From our past: NY TIMES: RARE CANCER SEEN IN 41 HOMOSEXUALS

[TrogL]

9. I saw a sufferer standing outside a nightclub

This was likely summer 1984. The local gay nightclub had long lines every night. The line went down the sidewalk. On the front lawn there was a guy standing there, who couldn't have been older than 19. He was wearing an A-shirt and you could see the open sores all over his arms, chest and legs. He was leaning heavily against a tree otherwise he would have collapsed. Clearly he was in rough shape.

He had a hat on the ground looking for donations and a sign "I have AIDS - please help".

He wasn't getting many takers and I was scared to get close to him because I knew nothing about the disease except scare-stuff I'd heard on US television.

I hate myself some days.