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Most scientists believe that HIV originated in 1920 when the virus crossed species from chimpanzees to humans in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Data suggests that the current epidemic started in the late 1970s, and by 1980, HIV could have already been spread to five continents. By 1980, HIV was spreading silently among gay male populations in the United State. Men who have sex with men were disproportionately impacted by HIV because the risk of transmission is significantly higher through anal sex than through vaginal sex. By 1982, the disease was known by the name of Gay-Related Immune Deficiency. An anti-gay sentiment began to gain strength in America, and although activists were actively trying to bring attention to this medical crisis, they were constantly ignored. By 1987, activists fed up with the government inaction as HIV deaths were still rising founded the AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power. Their activism had tremendous contributions in speeding the government’s response to the AIDS crisis and drawing public attention to the deadly impact of homophobic public health policies. Avram Finkelstein, one of the designers of the iconic ACT UP poster “Silence=Death,” wrote in a guest post for the New York Public Library: “In 1981, my soul mate started showing signs of immunosuppression, before AIDS even had its name.” If it wasn’t for the work of activists such as Avram Finkelstein, the virus could have taken the lives of even more people.
