Freddie Mercury and the AIDS Epidemic

[@CreatingFamilyCode]

Queen is a favorite and the first time my mom felt me move when pregnant was when they saw them at live aid and Freddie started singing and I went nuts.

[@CreatingFamilyCode]

If I wasn't driving I'd do all the titles 🤣

[@maddiewalsh3285]

You had good taste even has a fetus loll

[@ladyflimflam]

Well this makes me feel old.

[@CreatingFamilyCode]

@@ladyflimflam nah, besides, if you can remember that musical magical time you're lucky! Live music then was such an amazing time!!

[@stephanieoregan]

Now that's a cool story to have!!

[@tinyshinystar8458]

Freddies death is still to this day heartbreaking. My uncle was diagnosed in the early 90s with HIV and told it was a death sentence, given an estimated short time period to live before AIDS would take his life. Almost 30 years later, he passed from a completely unrelated reason with HIV pretty much undetectable in his blood, thanks to the availability and development of HIV treatment. He was a beautiful, kind hilarious man, and every December 1st, I shed a tear for the heartache, worry, shunning and judgement he went through, and tears of joy for the medicine that kept him alive for so much longer

[@sallyfields2385]

I'm so sorry for your loss.

[@LizTiddington]

I'm so glad you got so many extra years with him, but I'm so sorry for what he suffered ♥️♥️

[@sheilarough236]

I remember when Freddie announced he had HIV/AIDS. I remember being so sad when I heard that he’d passed the next day. I also remember being so proud of him. The only other celebrity, at the time, whose death was later revealed to be from HIV/AIDS, was Rock Hudson, who’d denied, until his death, that he was HIV positive, even to his partner. I remember being so proud that Freddie had the courage to admit that he had HIV/AIDS

[@longlive2900]

Have you ever seen the movie about the model Gia Carangi? It's called Gia... My Mom and I watched it when I was young she also passed away (in November 1986) from HIV/AIDS.

[@huwfylt]

and then there was Liberace, whose lawyers to this day claim he died of eating too much watermelon...

[@SadbhW]

Hudson did eventually reveal he had AIDs, a little more than two months before he died. Given he had built his career and legacy on being a straight heart-throb it was incredibly brave.

[@miipmiipmiip]

I wish you hadn't spread misinformation about Rock Hudson like that or would edit your comment. Hudson did disclose he had AIDS, like the earlier comment said, and donated 250k to an AIDS and HIV charity before his death.

[@nikolinaottergren8769]

In my biology class we were tasked with making an oral presentation about a disease of our own choosing. I’ve chosen to make mine about HIV/AIDS and its effect on LGBTQ+-communities. It’s far too easy to forget how widespread the epidemic still is and how many people are still suffering, disproportionately members of the LGBTQ+-community. I hope to at least open the eyes of my classmates to that.

[@maddiewalsh3285]

1. Don't Stop Me Now and Headlong references in the beginning (0:51) 2. Under Pressure reference at 3:46 3. Radio Gaga reference at 4:30 4. Killer Queen reference at 4:53 5. We Will Rock You reference at 5:06 6. Fat Bottomed Girls reference at 6:00 7. You're My Best Friend reference at 6:21 8. Somebody to Love reference at 7:06 9. Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy reference at 7:21 10. Play the Game reference at 7:44 11. The Show Must Go On reference at 7:55 12. Too Much Love Will Kill You reference at 10:38 13. I'm Going Slightly Mad reference at 11:19 14. One Vision reference at 11:24 15. The Great Pretender reference at 12:50 16. Hammer to Fall reference at 13:06 17. Who Wants to Live Forever reference at 13:35 18. Another One Bites the Dust reference at 14:07 19. Kind of Magic reference at 15:37 Loll this was so fun to make! And thank you Jessica for spearing awareness about AIDS and for falsifying the stigma that is still attached to it today, even though there are countless medications that make the disease not at all as fatal as it was back in the 90's. These educational videos are great! Also, Freddie Mercury was and always will be an absolute legend. ❤❤

[@brucejacobs4026]

Also Radio Gaga

[@nanb4146]

20. The Invisible Man reference 5:39

[@m.k.9572]

4:50 We are the Champions

[@maddiewalsh3285]

@@nanb4146 ah I missed that one!

