The AIDS epidemic, caused by HIV, found its way to the United States between the 1970s and 1980s, but was first noticed after doctors discovered clusters of Kaposi's sarcoma and pneumocystis pneumonia in homosexual men in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco in 1981. Treatment of HIV/AIDS is primarily via the use of multiple antiretroviral drugs, and education programs to help people avoid infection.
Audre Lorde was an American writer, professor, philosopher, intersectional feminist, poet and civil rights activist. She was a self-described "Black, lesbian, feminist, socialist, mother, warrior, poet" who dedicated her life and talents to confronting different forms of injustice, as she believed there could be "no hierarchy of oppressions" among "those who share the goals of liberation and a workable future for our children."
Michael Callen was an American singer, songwriter, composer, author, and AIDS activist. Callen was diagnosed with AIDS in 1982 and became a pioneer of AIDS activism in New York City, working closely with his doctor, Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, and Richard Berkowitz. Together, they published articles and pamphlets to raise awareness about the correlation between risky sexual behaviors and AIDS.
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is a public medical school and hospital in Brooklyn, New York. It is the southernmost member of the State University of New York (SUNY) system and the only academic medical center for health education, research, and patient care serving Brooklyn's 2.5 million residents. It is the only state-run hospital in New York City. As of Fall 2018, it had a total student body of 1,846 and approximately 8,000 faculty and staff.
Howard Brown Health is a nonprofit LGBTQ healthcare and social services provider that was founded in 1974. It is based in Chicago and was named after Howard Junior Brown.
The Audre Lorde Project is a Brooklyn, New York–based organization for LGBTQ people of color. The organization concentrates on community organizing and radical nonviolent activism around progressive issues within New York City, especially relating to LGBTQ communities, AIDS and HIV activism, pro-immigrant activism, prison reform and organizing among youth of color. It is named for the lesbian-feminist poet and activist Audre Lorde and was founded in 1994.
Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers was a healthcare system in New York City, anchored by its flagship hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan.
Whitman-Walker Health (WWH), formerly Whitman-Walker Clinic, is a non-profit community health center in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area with a special expertise in HIV/AIDS healthcare and LGBT healthcare. Chartered as an affirming health center for the gay and lesbian community in 1978, Whitman-Walker was one of the first responders to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in D.C. and became a leader in HIV/AIDS education, prevention, diagnosis and treatment. In recent years, Whitman-Walker has expanded its services to include primary healthcare services, a stronger focus on queer women's care and youth services.
Pat Parker was an African American poet and activist. Both her poetry and her activism drew from her experiences as a Black lesbian feminist. Her poetry spoke about her tough childhood growing up in poverty, dealing with sexual assault, and the murder of a sister. At eighteen, Parker was in an abusive relationship and had a miscarriage after being pushed down a flight of stairs. After two divorces, she came out as a lesbian, "embracing her sexuality" and said she was liberated and "knew no limits when it came to expressing the innermost parts of herself".
Fenway Health is an LGBT health care, research and advocacy organization founded by Northeastern University students and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
Services and Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Elders (SAGE) is America's oldest and largest non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning (LGBTQ+) older people, focusing on the issue of LGBTQ+ aging. According to its mission statement, "SAGE leads in addressing issues related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning aging. In partnership with its constituents and allies, SAGE works to achieve a high quality of life for LGBTQ+ older people, supports and advocates for their rights, fosters a greater understanding of aging in all communities, and promotes positive images of LGBTQ+ life in later years." SAGE is a 501(c)(3) organization that focuses on advocacy on the local and federal levels, as well as activities, groups, and programs that encourage LGBTQ+ older people to stay connected with each other and the community.
Mazzoni Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit health care provider in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that serves the LGBTQ community.
The Institute for Family Health is a not-for-profit health organization. Founded in 1983, the institute is one of the largest community health centers in New York State. It serves over 85,000 patients annually at 31 locations in the Bronx, Manhattan and the mid-Hudson Valley. The institute is a federally qualified health center (FQHC) network. Like all Community Health Centers, the Institute accepts all patients regardless of their ability to pay and is governed by a board that has a majority of health center patients. The institute offers primary care, mental health, dental care, and social work, among other services. The institute is accredited by the Joint Commission and recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a Level 3 patient-centered medical home. The institute also leads programs and conducts research to address racial and ethnic disparities in health, advance the use of health information technology, and improve care for diabetes, depression, women's health, and HIV. The Institute trains health students and professionals at all levels, including the operation of three family medicine residency programs: the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Program, the Mid-Hudson Residency in Family Practice and the Harlem Residency in Family Medicine. It is also a major regional clinical campus for clinical rotations affiliated with the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine.
New York City has been described as the gay capital of the world and the central node of the LGBTQ+ sociopolitical ecosystem, and is home to one of the world's largest and most prominent LGBTQ+ populations. Brian Silverman, the author of Frommer's New York City from $90 a Day, wrote the city has "one of the world's largest, loudest, and most powerful LGBT communities", and "Gay and lesbian culture is as much a part of New York's basic identity as yellow cabs, high-rise buildings, and Broadway theatre". LGBT travel guide Queer in the World states, "The fabulosity of Gay New York is unrivaled on Earth, and queer culture seeps into every corner of its five boroughs". LGBT advocate and entertainer Madonna stated metaphorically, "Anyways, not only is New York City the best place in the world because of the queer people here. Let me tell you something, if you can make it here, then you must be queer."
The Anne Kastor Brooklyn Free Clinic (Brooklyn Free Clinic or BFC) is a student run free clinic located in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, NY. Nearly all the positions from front desk administration and clinical volunteers to Executive Board are staffed by students from the various colleges of SUNY Downstate Medical Center.
Morris Heights Health Center (MHHC) is a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides primary care, specialty services, dental and behavioral health services in the Bronx, New York City. MHHC operates across 30 sites including 19 school based sites.
Janet Inez Weinberg was an American LGBTQ activist, advocate for people with HIV/AIDS and advocate for disability rights, based in New York City. She was a fund-raiser and executive for social service organizations including Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC), Educational Alliance, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Services Center.
Cecilia Gentili was an American advocate for the rights of transgender people and sex workers.
