REVIVAL:
Survivors’ Stories

40 years ago, the first reports of a strange new disease began to circulate in the press and, in particular, among the LGBTQ+ community.

Little was known at the time and few could have foreseen the devastation emerging on the horizon. We also could not begin to imagine the four decades of stories of loss, fear, triumph, courage, resilience, and hope that would come from it.

To acknowledge this milestone, The Generations Project and New York City AIDS Memorial partnered throughout 2021 to present a storytelling series at the Memorial that sought stories from folks of all ages and backgrounds who have experienced living with and surviving HIV/AIDS, as long-term survivors, friends, or family who've been impacted by the epidemic. The first storytelling event was held at the Memorial on June 5, 2021 - the 40th Anniversary of the first reports of AIDS by the CDC and the annual observance of HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day. Subsequent events were held on June 30, 2021, closing out New York City’s Pride Month celebrations, and on October 12, 2021. You can watch full videos from both June events at the links below followed by short clips of our fifteen incredible storytellers.

Watch the video preview to learn more:

Storyteller Clips

Banner photograph courtesy of Sam Waxman with The Generations Project; Videos by Adam Golub and Linus Ignatius with The Generations Project