[@maddiewalsh3285]

@@m.k.9572 Can't believe I didn't catch this one!

[@spshc]

The HBO movie "And the Band Played On" gives a good account of what was going on back in the 80's. It was a very scary time because no one knew what was going on, only that people were dying. The health care workers did not even want to care for the sick because people didn't know how it was transmitted. My friend's father, a nurse, volunteered to take care of the sick when many of his co-workers wouldn't have anything to do with them. It didn't help that here in the US the politicians wouldn't even acknowledge that there was a problem. Many of them saying that it was a punishment for being gay. Two of my friends, who were the nicest and most talented people you would like to know, passed away from AIDS. Almost a whole generation of people were lost in San Francisco. It was a very hard and very traumatizing time.

[@jennifers5560]

❤

[@sallyfields2385]

I can remember back when it was called gay cancer. Even funeral homes would refuse to take care of them after they passed. It used to be a death sentence. Thankfully medicine has made great strides. I'm sorry for your loss. It was a terrible time for the community and too many lives were lost.

[@marymac3572]

The impact on the gay community in terms of mentorship and resources is staggering. There's a massive part of a generation of people who aren't there to share their knowledge and experiences because of the failures of the government and medical communities to do anything before it was out of control.

[@mypathunfolding]

Big hugs to you, Dear One.

[@maitesoto1953]

The other day I was reading the results of a survey done to estimate the percentage of people that identified as various LGTB+ labels through different countries and across different ages. They noticed that there was a peak on the amount of men that identified as gay or mentioned having gay sex at some point in their life for those who lived their youth in the 60s-70s and then an extreme low in that same category for those who were young in the 80s-90s. They proposed that it was because those who were young in the 60s-70s grew up around the ideals of love and sexual liberation, while those who lived in the 80s-90s grew up during the HIV/AIDS crisis, seeing gay men die and be blamed for it. Basically, there's an entire generation of men that couldn't freely let themselves be gay and/or explore their sexuality of because the fear and stigma around AIDS. It's heartbreaking to think about. This podcast will kill you did an episode on HIV/AIDS back in their first season (2016 I think). It's full on information, very compassionate and includes and extra episode were they interview people affected by the disease, from someone who was purposely infected as a child to a gay man that lived throughout the crisis. You will rage and cry

[@Amandoop]

The netflix show "it's a sin" covers queer folk on the early 80s dealing with the AIDS crisis. It's definitely worth watching, even if it will break your heart and make you ugly cry repeatedly.

[@jennifers5560]

I don’t think this show is available in the U.S. ☹️ I though POSE did a great job portraying the progression of how AIDS was handled and how it affected the LGBTQ+ society.

[@Amandoop]

@@jennifers5560 hopefully you can VPN around that. I know it's available in the UK. I still need to watch pose!

[@jennifers5560]

@@Amandoop right?! Surfshark…

[@redwitch95]

Yeah, it's based on Russell T Davies' own experiences as a gay man who lived through the crisis, it's heartwrenching. He has incredible range as a writer and I'm glad he put such a spotlight on it, especially since most documentaries focus on the crisis in the USA

[@kpwxx]

@@jennifers5560 I believe it's on HBO in the US? In the UK it's on All4

[@Zillah82]

Thank you so much for talking about this. I was young in the 80s and had an older lesbian sister. We would bring food and visit her friends who had got it when they were too ill to leave the house. She watched a lot of people she cared about slip away to this illness. I'm so grateful that there have been so many advancements to treatments.

[@missamandajones5542]

Someone else I've always admired is George Michael. He went to play at the Freddie tribute concert, not knowing whether his partner was still alive from the horrible disease.

[@kellyp136]

His version of Somebody to Love ❤️❤️❤️ Goosebumps every time!!

[@alisonbarker3862]

I am proud of the response in Australia. There was a Government ad on TV with the 'Grim Reaper' which showed how the disease spread and how to avoid getting the disease. It was intense but it worked and no doubt saved thousands if not millions. Also, it didn't blame any community or people; it demonstrated, albeit graphically, how the disease is spread. Gay men stepped up and organised, in challenging circumstances.

[@caitlinquinn79]

I had never heard of this, that's is so interesting! Apparently the campaign around it leant heavily into detailed preventative measures. Apparently some people took it to promote a fear of gay men, which sucks. But I love how successful it was and that the government actually addressed the issue. Something to learn from.

