First Reaction to 1980s’ AIDS Epidemic Was Denial, As Is Always The Case

Writer Andrew Sullivan, who is HIV-positve and considers himself a survivor of AIDS, recalled the reaction to the 1980s AIDS epidemic in mainstream culture and in the gay community. The first response was denial. “Those of us who have already been through a plague experience in our lives know this all too well. As the clear signs of a new and deadly epi…