AIDS in KC: The Early Days | Documentary | Part 1
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- Опубліковано 2 лис 2022
- (Early - Late 1980s)
The LGBTQ community nationwide found itself rocked by a new virus that few understood, with little support or acknowledgment from society or elected leaders. Though Washington D.C. and the nation at large were mostly silent, Kansas City was not. Local members of the community and allies recognized the injustice of turning the other way. They began a grassroots movement to shine a spotlight on the epidemic and rally support for those affected.
WATCH Part 2: • AIDS in KC: Facing the...
At the time, women were often the main caretakers for their friends and neighbors who were ill - often gay men who were dying in their own homes. Social workers, nurses, doctors and heads of community organizations, including bars and churches, formed alliances and held fundraisers, building a grassroots social safety net for queer people abandoned by those in power.
Even in 2022, the survivors and those who stepped up to provide support during the height of the crisis have gone largely unrecognized. Many have not spoken of the horrors of the first days of the virus, the feelings of attending multiple funerals a month or losing all of their best friends within weeks of a diagnosis. Today, some are still haunted by memories of the time, but all have a story to tell.
Support for long-term survivors remains critical, even as new preventative medications have been developed. Most assume the AIDS crisis ended in the 90s, eradicated by education and awareness. But it continues, with those suffering, still, often alone.
Kansas City PBS - KCPT, Kansas City
AIDS in KC: Facing the Challenge, the second part of this series is available to watch here now! ua-cam.com/video/3YzO92jGmlA/v-deo.html
It's still too raw. It always will be. I've lost many friends because of AIDS. I found out my old boyfriend in 1977 who was 25 died years later at the age of 35. Several of my friends that moved away I found had passed away. On 12/31/77, I met someone that became the love of my life. He was 25 and I was 32. We were together for 40 years until he passed away. We somehow were both spared AIDS. I always felt that's why we were put together. So many faces I see remind me of friends I lost. I wish they could have lived their lives like me and reach the age I am now. I'll be 78 in April. I feel lucky and guilty at the same time. None of this should have ever happened. We didn't do drugs. We were monogamous and never strayed, but that's who we were from day one.
I'm sorry for your loss. We now know that Dr. Fauci and his friends deliberately put the AIDS virus out in the public to attack homosexuality and a form of population control. Truly evil.
That's survivors guilt hunny...I have it too from my sister dying
@@RAS_KAS To find the best cure for hiv/aids and type 1 and type 2 herpes, I discovered Dr Kanayo Peterson's UA-cam channel several years ago.
My heart goes out to you. AIDS is a terrible disease, not a terrible person's disease. Stay strong my friend.
@@jodyschmuckatelli2356
I agree
I'm from NYC and I lost 6 good friends to AIDS. If someone told you they were HIV+ it was an automatic death sentence. What do you say to that?!--"I'm sorry. I heard you were dying." These were all physically gorgeous, talented people--one, an opera singer, a soap opera actor, a publicist, etc. They were some of the best people I've ever known in my life. One of my friends though, was totally delirious and he was telling me that he was visiting Rome, Paris, etc.--all the places he always wanted to go. So John got to travel the world (in his deluded state) before he died. I was happy for him.
I hear ya. I don't think we will ever be able to truly assess the sheer extent of human loss AIDS inflicted on the world in terms of the numbers of kind and loving souls who were taken from us. Likewise, I cannot even begin to fathom the amount of artistic talent we lost forever during that generation. These were enlightened and creative people who would've done so much good and made such a big difference in driving progress and justice forward. Instead, here we are yet again on the brink of the proverbial political precipice without a safety net to protect us from a certain orange menace . I can't help but think those souls we lost would've been our safety net in today's world. Hopefully, they're watching over us now because we most certainly need their inspiration and spiritual guidance now more than ever.
My uncle live with hiv aids till 1981 and still alive ,he was patient 97
Back in the 1980's we had the same problem at our hospital but stopped after the hospital's CEO posted a notice that no one was exempt from caring for patients with AIDS and refusing to do so meant immediate termination.