[@chel3062]

Freddie Mercury passed one year before I was even born, yet he has impacted my life so dearly. When I was 23, I lost my mom to breast cancer. At the time that she passed, I was still beginning to understand my sexuality, and as a result, I never had the chance to come out to her. A little while after her passing, weeks or months, I had a dream that I was in a completely white space, and there was a figure standing beside me. Their energy felt like my mom, there was so much love and safety in their presence. And they guided me into a room, still detail-less and white, but this time with 2 figures, one standing in the background and another much closer to me. The closer one was clear, wearing a really cool pink or purple fur coat. It was Freddie. I can't remember exactly what he said, but he hugged me tight as I sobbed into his left shoulder, and he basically told me how proud he and my mom were of me. I woke up from that dream feeling like I didn't need to feel guilty for never talking to my mom about my sexuality. Clearly, she knew, and she accepted me fully. Idk how real the dream actually was, obviously. But it's so cool to think about. The part that really gets me is how easy it was for me to cry in that dream, I felt the tears. I even remember feeling bad for crying on his coat. In all my other dreams, I've never been able to cry, it's like trying to run.. I just strain and strain and get frustrated when no tears come lol. I think if Freddie were still alive today, he would be a guiding light for others, out and proud, and spreading so much love through the lgbtq+ community. His impact on the world cannot be overstated, and his impact on individuals like myself will continue to change lives.

[@alishac5096]

This virus is so terrifying, get tested and chat to your friends and loved ones to get tested. It’s the long dormancy of the virus that can make it tricky to detect. Get tested, then get tested again. It’s preventative healthcare and it’s not amoral to have ANY illness. ❤

[@haleymitchell3087]

I see Jessica talking about Freddie/ Queen, I click RIP Freddie, who should still be alive 😢❤

[@Summer-jy1my]

I love your queer and disabled history series! These are particularly helpful as a little baby-gay

[@purpleghost106]

Be sure to check out friend of the channel Rowan Ellis (I know that Jessica has done colabs with her, and she's also in England) as she covers queer history and pop culture quite extensively, you'll learn a lot! (I'm in my mid 30s, came out as Bi at 13, and I still learn a lot from her :D )

[@Summer-jy1my]

@@purpleghost106 that's how I found Jessica! I second the recommendation😉

[@miglek9613]

Another recommendation is Kaz Rowe. Their videos are not exclusively queer history related but they've made quite a few videos on queer history. verilybitchie and Lily Alexandre (might have misspelled the names of these two creators) are another couple of creators who talk about queer history from various angles at times

[@skyelorspacex]

@@purpleghost106thank you! Going to go watch their videos after this

[@emsquared5981]

Thank you for drawing attention to this disease, it's amazing how far science has come in the years since it was first discovered. Only continued support will keep this illness at bay, so thank you 💖

[@zhenia2511]

Here's a little playlist of AIDS-related music to honor those that lost their lives to the pandemic and those who fought alongside them (cheers to fellow sapphics!): 1. Madonna - In This Life. Written about a queer friend and mentor that passed away from the disease. 2. George Michael - Jesus to a Child. Not about HIV specifically. Just about his lover and their affair. The end result falls under this video's topic, sadly. 3. Pet Shop Boys - Being Boring. For two gay men performing the gems of 80s pop , that's an unsurprising choice of a topic. 4. Lou Reed - Halloween Parade. It's a well-known fact that L. Reed was a victim of institutionalised homophobia. He may not have been the best person around, but he's an extremely influential musician and what happened to him is awful. Thanks for the video, Jessica! It's an important and sensitive topic to cover. Also, glad to see recognition and support for bi men here. Male bisexuality is often denied and, as a lesbian, with two bi guys as best friends, no one has been more supportive and accepting to me. Send love to the bi gents, ladies!

[@marleylayton1950]

You Have Been Loved is another one worth listening to by George Michael, about the same relationship

[@keriezy]

So much work to do. I've known 1 gay man with AIDS who died in 2003. I know 1 other gay man living with HIV. I know he is living a full life and takes medication to mitigate the disease. When he shared I was surprised and not surprised, but it didn't change our relationship.

