I created this four-part series to show how HIV/AIDS diagnoses in San Francisco have changed over the last couple decades:
Fun fact: Before I started working as an artist, I studied public health. As a college student, I taught sex education in local high schools, I interned at reproductive rights and HIV/AIDS nonprofits, and I got a public health master’s degree from Yale. Even though I’m not in the field these days, I still care deeply about a few key issues, and HIV/AIDS is one of them.
In this series, I wanted to use a visual medium to tell this heartbreaking (and hopeful) story about AIDS in my area. I put on my public health hat for a bit as I dug through the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s annual reports from the last 30 years, and then I put on my artist hat to figure out how to visually represent the figures in a compelling manner.
AIDS DIAGNOSES IN SAN FRANCISCO, 1992
In this series, I chose to represent one person with one tear drop. At the height of the epidemic in San Francisco in 1992, there wer 2,328 people diagnosed with AIDS.
AIDS DIAGNOSES IN SAN FRANCISCO, 2000
By the year 2000, the incidence of new HIV/AIDS diagnoses in San Francisco had fallen a bit, due to the availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART; also known as the “AIDS cocktail”). Scientists and doctors were definitely a part of the equation, but I want to talk about the activists who helped drive this change.
Some background: It took the government an unconscionably long time to acknowledge the AIDS crisis. Over 5,500 Americans died of AIDS before President Reagan even *mentioned* the word “AIDS” in public. There was nowhere near enough research, funding, or awareness — and way too much homophobia and stigma. A generation of queer men was dying.
We have activist groups like ACT UP to thank for forcing people to pay attention. They staged all kinds of demonstrations — from protests at city hall to civil disobedience on Wall Street to stunts at pharmaceutical companies and the FDA — to draw attention to the epidemic. And ultimately, they ended up working with the FDA to change how experimental drugs are tested and accessed. We owe so much to these early activists and their outrage — not just life-saving antiretroviral therapies, but a whole new model of patient advocacy.
Earlier this year, NPR did a fantastic segment on these early AIDS activists, and how they laid the groundwork for future health activism. If you’re curious, read (or listen) to hear more about ACT UP’s incredible tactics.
HIV DIAGNOSES IN SAN FRANCISCO, 2009
Every year, I raise money for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. I do this annual bike ride called AIDS/LifeCycle, which goes from SF to LA — 545 miles over seven days — each June. Over 2,000 people ride in it each year, and another 700 or so volunteer to help support the ride. This event usually raises about $16M for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
It’s an incredibly diverse and kind community that comes together every year for this one cause. Some folks are HIV-positive themselves, some ride to honor a loved one, and others do it for the sense of community and solidarity. The group spans generations — older folks in the AIDS/LifeCycle community share their stories of loss, grief, and hope; younger folks like me who didn’t live through the worst years carry the torch to honor their struggle. Together, we’re working toward a future without HIV and AIDS.
I’ve done this ride seven times, and I’ve raised over $40,000 for the cause. In 2020, I’ll be riding (and fundraising!) for my eighth time. If you feel inspired to donate, here's the link.
HIV DIAGNOSES IN SAN FRANCISCO, 2018
The San Francisco AIDS Foundation is one of the reasons that this rate has fallen so much in our area. They provide critical, life-saving work to folks in our community who are living with or at risk for HIV. And it’s not just the usual prevention, testing, and treatment options — it’s holistic care that includes sexual health, substance use, and social support services. One of my reasons for creating this series was to show people who have donated to my fundraisers in the past what kind of an impact these organizations have had.