Comments

1

Where is the "Silence = Death" sign? Maybe it's there, and you didn't mention it and didn't get a picture of it. If so, then I will withdraw this rant.

Assuming there is no "Silence = Death" sign, that would be a huge glaring omission. Act Up was a huge influence in AIDS protests all over the country, including Seattle. I didn't always agree with their tactics at the time. There were lots of other lobbying groups, and celebrities advocating for help and compassion, and so on. But as far as street-level protests, Act Up was by far the most visible face in any major city in the US during the worst days of the AIDS epidemic. You could not go to a protest or Pride parade without seeing lots of Silence = Death signs everywhere.

I don't know if Act Up trademarked the slogan or something, or if the memorial designers intentionally left it out. But to me, having lived through it and volunteered with AIDS patients and watched friends die, seeing a memorial like this without acknowledging Act Up in some way totally waters it down. Some of those protests were very angry and confrontational, and this memorial looks like it is trying to soften the tone on purpose. If so, it is disappointing weak sauce that will give a false impression of the protests of the era.

2

1: If you click through to the link for "We're Already Here," the very first picture is of an orange sign that says SILENCIO = MUERTE.

3

@2, thanks. I hadn't clicked through to the link, and didn't see that.

So... never mind my rant.


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