[@dalehodo3516]

My nephew ( more like my brother, we were only 2 yrs apart.) Died of aids, I stood by his side till the end.

[@kimberlybega8271]

"Bohemian Rhapsody" was one of the few movies I have seen in theaters twice. I know they took some dramatic liberties, but it introduced me to so much about Freddie Mercury's life. Later when I looked on KZbin and found the clip of Queen's real life performance at LiveAid, I was amazed how the movie had done almost a shot for shot re-creation, and I was impressed again with Freddie Mercury's strong stage presence and charisma. I feel like when I was growing up as a kid in the 90's, HIV/AIDS was still heavily stigmatized and still seen as a death sentence. I give my mom a lot of credit for teaching me to see it as a bloodborne illness rather than a disease only "bad people" get. (I still can remember getting into an argument with one of my teachers in junior high about how AIDS did not just happen to people who sinned!) I attribute this to my mom working the healthcare field. I continue to be amazed that now people can successfully manage HIV/AIDS with medication, not to mention the fact that PrEP exists!!

[@HOHNancy]

I remember the news when Rock Hudson died of AIDS in 1985. in the same year, B-52s band member Ricky Wilson also died of AIDS. Freddy Mercury was a one of a kind, leading the path to good music. Thank you for the Easter eggs in your video about his song titles. 😊 Thank you Jessica for this great video! ❤️ I always enjoyed your history profiles.

[@HasabeMizurukara]

I'm glad we've made so many strides. It's important to stay informed. My uncle's partner died of AIDS in the late 80's. It's important to note that the U.S. had such a slow response not only because it was prevalent in the gay community but because it compounded the intersection of Blackness and Queerness, which is still a heavily prioritized and ignored group. I highly suggest the TV show Pose that discusses the history of AIDS through a Black Queer and Trans lens.

[@turtle4llama]

Fun fact about me: I was in my high school's Dead Poet's Society and we spent a semester going through Queen's entire catalog. The song references in this is like getting hit with a million dad jokes at once. I still love you, Jessica.

[@thunderous_bloom]

Queen is one of my favorite bands and I love hearing about their incredible journey. Freddie Mercury was a phenomenal human being who had such a zest for life that was so electric. He was loved by so many people through his presence and music he and Queen put out into the world. I do agree that if someone as big as Freddie speaking more on issues it would create more awareness but at the time it was not ideal. I believe today is more accessible to getting heard and advocating for causes more than when Freddue was around. There's still a lot of work to be done but it is definitely progress. I think I caught most of the songs Lol 1. Don't Stop Me Know 2. Under Pressure 3. Radio Ga Ga 4. We are the Champions 5. Killer Queen 6. We will rock you 7. Invisible Man 8. Fat Bottomed Girls 9. You're my best friend 10. Somebody to Love 11. Good old fashioned lover boy 12. Play the Game 13. Show must go on 14. Too much love will kill you 15. I'm going slightly mad 16. One Vision 17. Great pretender 18. Hammer to fall 19. Who wants to live forever 20. Another Bites the Dust 21. A Kind of Magic 22. It's Late 23. I want it All (?)

[@jennifers5560]

Gold star for you for listing the songs! ⭐️

[@sillygoosegoose]

the AIDs crisis was a tragedy to the LGBTQ+ community that is still felt so heavily. we lost a generation of mentors and advocates to AIDs, and i think the world would be a very different place for LGBTQ+ if this generation hadn't been left to die by governments like the US.

[@MagickSprite]

I had dinner with my parents last night, and a commercial for one of the HIV medications was on TV. We were talking about how much changed in the last 40 years regarding HIV, where before it was a death sentence and now people can live normal lives. I remember reading a fanfic on Wattpad, where one of the main characters died of AIDS. Myself being older, I knew what was going on why the character was sick and died, but in the comments, the majority of the readers were shocked and surprised - it completely blindsided them. They never thought about AIDS / HIV being a possible reason.

[@michaelnewton5873]

Queen is the band you think of for British 80's rock.

[@WeDontWantYourWar]

Hard to talk about Aids and Freddie without mentioning his friend Princess Diana, who did a lot to destigmatize Aids.