👏🏽👏🏽❤️
Incredibly sad and frightening. Shame on the families who abandoned their flesh and blood.
Have you seen 'Cafe Flesh?' It was Cinema Verite and had powerful stylized visuals.
Religion was to blame .
I agree, if my child/family member had AIDS I wouldn't ever give up on them, that is true uncondintional love. Shame on the parents that let their babies die alone !
As a person who lived through those terrible times and saw a few friends die from aids I can tell you that some of those families were already distant from their loved ones due to their lifestyle. It was a terrible time in our country.
@@pooddescrewch8718 you don’t really mean that do you?
RIP to them all. I don’t know what else to say. I’m a retired nurse and I have seen AIDS.
Im a 59 year old heterosexual male. One of my best friends growing up came out to us when we were in our early twenties. Not too long after, he got very sick and was diagnosed with HIV. I witnessed his family, primarily his father, turn their backs on him when he was sick, at the time he needed them most. He died shortly after. I was devastated. I was angry at the way he was treated by his family and society as a whole. This video brought back all those feelings. 😂😅😢
Your close friend was blessed to have a friend in you. Never forget that. Hold onto your memories, both good and bad. The world needs more great men like you!
I appreciate your kind and compassionate sentiment, which is why I can only surmise that the two 'laughter' emojis at the end of your comment were a typo. God bless.
Watching this is brutal. I’m a straight woman in hospitality, at 19 who watched my besties and workmates die horrible deaths. It’s hard to explain to people how barbaric and horrible these men were treated. I miss my friends
I lost over 25 friends to AIDS from the late 80s to the early nineties and I went to so many funerals I still cry today thinking about them this should have never happened
I was there during this time in Kansas City. I have always been an ally. We used to drive-in to Kansas City on the weekends to party at the cabaret or the edge or buddies. I lost 2 of my closest and dear friends from high school. One was my soulmate. To be a straight girl surrounded by all of my gay friends was an honor and a privilege, but to see so many of our friends passing away was absolutely heartbreaking and scary. Through it all we had more laughter and parody of everything around us than I have ever experienced in my life since. I paused at every photo to see if I recognized faces. I know what these men went through. God-bless them and especially to all of the people who showed so much compassion and were just ((present)) when that was the greatest gift. 💜
Thank you Good Samaritan Project. 38 years HIV+/AIDS 62 year old female, diagnosed in Kansas City.
How many years you have?
@@johnnygerard6605Don't expect an answer. Some folks are so inconsiderate with a complete lack of courtesy!
New generations need to learn about the AIDS epidemic!
The young folk are doing the same stuff all over again. A new pathogen with no easy cure will mow thru the ranks just like HIV.
but nobody talks about it anymore. There are still many infections today
The new generation has an attitude that they can just take a pill and be okay.
I heard someone say" nobody is getting AIDS anymore".
Why?
@@dondamon4669 bc pandemics pose incredible threats to our species
It's scary how some of u people never learn. It's like 2020 was 40 years ago not 4.
November 1983 a lady friend of mine in college told me she had Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. I had never heard of it. I said I hope you get better. She gave me a look I will never forget. Only saw her one more time. I asked her family for a picture. They never responded to my request. She died early 1984.
May your lady friend Rest in Peace.
I pray she’s resting peacefully.
@@sabrina.natalieTell me more about resting in peacefully, what does that mean. Do tell.
I now manage the program at the site of Good Samaritan House. We are a shelter for homeless queer youth. Thank you for telling the story, my staff are young lgbtq people who are very curious to know about the history of our program. ❤
Hopefully, you also teach them,that there's a better life,when we turn completely (not partially)to GOD thru CHRIST.
We all sinners. But we all are call to repent, and obey GOD'S word,and that means,leaving behind the life that contradicts GOD'S will for us. Or there be eternal consequences.
Hannah DeSimio thank you for your service. I’m glad that this important history has been documented.
