Category: Articles & Blog
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DANIEL SOTOMAYOR
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The universe and our ancestors have a way of delivering messages that we need to hear, read, and witness. That’s why I find myself offering countless flowers in tribute to Daniel Sotomayor. His legacy in Chicago serves as a powerful reminder that the impact of the AIDS Crisis extended far…
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songs that soundtracked the AIDS crisis: martha wash’s “carry on”
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known as the queen of clubland, martha wash has been a constant presence on the dance floor of queer clubs for close to half a century. her voice helped to propel songs by sylvester (“disco heat”), the weather girls (“it’s raining men”), rebbie Jackson (“centipede”), seduction (“you’re my one and…
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Press Release: Statement on new evidence about MOVE Remains held at Penn Museum
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PRESS RELEASE Abdul-Aliy A. Muhammad, codefendant in lawsuit Janet Monge v. University of Pennsylvania et al., filed with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, held a press conference at Penn Museum on Thursday, August 31, 2023 at 9:30 am. There is urgent and new evidence…
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The (Mis)Education of AIDS Storylines on TV Shows: The Golden Girls
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before the advent of social media and digital organizing, network television played an integral role in raising awareness about social issues. this often resulted in sometimes dramatic and/or awful “very special” episodes of popular sitcoms. this series unpacks and revisits some of these shows with a historical lens. the golden…
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Remember the RuPaul Show Christmas Special
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growing up in the 1980s, tv christmas specials were usually over-the-top variety shows that featured musical numbers and sub-par comedic skits by d-list celebrities of yesteryear. and baby, i loved everything about them all! the gowns. the make-up. and celebrities singing “don we now our gay apparel.” it was this…
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Songs That I Loved: Mariah Carey’s “Emotions”
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chyle, some of my favorite childhood memories are when my mother allowed us to skip school so we could go with her to get her check. back then, you had to go to an actual bank and stand in line to get your public assistance which at that time was…
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Playlist: Songs That Remind Me of My Aunts
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my aunt janet kept her music cassettes on the small round table she kept in her room of the house that she and my mother squatted in. i’d watch her sit as she listened to one album and then rotate the rest of the cassettes throughout the day. it was…
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Songs That Soundtracked the AIDS Epidemic: Safire’s “Thinking of You”
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born wilma cosmé in san juan puerto rico and raised in east harlem, safire was one of the first freestyle solo artist to land a deal with a major record label after her first two independently released singles, “don’t break my heart” (1986) and “let me be the one” (1987).…
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Songs That Soundtracked the AIDS Epidemic: Mariah Carey’s “One Sweet Day”
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twenty five years ago this week, mariah carey was atop of the billboard hot 100 with her boyz II men duet “one sweet day.” released as the second single from her fifth studio album “daydream,” mariah carey co-wrote “one sweet day” with boyz II men after the death of her…
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Why “A Diva’s Christmas Carol” Reigns Queer, Holiday Supreme
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I’ve always taken some level of comfort in the holiday season. Wrapping gifts, decorating the tree, queuing up the holiday classics on the radio. There’s a repetition of the holidays and their associated festivities that I’ve always taken comfort in as a queer kid of color growing up. A welcomed…
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Out of the Box: My Ode To Nicki Minaj
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“When you’re young, it’s easy to feel trapped. It’s easy to feel like you’re not understood” – Nicki Minaj Like most people, I learned about Nicki Minaj and her love of the color pink during my early gay social media days on Myspace and Tumblr. I was in middle school…
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House of Love: Songs That Soundtracked the AIDS Crisis of the 80’s & 90’s
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this past october marked the 35th anniversary of the release of dionne warrick’s cultural milestone single “that’s what friends are for.” the one-off collaboration with the equally iconic gladys knight, elton john and stevie wonder, “that’s what friends are for” was released as a charity single in 1985 to support AIDS research and prevention. originally released as a very schmaltzy and forgettable…