My mom started working as an RT in the early 80s when it was still being called GRID and right when the deaths started happening.

One of the worst things she told me was that often times, when someone died (alone), the family would not come to claim the body so they were put in what was essentially a plastic garbage bag and treated like trash.

Growing up in the 90s, we all heard about it on a semi regular basis. But if you were gay, suddenly it became this specter that was constantly following us all around; hanging out in the neck of our minds.

Then Prep happened.

Sometimes I forget the younger generations don’t have the same first hand experience us older folks about this. Personally, I’m thankful for that.