GAYLETTER

GAYLETTER

Juan Rivera, Untitled (Keith Haring) c. 1985.

Memory Palace – A vigil

Memory Palace commemorates our loved one's lost to AIDS

Just last night I was watching the lovely Rachel Maddow relay some horrid facts about Mike Pence to her viewers. She grew quite verklempt as she detailed how in 1997, Pence made it possible for same-sex couples to be fined $10,000 and and given 18 months in prison just for applying for a marriage license. To make matters worse and to pile more grossness on top of his crusade against marriage equality, Pence also felt that the money being funded into HIV and AIDS programs should be redirected into government-funded gay-conversion therapy programs.

 

Yes. You read that correctly. Pence wanted the money being used to help those in actual need to be redirected into a program that would forever be obsolete, because need we remind you, Mike Pence, gay people can’t be “fixed.”

 

The Liberal Internet is a broken record at this point, but I’ll join in because it’s important to stay mad: the time to come together is now! We must fight to be heard — loud and clear. There are so many ways to get involved. They’re not directly affiliated with any political protest groups but Memory Palace “is a vigil and community gathering at St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery open for all to remember the loved ones they’ve lost to AIDS.” A Republican agenda did a fine job of forgetting about all of our loved ones dying of AIDS when it was happening on every street corner. November 15th’s event at Memory Palace pays homage to those who were lost during the height of the epidemic; “a spirit of lively remembrance,” they call it. The evening will feature readings, performances, music, and it’s a reminder to those who want to oppress us, and forget about us, that we will always be here, persevering in the face of adversity.

 

The event is taking place at St. Marts Church on Tuesday, Nov. 15. Coordinated with Visual AIDS, Memory Palace and DonChristian (previously featured in GAYLETTER magazine) with performances by HiTiger, Richard Kennedy, Sadaf, and John Kelly. Don himself “will also be premiering a new cover of a song by Arthur Russell (1951–1992), famed musician lost too soon to AIDS related complications.”

 

To come together in commemoration, protest, love, etc. are all effectively the same; our voices can (and will) end up being heard. If you’re in New York with us, you’re lucky to be in such a magnificent city that provides its minorities safe spaces to memorialize, or celebrate their peers. If you’re at all interested, get out to this event. Heck, if you’re interested in anything you see on the Internet, go! One extra listener, viewer, or speaker can make all of the difference in these upcoming years. It’s so important you start now.

 

If you are interested in attending the event, click here for more details.

St. Mark’s Church, 131 East 10th St. New York, NY.