[@maitesoto1953]

I don't know if she was close with Freddie, but Elizabeth Taylor was close friends with Rock Hudson (one of the first public figures to openly state he was HIV positive) and was also paramount in helping end the stigma and raise money to fund research on the virus. I think she helped set up the first non-profit organisation with that goal The AIDS crisis a story about the needless suffering and nearly hopeless fighting of gay men and about neglectful governments, but it is also a story about countless women (many if not most of them queer themselves) who saw what was happening and knew they had to step up. And it's a part of the story that tends to be forgotten all too easily

[@WeDontWantYourWar]

@@maitesoto1953 Beautifully said. Sadly its not just the story of Aids, but can be said of much of History being "a story about countless women who saw what was happening and knew they had to step up... and then being forgotten all too easily"

[@samanthaann6280]

RIP Freddie. I’m so devastated I’ll never get to see him perform in person. I’m so grateful I still get to experience Queens music though. Their songs have gotten me through some shit.

[@jennifers5560]

❤

[@susim4503]

The number of my peers that have told me they had no idea Freddie was gay is astonishing.

[@TaraLyz]

At first, I was going to try and count how many song titles you used in this video, but then so many of them were so brilliantly placed that I couldn't stop giggling long enough to be able to count them. 😂 Then you got to the last half of the video when the conversation turned more serious and I was like " Ok now we're at the deppressing part of the video. The song counter game is no longer fun. 😢 I celebrated my 30th B-Day at a Queen + Adam Lambert concert three years ago (thank God they kicked it off in the US before the Covid pandemic) and love that the guys still try to include Freddie into their performances. They also did a brilliant job of creating a movie to tell the story of his legacy. He is still so missed, even 31 years later.

[@kaz555]

Thank you for making this. I remember not understanding the scary UK government advert in the 80s (I was a young child) and didn't understand what the media was saying in the 90s (teen years). All I knew was the singer of one of my favourite bands passed away due to illness. I watched It's a Sin and I finally understand. For anyone who hasn't watched it yet, please do, just make sure you have plenty of tissues as made me cry a lot. I got most of the song references but missed a few.

[@teaks7156]

I remember my mum telling me a story about a man she met in the late 2000’s who had been diagnosed in the early 90’s, as it was believed to be a death sentence he maxed out as many credit cards as he could… when my mum met him he was still paying off the debt

[@Jess-3]

My Nanna LOVED LOVED Queen. She wanted Queen songs played at her funeral and that is exactly what she got❤ another one bites the dust and who wants to live forever❤ I heard them and I do cry. She got 73 due to MND. but I love Queen too so I will carry on the love into my future kids and their kids etc❤

[@jennifers5560]

Good for you using this video for donations. -How long did it take you, to figure out, where to slip in all those song titles?? Impressive! I can’t wait to see the list of songs people caught.

[@wiebelziel]

Could you do a portrait on Lili Boulanger at some point? She was a chronically ill composer and had a very interesting (but sadly short) life. I think you could tell her story really well :)

[@Zapporah85]

We make it a point to talk about HIV and AIDS in my friend group, because it needs to be talked about so people know what to do. One of my friends, a straight cis guy, had to take PREP because of a cut he received at work from a belligerent customer since he didn't know if the guy might have spat in the cut. Always get tested, and when in doubt ask about PREP!

[@zoeolsson5683]

Freddie would have adored this video. Loved the lyrics inserts.

[@malefecent]

Rupert had thoughts lol

[@MSK-jd5fi]

I was a young mom during the 1980s, and remember how terrifying AIDS was and how isolated and stigmatized patients were. It was years before Reagan even said the word, may he burn in hell. I think here in the US, Rock Hudson was the big shocker, especially because he was so old school Hollywood and many people had no idea he was gay. Doris Day, and especially Liz Taylor really took he opportunity to destigmatize the disease and raise money to help. And the Broadway theater community which was decimated-a generation of brilliant talented men, gone in a matter of a few years.

[@DesOkun]

Thank you for this tribute and for bringing awareness to this tragic issue.

I love that you talk about Freddie! HAs a Queen fan and Jessie fan... makes me so so so so happy!!! (I catch them all hahaha)

Freddie: my God, example and big idol!!! we still love you, Freddie!