Hopefully you can teach others that we are loved. Here in Canada I grew up in a pretty hate-filled church. Lots of people had “sinned and come short of the glory of God”. When my family finally left that church it was so interesting to find out what was going on behind the scenes.
Dial forward a few decades and here I am as a still-Christian mom raising 3 kids, 2 of whom are 2SLGBTQ+. My church is fully affirming as is another church that my parents attend.
What other “Christians” like the one who posted above me miss is the main message Jesus gives and also shows through what is written about Him. It is far more in-line to welcome and to love. I know in my family alone that we are far, far happier knowing this!
I’m grateful to be in my part of Canada where we can raise a Pride flag in June at schools, have GSA and Pride clubs, and (for the most part) not have a heavy dose of hate. This has shifted recently as complaints have ramped up but as an educator I still believe that education is a key factor.
Keep fighting your uphill climb there. What you’re doing for those youth matters.
@@dan1769Judge not lest ye be judged.
I made it through this unscathed........strange because my partner at the time (we were together for almost 9 years) did not. I moved on carefully and over 10 yrs passed before I found someone again to share my life. I've been blessed in that regard and now it's 22 years later! And now we have both made it through Covid, although we may encounter it again. 2 pandemics in my life.......WOW!
Covid is not the same. Not even close.
@@julieann4616 you are right about that........ HIV was a virtual death sentence...... a few more may have made it through had they not taken the AZT....... were in desperate times for sure back then....... any treatment to save a life......
PS thank goodness for todays therapies.
I am so happy for you. My partner and I met in 1977. I was 32 and he was 25 and were together for 40 years until his death. We often thanked God for having us meet when we did. Neither one of us did drugs. We were monogamous. We were that way from the very beginning. He was the love of my life. I miss him every day, but am so thankful for us never being touched by Aids. I hope the two of you have a long loving life together. It sounds like you already have that covered. God Bless.....
@@fob1xxl thank you! I appreciate your "blessing "!
It's all about commitment.......
We are lucky to have found each other. And you were blessed to to have those 40 years!! We always say to eachotber...... no matter what...... don't stop "living" !
Hoping your life is still filled with purpose! 😉
🌹🌹🌹🙏
I watched a close friend die of aids many years ago and its simply horrible. 😪
I worked in a lab at a large teaching hospital in Kansas City when we got our first AIDS patient. No one knew what to do. No one knew if it was easily communicable, so we had to gown up, gloves, masks, etc. I remember the young man was very upset about it and wanted me to take my gloves off. I think he just wanted human touch.
Over the years we lost almost our entire respiratory therapy dept. to AIDS. Very sad.
Thank you all for your service for our community during those days. You are all amazing human beings.
1:30 in and I already want to cry. You can see how much this still affects them, and it’s so hard to listen to the pain in their voices. Heartbreaking.
So many wonderful people lost their lives and most people just didn’t care. Heartbreaking.
🌹🌹🌹🙏
People still dont care...
@@bluevelvet3769 they care it’s just a different time and they weren’t there. It’s still a heartbreak.
I was a kid witnessing the aids epidemic in NYC and I still cry … 😢 this is why I feel so STRONGLY ABOUT SUPPORTING my brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ COMMUNITY- the backlash from this awful sad disease was ALL HATE and it was horrific
And this is why we celebrate Pride
❤
Your not helping the root cause of this problem… your just making it worse and supporting their death.
🌈 AIDS pride!
The tq cult is a new fad of the 21st century, there was no lgbtq community, it didn't exist. The lgb community were hit very hard and an awful lot of good people died. Don't bring the cult into this
🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈🏳️🌈❤️
R.I.P. to everyone in the documentary
This documentary is very well-done. And also so heartbreaking.
Fascinating and interesting documentary. We’ll done. It’s interesting to see how a Midwest city like KC dealt with this horrible disease.
🙏 RIP All the people died of AIDS
What about good people who do not die of AIDS? Why only AIDS patients?
