From amid the clutter of the latest memes, kissy-face selfies and food porn images on social media, one user’s Instagram account, @the_aids_memorial, emerges as a touching visual tribute to the many lives lost to AIDS—especially during the epidemic’s peak in the 1980s and ’90s, before effective treatment for HIV. Managed by an LGBT history buff from Scotland named Stuart, who was a kid when he first learned about AIDS, the account features photos and obituaries—some mined from archives, some submitted by followers—of the famous and the forgotten. Because some of those featured never had a proper eulogy—sometimes because of stigma—the pictures showing men and women in their prime and the accompanying captions serve to properly honor their legacy. To scroll through the images is to be reminded of those we’ve lost; to “like” them is to say, “We’ll remember you.”
Advertisement
@the_aids_memorial
April 3, 2017 • By Joe Mejía
Advertisement
Advertisement
Comments
Comments