[@KristenK78]

Jessica, thank you so much for this video. I was a child in the 80s, when HIV was this horrible, scary disease. I was also JUST old enough, thanks to Ryan White, to understand that it wasn’t just a “gay disease” and wasn’t something you got from being in the same room as someone with HIV, or through casual contact. But it was almost certainly a death sentence until I was closer to adulthood; you could delay the worst, but eventually, it would get you. Red Ribbon Day was a thing on my college campus in the late 90s. The first time there was news about being able to suppress HIV to near-undetectable levels, I just about cried. I hope some of you young adults today can appreciate how huge that was. The 80s were not really all that long ago. That we’ve come so far in 40 years is simply amazing. And then realize how far behind we started in the first place, due to denial and blaming victims for years before setting scientists to work on treatments.

[@rheagalarneau1366]

Have you watched “Pose”? They talk about some of this in there.

[@audreyd859]

Very well done. Thank you for giving to this great charity and sharing Freddie's life.

[@mypathunfolding]

Thank you for telling Freddie's story in such a moving way, and for the fundraiser, Jessica. For every Freddie, there is a family friend, an uncle, a sibling, a cousin lost to the disease (RIP Curtis). But for each of those we have lost, prevention, treatment, and the fact that undetectable = untransmittable is very real, we have thriving members of society living wonderfully full lives and adding to our world. We start with education and prevention, and we never give up on those who are living with HIV. YOU ARE LOVED. Sending you reading this so much love on this World AIDS Day 2022. ❤

[@brittastina9640]

This made me cry, even though I was in public. This is so important. Thank you, Jessica!

[@tamaki011423]

My favorite series❤ although I don’t know too much about the queens. I saw the movie and cried at the ending😢 Wish he was still here in our world😢

[@marleylayton1950]

Thank you for sharing this Jessica. Outrageously, I didn't even know the history of AIDS in the gay community until I went to uni - as a child I always heard through charity campaigns about its impact in countries without the same access to medication, but never anything else. Then when I was 18 I saw posters for Angels in America and watched a production of the Normal Heart, and spoke to my mum about it. She was in her 20s in the 80s and I found out she had a gay best friend that I'd never heard of who lost his partner, and knew many others who were affected. I think there's so much generational trauma caused by the AIDs crisis that's only just beginning to show up, so thank you again for sharing this and for setting up a fundraiser.

[@marianneshepherd6286]

What a wonderful video thank you for making it. Much love from a big Queen fan x

[@laurakeating7122]

Highly recommend reading "And the Band Played On" by Randy Shilts. A nonfiction chronicle of the early years of the disease written by a journalist who covered it in real time and sadly eventually died of AIDS. Extremely detailed but also extremely engaging and easy to read, it addresses it from the perspective of activists, medical professionals, people who suffered from the disease, people in government. Fascinating, infuriating, and very, very moving. The tv series was based on this book. I wish everyone would read it!

[@AmyThePuddytat]

I hung out with someone HIV+ for hours yesterday. It's just struck me what a big deal that would have seemed in the last century. People refused to shake hands.

[@gayliljaehyun]

he died many years before i was even born and yet when i learned about his story and the impact he had, i felt like i missed him.

[@JohnnyCredit]

I can't watch this video because I know I'll break down if I do (videos about Freddie, especially ones that cover his death, make me emotional) but I would like to thank you for speaking about this. It's so important to make resources available that actually have well researched, constructive information about AIDS.

[@leahhanson6379]

Freddie had one of the greatest voices of all time

[@pixieskitty]

Thank you for adding the capitalization in the subs, as a hearing impaired person, it would have been impossible to find them just by hearing

[@maudvangenuchten7984]

I got all 24 of the references, thank you for making them so clear in the subtitles! I enjoyed spotting them. It’s a beautiful video Jessica.

[@badllama4554]

One of your best Jessica. Thank you (Wipes away tears).

[@mattiethemongoose3rd]

I just want to say how pleased I am to see someone mentioning Freddie's boyfriends, especially Jim Hutton, as one of the reasons I hate the usual programs and films made about him is that that side of him, and the names in particular, get erased. It's painful and horrible.

[@panaele7165]

Jessica, you are macking me cry....but your video was very beautiful, thak you!