@@ratuamartyanne8875 Because *this* particular documentary is LITERALLY ABOUT AIDS. The OP didn’t say RIP *only* to those who died of AIDS. They simply acknowledged those who have because this is the subject matter of the video. Good lord…
@@themoondrinksmerlot4260 the majority are degenerates and useless Africans. Why are we looking for a cure again? I would even inflate the meds up immensely.
@@ratuamartyanne8875 Who says AIDS patients aren't GOOD People, yes most of them were/are. This is Literally about AIDS thats why!!! duh. are you slow?!
@@ratuamartyanne8875what are you talking about? Good people? Get over yourself!!
Last I heard aids is rife in Africa.
Great documentary. Thank you for posting.
Fascinating documentary, thank you. It is so nice to know that there are such good people in this world.
This really takes me back. I was living in NY, NY when the epidemic started. It was just luck that I didn't get it as I was in a long term relationship. I saw many people die and toward the end when new meds were making it survivable, I worked with Aids patients in Seattle as a care giver. This vid brings up the fear and not knowing even what was causing it that we went thru during the early days of the epidemic. Horrible. Since then I have been in nursing and have worked thru the covid epidemic as well.
Thank you for this.
Thank you DR ABIOLA for being the reason why i am smiling today. Your herbal medication for HIV is indeed an active one keep helping lives sir
Beautiful stories ... Thank you
So heartbreaking 💔
It did not matter what group of people that the virus started first effecting. If the epidemic started in middle America in heterosexual people more would have been done early to help prevent it and the search for treatments would have happened sooner. I am not saying that was right, no one deserves to die of AIDS it is a terrible disease.
Heartbreaking
Kansas city’s view and efforts regarding the AIDS epidemic were inspirational just seeing how many health workers were emotionally affected by infected patients is heartwarming 💙❤️🧡💚💛
Ugh this breaks my heart so much 😞💔
What a great documentary.
Thank you pbs this is imp
Thanks for giving a window into the epidemic in small town, USA rather than the usual NYC San Fran LA.
Wow this is insane I wish they could have lived in my time so much love so much stigma the pain the shame the hate and the bigotry . Love you guys
People did not know what it was yet & didn't want to die. Can't blame them for wanting to take precautions.
Such a beautiful homage to the people who passed away from this horrible disease as well as those who selflessly were there for them until the very end.💜
May all of those who made their transition from this world to next Rest in Peace.🌺💐🌹🌼🥀🪷
This is so sad! How could my city do people like this
These men that are in their late 60s and 70s that are being interviewed still cry. Can you imagine when it was going on how they must’ve felt? And then our President Reagan wouldn’t even utter the word. That’s when it became political if they were white men dying at this rate, you know they would’ve done everything possible, and it taken out all the stops to make sure people got the treatment they needed. Nobody deserved that. It was heartbreaking to hear of the first patient that died from that church and they paid for the cremation to learn that his family wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. You’re dying in your own family says I don’t know you go away.
Excellent and moving documentary. Great people testify here. All my thoughts to the victims of this (still ongoing) pandemic.
This is a MUCH needed documentary...especially for the younger generations to see. I just wish it included stories from the People Of Color community. The AIDS epidemic was terrible to everyone (no matter what Race or Ethnicity). Back in the early days, AIDS in KC was handled in a completely different way for communities of color. When historical stories like this are told, it is important to be inclusive.Thank u for putting this together.
check out part 2
Yes, part one is what was most noticeable in the early years.
There's a lot of videos on UA-cam that have people of color in them that have AIDS. This is just a video mostly of white people having AIDS so to be inclusive of them too. I say this as a non-white person.
I first learned about the AIDS epidemic when I was in middle school, and this was during the late 90's.
Thanks for giving credit to lesbians. We did what we could.
Bill burns RIP. Thinking of you
How horrific of the families that turned their back on their own sons! 😢Thankful those in the lgbt community had each other
It's not their job to take care of them.
The LGBTIQA community proved to be more like family for the AIDS patients than their own families of origin ever were.
