As the Bay Area continues to celebrate Pride Month throughout June, the National AIDS Memorial is honoring the LGBTQ+ community by recalling its past.
The memorial commemorated Rep. Nancy Pelosi Saturday at the AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
Pelosi was elected to congress in 1987 in the midst of the AIDs crisis. In an era when much of the U.S. turned a blind eye to the epidemic, Pelosi made advocacy for people affected by the crisis a priority.
“For those of us that remember back, that was a time that our government chose not to respond. So she stood up and had a voice, and has given a voice to those that are in need with regards to HIV and AIDS,” said John Cunningham, the CEO of the National Aids Memorial.
In 1996, legislation authored by Pelosi was signed into law and turned the Grove into a federal-designated AIDS memorial. It is the only one of its kind.
Pelosi attended the event as a guest speaker, and also helped plant a tree in the park.
Cunningham said the day wasn’t just about commemorating her support, but was also a reminder of the work left to do.
“Today, unfortunately, our society has not learned those lessons,” he said. “And we are again recommitting and doubling down to fight, again, for the rights that we have fought for for so long, which are being eroded every day.”
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