Democracy Now! has done an in-depth interview with David France, the filmmaker behind AIDS activism doc How to Survive A Plague, and Peter Staley, one of France’s subjects.
Staley was diagnosed with AIDS-Related Complex in the fall of 1985 and left his high-paying bond-broker job at JP Morgan to join ACT UP as one of its most vocal members. Having lived nearly 27 years with the disease, he’s among the longest-surviving people with AIDS. Queerty covered the doc back when it premiered at Sundance, but this interview offers additional insights and footage from Plague. Skip to the 13:15 mark for the start of the interviews.
Dave
ACT UP! FIGHT BACK! FIGHT AIDS!
Just being real
The 80s called, your AIDS paranoia and politics are outdated.
Peter Staley
Just some minor corrections. I worked at JP Morgan, not Morgan Stanley. I was diagnosed with “AIDS-Related Complex” in ’85, and only later received an AIDS diagnosis, after my CD4s fell below 200. But thanks for the plug!
Edouard de Mas
@Just being real: There are 50,000 people each year that get get infected with AIDS in America. 61% of new HIV infections are in our community. The CDC CDC reports that there’s a 48% increase in new HIV infections among black gay and bisexual men men ages 13 to 29. Paranoia? Don’t be so sure.
The Real Mike in Asheville
@Just being real: Go back to school little boy and learn about how your right to be freer from discrimination was won by those of us who fought, fought hard, to get HIV/AIDS funding for research, treatment, and care.
“Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it” — Winston Churchill