I have lost a dozen friends, lovers, family to fentanyl. So..I can kind of relate to what these poor folks went through.
A very beautiful guy I was dating suicided less than a year before HAART . Shortly after he was diagonosed .
I wish many could have fought... It was Fear,Side effects of Testimonial drugs. Cancer and going Blind.. affected many. So heartbreaking
..🌹🌹🙏
May the beautiful guy rest in peace. I am so sorry to hear this.
Beautiful!
It makes me sad that my country Philippines has the highest growth rate of HSD in south east Asia. I hope people should be more aware with this pandemic🌿)
Beautiful people 😢
Absolutely horrible! Not only are you dying but society wants nothing to do with you anymore.😢
Not our problem.
Triste, muy muy triste ver cómo se te morían tus amigos en poco tiempo 💔
So sad to watch young people full of life taken so young by this disease.
UA-cam should not clutter these videos -- this subject - with ads.
As an RN the story of the lunch trays is horrible I worked on an AIDS unt voluntarily.
What happened with the lunch trays?😊
❤💔😪
This program was beautiful. True Christian principles at work. Thank you.
It's not Christian, it's just good people.
I love this woman I've never met.
Cities like Albany Ga need to pay close attention. Especially with COVID 19 plus drugs and poverty
It’s so a small the house
Thanks for this documentary. I wish everybody were more understanding in the mid 80 ies , and showed more compassion for the dying .
It wasn t always the case unfortunately 😑, especially among conservative politicians and die-hard religious leaders... 😶
Those meds were killing them faster than the disease
Yes 🧐😢
Azt
Any person who lets their family member die alone from AIDS is not a Christian. Heartless.
That's not your call. Christians are not called to condone/coddle/dismiss one of the four sins that cry to Heaven for vengeance.
@@user-xr7qn3rs4v I never said to accept their sin. Loving your neighbor does not mean to "condone" their sin.
@@user-xr7qn3rs4v THAT IS THERE FAMILY....... Family comes first!!!
@user-xr7qn3rs4v. You can hate the sin but love the sinner, isn’t that what Jesus did?
@@user-xr7qn3rs4vFAMILY should always come first no matter what. When you put religion above your own family then you are a POS and don’t deserve any family.
May they RIP
Thank you our sister’s for taking care of us. We see you and appreciate you.
This is what godly people look like.
tragic stories
❤❤❤
This is obviously a heartbreaking topic, but I choose to focus on the sheer blessing of having had these human angels around back then to bear witness to what was really happening at the time and to help sound the alarms, while so much of society couldn't be bothered, and to have survived to give their priceless testimony to younger generations. God bless every single person who was allowed by the grace of God to survive this horrific plague and keep the memories alive of those who unfortunately were not lucky enough to escape death. We need to know these intimate stories and we must continue to uplift these brave survivors and carry their memories in our hearts. This history impacts us all. May everyone who died rest in peace forever and always. We shall NEVER forget what our brothers and sisters went through.
This was a scary time.God Bless all the people who died.I hope the older woman with the white hair has a spray tan!She could get,or have Melanoma.
, I seen them taking them out from one side of the clinic to the other side from the hospital side to the other side over for years it's because of them not doing enough research and taking care of the people properly that's all it boils down to
I don't need to be concerned about this because I don't behave in ways that jeopardize my health.
We all die from something
A LOT of moustaches 😅😅
Love that !!
Freddy Mercury style too.
'His family wanted nothing to do with him.'
I noticed its only in men Mosley
Not anymore, moved into many different populations.
