Last week, we caught up with Castro resident and longtime AIDS survivor George Kelly to learn about Inscribe, the Castro event he planned for World AIDS Day. Yesterday, we joined Kelly, a volunteer at the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy, as he brought around 80 of the school's students into the heart of the Castro for a bittersweet yet uplifting commemoration of those who lost their lives to AIDS.
The students, accompanied by teachers, parents, and school principal Ron Machado, wrote the names of AIDS victims along the sidewalks of the Castro business district. Since 1981, the HIV virus has claimed more that 35 million lives. Though now a manageable illness for many, AIDS can and does continue to claim lives.
Kelly had been collecting names from the public to include in the event for several weeks, and each student was given names to write into a panel on the sidewalk. Chalk and other supplies were supplied by Cliff's Variety, while the Castro/Upper Market Community Benefit District made sure that Castro Street was squeaky clean prior to Inscribe's 10am commencement. The event continued until noon.
Additional names were added as passersby stopped to examine the exhibition. "Can you add my boyfriend's name?" asked one teary-eyed man. "I lost over 20 friends, can I add them all?" asked another.
Some of the inscriptions included the birth and death years of the person being remembered; others were more personal. "He loved opera," said one. "My friend, we watched Dark Shadows together," said another.
"It's really very exciting," Kelly said, as he posed for a photo with some of the students. "It's an idea that's been realized after 3-4 months of planning. I've been in tears—it's very emotional."
Tom Nishimura, a 4th grade teacher at the Milk Academy, saw the event as a teaching moment. "My students are having a first-hand experience and interacting with the larger community," he said. "It's really giving them a deep understanding of the AIDS crisis."
Sister Lida Christ of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence said that she wants people to not only to remember the fallen, but to play safe. "Today, it's important to remember those we lost and to protect those who are to come," she explained. "Play fair. End stigma. Use PrEP." Also known as Truvada, PrEP is an AIDS prevention medication—people at high risk of infection are strongly urged by health experts to discuss possible PrEP usage with their doctors.
San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr stopped by yesterday's event to express his own support. "It's awesome," he said. "I came to the police department in 1981—I lost so many friends to AIDS. I hope they find a cure."
Chief Suhr also noted that the community room at the Mission Police Station is named after officer Roy Benson, who passed away from AIDS. The Chief recalled Benson as a "great friend."
All told, hundreds of names were inscribed along Castro Street. The panels were photographed and photos will be sent to the GLBT History Museum's archive.