[@bigboredthing]

It's still mind-blowing to me how so many millions of people can die from an illness without anything being done about it. I remember being a little kid (about 11) in the mid 90s and being taught about HIV/AIDS, and taught it would basically kill you if you got it (which, at the time, was true). My teacher, bless her heart, never said it had anything to do with being LGBTQ+ (in fact, said the opposite, she was a based ally even then), just that it was an STD that could also be transmitted through blood and that protection was important. This was still in the "AIDS on the toilet seat" days. She taught us about it objectively and without bias. My little gay heart was so happy.

[@LyraxBanana]

I love your historical profile series!

[@killianwise5409]

As always, top notch. 💚

[@kyrastube]

Oooh, just came on KZbin now, and you best believe I threw myself over this video! Haven't even made my way through the ads in the beginning as I'm typing this, but I'm SO EXCITED! I love Freddie. And somehow, all though you wouldn't think it would be possible, when I found out he loved cats I loved him even more than before! Awesome artist and awesome cat dad. ❤️

[@Lohengrin1850]

I was watching with subtitles, but I got all of the references! Great video as always, thank you for sharing Freddie's story in an informative and fun way.

[@bethowens8863]

I love this series! Have you ever considered doing a video about Lucy Hicks Anderson? She was an American-American socialite and chef who was assigned male at birth, but began dressing and living as a girl from a very young age with the support of her parents...in the 1880s!! Went on to own a speakeasy and brothels in California, and was a well-known society figure. Listened to a fascinating podcast about her recently.

[@themarvellousmrsmorticia]

I can hear Rupert having fun in the background ❤ x

[@stacylitwin1466]

"Striving to become * off camera Rupert Cry * the invisible man" lol love it

[@noeestrada7910]

I love this channel, can't wait for it to hit 1 M

[@Chriswallace8821]

Really enjoyed this video of you talking about Freddie Mercury and aids. Freddie had one of the best voices ever and will never be forgotten. Dropping the names of some of the songs was genius. Maybe if you do another video like this you could do it on Rock Hudson 🤗

[@twinstarssystem2857]

this is such a serious video but the puns are wonderful

[@lightanddarklove]

10:37-10:45 makes me feel a lot better about the tragedy. "Absolutely bin them." If someone hasn't clipped this, I might.

[@AndersWatches]

I’ve not watched yet but I clicked so hard, Freddie is my most favourite person in the entire world and I’ve been obsessed with him and Queen for so many years 😩

[@isabbygabbyorcrabby]

I really enjoy your historical profiles!

[@lissajedi]

Wonderful video Jessica! Might I recommend a movie for those interested in learning about the AIDS crisis? It's called "And The Band Played On." It's truly amazing and heartbreaking to watch. I've seen in many times, and still cry and rage over all the obstruction from my government and how they tried to ignore this. I was a teenager when that pandemic started, and it was terrifying time. Please, watch this movie, and learn. It's still so important!!

[@elspethfougere9683]

Such a great video jessica! Thank you for talking about hiv and aids so candidly.

[@hamba1998]

Jessica, this is one of the most powerful videos I think I've watched. Thank you for making this

[@pyenygren2299]

Thank you very much for this video.

[@sallyjordan4869]

What a captivating, compassionate, and clever video (all those song names!). Thank you, Jessica. Is your lung infection finally starting to clear up? I do hope so. 🎀💖🎀

[@marybethchavez3740]

Queen is my favorite band, thanks for this. I was just listening to them yesterday

[@themarvellousmrsmorticia]

I remember the day he died as if it was yesterday. I was devastated x

[@jennifercloar2407]

Thank you for this video

[@LilySaintSin]

I grew in that time. There's no way he could have said anything in that climate.

[@MossyBear]

I needed this video today. I've loved Freddie Mercury for most of my life

[@Aima952]

The sheer lack of information on this virus is a shame on health and education bodies the world over. I'm the sort of person who read basically every piece of available literature on STIs I could get my hands on (because I went to catholic school and that was the only sex ed that was approved for well behaved teens) and yet the first place I encountered the phrase Undetectable =Untransmitable was in Queer As Folk fanfiction, several years after this should have been common knowledge.

