I was 8 in 1990 and my mom's best friend is a gay dude who is like a father to me. He survived, but every other week I was hearing about him going to another funeral. I remember hearing people joke about it, assholes like Rush Limbaugh who mockingly read gay obituaries on his show.

Saw friends, family and lovers die of Aids. We gay people lost an entire generation worth of people who should be seniors now during the 80s.

I'm glad they lived to see all the progress we have made even if it's hard now to see how that progress is constantly challenged