, the New York Native, had virtually the only regular coverage in the city about the “gay disease” affecting men in New York and San Francisco. I would run out and get the paper, read about symptoms and spend the rest of the day feeling my lymph glands and examining my tongue, both being where alleged symptoms first appeared. Doctors and therapists were overwhelmed by panicked gay men. More friends died, some quickly, but many lingered, suffering horribly. After an extremely close friend in Washington died, I made a promise to him, “Never again.” Never again could this happen. Several friends asked me to become a member of the board of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC). I did, and in 1991, I became president of the board. These were the worst years of the epidemic in New York City, what Larry Kramer rightfully called a plague. There was no roadmap showing us the way to a cure, the way to save our friends or the way to get our city, state and federal governments involved in the fight. We made it up as we went along, and we put up a helluva’ fight.
What do you think are the biggest lessons learned from the early days of fighting AIDS?
Silence = death.
How do you think those lessons can be applied today?
Just that, if you are silent you might as well be dead.
Who or what will you be remembering at the Memorial?
I think for people who lived through the worst part of the epidemic and lost friends, the memories and memorials are all around us. It is hard to walk or ride around the city without recalling a demonstration, a meal, a date or an embrace you shared with somebody who is gone. In a unique way, the AIDS Memorial gathers the memories under one roof. It will be a place for people to remember but also to ask questions and to learn.
Why is it important to support the AIDS Memorial?
The Memorial reminds all generations where we came from, the history we share and the proud fight we made to save our brothers our sisters and ourselves. Supporting the Memorial is a personal commitment to never forget and to make sure others can never deny or forget.
The idea of a memorial was initiated by members of a generation that never experienced the plague years first-hand, but they understood the importance of knowing our history. Their dream became a reality because it inspired others to step forward with money and support. The NYC AIDS Memorial is not just a symbol of remembrance but of unity as well.