Our Stories.
Sharing the experience of HIV & AIDS Long-Term Survivors
“What many of us experienced in the 80's & 90's is profound history. May we never forget what we went through to survive, and may we hold those who died too soon in our hearts for the rest of our lives.”
- Portland Commissioner Dan Ryan
Raymond Petit, Jr.
“My first years of living with HIV were characterized by not dealing with it at all. Now in Portland and back on medication, I made an amazing recovery physically - not just surviving but thriving.”
Gene Bishop
“I believe it is up to those of us living with HIV and our supporters to do everything we can to ensure less people become HIV positive. At the end of my life, if I can look back and see that I have helped reduce HIV and AIDS in some small way, I will feel I have accomplished something for which to be proud, and that is the goal for the rest of my life: to leave this world a better place for my grandchildren and their grandchildren.”
Eric Zimmerman
“As of today, almost 300,000 American gay men have died from HIV. I estimate that over 100,000 of them died needlessly during the 80s and 90s due to Prejudice and government inaction. Some will say never forget and never forgive. I'm now almost 70 years old I have carried this story for 40 years. It has been a heavy burden. Yes, I am certain I will never forget, but forgiveness… I don't know. This anger and sadness has hardened my heart. I hope that telling my piece of this larger story may help me find my way to a different relationship with it.”
David Diehnel
“We gather together, each of us for our own reason, to make certain that we do not forget the lessons taught out of tragedy. Whether our memories are forged hard and strong, or whether the passage of time has weathered them into a gossamer wisp, each of us hold a key to the past as survivors. It is our solemn duty to use that key to throw open the doors so that others may get a glimpse of those we loved so dearly.“
Tony Zimbardi
“When I got home that night the answering machine was blinking (you all remember answering machines those), and there was one message. It was from that nurse who pulled me aside, and she said that George had passed. So, the first person I called the following morning was Marianne. I didn't know who else to call, and she said, “I will be on the first plane out to LA. I don't want you to go through the service and everything by yourself.” And so, she was a woman of her word; she was there that day within hours… she was just a great person.”