[@stephanieoregan]

The greatest tragedy in music was Freddie's untimely death. Imagine the music he could have created 😔 Thank you Jessica ❤

[@cindyfrye3026]

I love the Easter Egg song names. Rock Hudson died in 1985 and had revealed his AIDS illness on the Doris Day Show prior to his death. I believe he is regarded as the first celebrity to make that statement. Sadly, as there was no medical research in the US, he went to France, but it was too late for him. That situation was badly handled. Only the COVID pandemic was handled worse.

[@kencoleman5007]

I feel like you would love the Henson ABBA short based on this wordplay.

[@ashleyl.690]

I got into Queen several years ago after listening to Radio Gaga. My favorite songs are A Kind of Magic, Innuendo, I want It All, and Radio Gaga. ❤

[@marieryan2541]

Hi Jessica. I have had two gay friends who have died of this horrible disease and I wish they could find a cure for it.I wish I could make a donation at present but I am struggling financal.

[@mfg2324]

Thank you so much!

[@lynnbrooklyn1332]

I adore you and your videos. This is an important one and I’m glad you made it. Thank you for posting. It made my day.

[@laartje24]

I was never that much of a Queen fan (although I didn't dislike them either) so I was unfamiliar with Freddy Mercury's story. Thank you for sharing his story, I think it is one that should be shared.

[@francescathomas3502]

In Australia in the early 1980s there was a cute little girl born, somewhat prematurely and she needed several blood transfusions to survive. One of the transfusions had the HIV virus and she was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 3 or 4 years. She was vehemently ostracised by her community, and expelled from kindergarten just because she had the HIV virus. So the family moved to NZ where she was given refuge and a somewhat normal live. But she still had the virus. She died of AIDS in 1993 at age 11. Her name was Eve Van Grafthorst and she has a wikipedia page. But that is how I learned about the HIV virus & AIDS - because of all the controversy over how the Aussies treated Eve and her family so appallingly!! RIP Eve. You are still in my memory!! RIP Freddie. You were the Champion of Muscians!!!

[@SalanderSays]

I see the dala horses in the background! Love it

[@JennaGetsCreative]

It's hard to believe that this legend wouldn't have even turned 80 yet if he had lived, but he's been gone since I was 3. It's heartbreaking that such a slow, dismissive, and even hateful response from governments around the world to the AIDS pandemic means we collectively lost such a huge portion of our LGBTQIA+ elders before they could be our elders. It's humbling when today's baby gays realize that we didn't have the safety and mentorship they have now back then, but I wish so much that the 70s and 80s ad gone differently in this respect.

[@Sliz3]

Swedish author Jonas Gardell, who lived through the epidemic unscathed (medically) wrote a devastatingly beautiful trilogy about it called "Don't ever wipe tears without gloves". It gives an account of the many different ways it was handled by politicians, the international and national media, the medical community, society, and people who contracted it, or had a loved one who did so. An educational and emotional read, if anyone's interested!

[@lauramathews3151]

He will always be my Queen. And thanks for the puns.

[@sherrybrown5295]

I am a fan of Queen and you, Jessica. I absolutely love that you are educating people about who he was and how AIDS became so prevalent so fast because our government (USA) dismissed it as a gay man's disease. I am sure more people would have lived had there been an effort to put more money into searching for a treatment sooner.

[@mattiethemongoose3rd]

Tbh I think the fact that Princess Diana made a point of meeting AIDS patients probably did more to destigmatise AIDS than Freddie could have done in life. Diana was so revered- including by Freddie himself no doubt, he loved the Royal Family- and was the epitome of straight white blonde woman loveliness, it probably worked better coming from her. I don't blame Freddie at all for not announcing he was HIV+ till the day before he died, there's no knowing how that would have gone. The media typically did not treat him or the band well- and there is still a lot of snobbishness about Queen in music circles. I am in an LGBTQ+ choir which includes a few old gay men, (they didn't all die, quite), and one of them tested positive for HIV years ago, back when Section 28 was introduced, (something he was very much involved in protests against). Back then he thought it was a death sentence, but he's been able to access the treatments and is now quite healthy and living a full life. I think it's very sad that to this day his legacy is tainted by people who prefer to de-gay him and slut shame, and that his importance as a musician and songwriter and driver of the whole Queen entity is also downplayed a lot. It can be difficult for more recent Queen fans, who came to Queen after Freddie died, to understand this. Anyway, totally here for Freddie Mercury and Queen fandom, ICYMI.