WELL TO SEE YOUR BELOVED MOTHER SISTER AND BROTHER ALL SUFFER AND DIE WITHIN 12 DAYS DUE TO ANOTHER MAN MADE DISEASE CALLED CORONA/ COVID.... AND WAS MEANT TO KILL JUST LIKE AIDS....IS THE MOST HORRIFIC EXPERIENCE TO SEE THEIR LAST HOURS.....NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO REMEMBER THAT IMAGE AT ALL.....SO I COVERED MY EYES....BUT I WAS IN THE ROOM TALKING AND PRAYING FOR ALL 3...I LOVED MY MOTHER DEARLY BUT NOT ENOUGH TO WATCH HER DIE AND TAKE HER LAST BREATH THAT SHE WAS STRUGGLING TO DO... AS IN JERKING HER HEAD AND TORSO....I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE IN THE WORLD WHO CAN'T DEAL WITH WATCHING SOMEONE TAKE THEIR LAST BREATH.....HER FACE WAS LIKE SHE SEEN A MONSTER WITH HER MOUTH WIDE OPEN LIKE SHE WAS SCREAMING.....WHY THEM NURSES DIDN'T CLOSE HER MOUTH IS BEYOND ME.....NONE OF US GOT SICK OVER BEING WITH THEM FOR 2 WEEKS.... AND THEY WERE NOT CONTAGIOUS HAVING NO BREATH AND 2 FUNERAL HOMES SAID NO OPEN CASKETS FOR VISITATION.....WT??? I KNOW HANGING ON IS HARD BUT I KNOW MY GOD YAHUAH IS HOLDING ME ONE DAY ATTA TIME.
So sorry for your great loss ❤️
The cover of that advocate magazine says it all.."is the party over?" .... whats that supposed to mean? As if casual sexual contact with multiple strangers at bath houses and glory holes along with iv drug use was ever a good idea ...
Huglee
What's with the "brothers and sisters"? A bit over the top.
นี่ก็หลายคนนึงทั้งนักธุรกิจมากมายเราจะหาคนที่ไหนไปบริหารถ้าไม่ขายองค์กรของเราให้คนอื่น
"In the late 80s and early 90s the LGBTQ community nationwide found itself rocked by a new..." (from the description). Did you even bother to watch the begining of your own doc??
😂 bummer
I LOST A LOT OF FRIEND'S THEY HAD HIV AIDS DIED WITH HIV AIDS THERE IS NO CURE
Christ loved all
Starfoullah
COVID was bad
They should have mandated penile masks and six feet sectual distancing 😶
God bless the lesbians!
Its sad but they were warned, they were warned but still went on doing what they were doing. Ignorance + arrogance + vanity =death
And many were infected before they knew it even existed, or via blood transfusions.
Noone thinks they will die , or get it... THEY DID NOT DESERVE to get AIDS.
They also didn't want to close down bathhouses. Good thing they were closed cuz there would've been a lot more deaths. Some people in the lgbtq can be entitled sometimes & entitlement usually leads to poor choices.
You're the ignorant one,
Thank you DR ABIOLA for being the reason why i am smiling today. Your herbal medication for HIV is indeed an active one keep helping lives sir
This was such a sad time for everyone, but especially the LMNOP community. I'm just having fun with y'all. y'all good with me, my LGBTQ folks. I just like saying lmnop 😆 🤣 😂
Wellll, the bible does warn you...
True
Oh please!!!! Give it up!!! The bible also says never cut your hair, don't eat shellfish... I bet you do though. Hypocrite!
@@jazmynbrown6820 you all act as if straight people don’t get aids too!! Look at Africa.
@@jazmynbrown6820not true.
@@ryejordantv1112 yes it is. Take it up with God.
Keep your privates out of men and animals.... the crossover infections are rare (ec drug use). terrible sickness. prayers for those infected. we all make mistakes, but it should not be a death sentence or a bragging point for a life choice.
I hit HIV from a woman
Taking the name of the Lord in vain is offensive.
Read Romans 1.
I keep fairy tales to a minimum as an adult but thanks.
😂
@@CoffeecaramelsundaeApparently it wasn’t a fairytale after all…
@@Coffeecaramelsundaehahaha same 😅
@@prevost8686God must really hate Africans then.
No one cares about alcoholics or addicts so why should people care about this and also its kind of strange that there is s cure now
God's said the wage of sin is death
I lost some wonderful fun friends...