Protest leads to position shift for AIDS memorial
Back to Balboa

“San Diego spoke out, and we listened,” said Mayor Faulconer in a statement. “We planned to erect a memorial to San Diego’s 8000 AIDS victims within a small park along Olive Street. But you said that somewhere with easy access would be better, someplace like Balboa Park. And you know what? You were right. The park’s Redwood Circle — aka The Fruit Loop — was for decades a place where gay men could meet and mingle, out of sight from from a society that condemned their behavior. And those gay men were the population that was hardest hit by the AIDS epidemic. So what better location for a memorial to those we lost to that terrible disease? Best of all, the winning concept for the memorial will also provide a public service. Once, these harassed souls were forced to meet in public bathrooms, and eventually, even that was taken away by the authorities. Now, Redwood Circle will once again have easily accessible facilities.”

Image © Walter Mencken San Diego Reader

21 Août 2020
Walter Mencken, San Diego