1985. HIV/AIDS: AIDS just a big joke to some journalists
Hear the one about the bent pop musician who got AIDS? Or the homosexual lawyer? The gay ambulanceman? Eh, you have to laugh!
Well, so thought Britain’s Daily Star newspaper (from the same stable as the Right-wing Daily Express). As the AIDS crisis continued to unfold, what better way to respond than makes jokes about gay (bent, homosexual) men getting AIDS. In February 1985, AIDS For the Job, was some sick Editor’s idea of good copy to get the cheapest of laughs. Clearly missing the key word in the article’s own opening line “A few tasteless [my emphasis] questions are prompted by the current AIDS hysteria” it went on to ask them anyway.
Hear the one about the journalist who died from a protracted, excruciatingly painful illness? Hysterical!
Whenever I think about the mid 80s and AIDS I immediately think about the press. There is no doubt that the press are responsible for at leads hundreds of deaths and thousands of infections of HIV+ due to their bigotry, negligence and recklessness. I remember a discussion at the Catford, South London gay group in 1984 where some said that the disease was being used by the media to attack and undermine us and perhaps they were exaggerating the threat. As vulnerable teenagers we were all confused and frightened. Within months we saw first hand the effects of the disease. I survived and was not infected no thanks to the British press.