The Face Of AIDS: The Story Behind Therese Frare's Photo | 100 Photos | TIME

[@pbp125]

I was a police officer in 1984. There was one young man who was sick with AIDS . I educated myself about the disease and its transmission (to the extent that anyone knew at that time.) No other officers wanted to respond to those calls. I always volunteered. Oftentimes, it was just a call for a trivial issue. What he was really seeking was just someone to be with him and talk to him. I had no fear of "catching" the disease. I enjoyed my time with him until one day when I went to work I found out that he had died. His family opted for immediate cremation, no service and it was as if he never existed. If by chance they read this, he did exist and had meaning to this officer.

[@anniesia4902]

Peter Palmer bless your heart

[@BelikaLika]

You have such a beautiful soul. You have a place in heaven for sure. Thank you for doing it to that guy, officer!

[@sharonbarry8878]

Wonderful that you could be there for him. He was loved and not feared.

[@juvezhang1715]

Peter Palmer Situmorang

[@tikifreaky5204]

Peter Palmer thank you have having compassion 💜

[@paigeturner1039]

My Uncle raised me until I was 13. That was the year the AIDS killed him. Watching that disease eat him from the inside out, watching him lose control over his motor skills, then his thoughts, then his muscles... One of the greatest people I ever knew. I miss him every minute of every day.

[@bigbrian340]

Lost my uncle too...

[@mossyteef]

I’m so sorry, he sounds like someone with such a huge, huge heart, may he Rest In Peace

[@TheKtwStudios]

@@Newwaytoofeelthepain You do realize that gay people aren't the *only* ones to get AIDS, right?

[@danielmorse6597]

I am so sorry honey. We watched a lot of good people go. Live a good life in his name.

[@NMT254]

❤️

[@mutomboken]

I love what she said about the ad: Benetton wasn't using us. We were using Benetton

[@perstephanies]

Kenneth M. Ngoy Kalolo Them saying that really made an impact on me too.

[@sophiarodriguez3706]

That might be the most empowering statement ever uttered by someone who was featured in a major ad campaign.

[@valhalla1240]

When I compare this campaign by Benetton with the Pepsi ad with Kendall Jenner in it, the difference is that Benetton was campaigning for brutal honesty, using its brand to provoke thoughts, while Pepsi was trying to benefit off of good honest people, without making any thought-provoking statement, in order to not upest anybody.

[@marcuspainter4885]

Valhalla I like, and agree with, your comment

[@LisaSimpsonRules]

@@valhalla1240 The Pepsi commercial was just adhering to the "last millennial fad" without any second thought about what it was supposed to mean. They were using a legitimate worry as if it were a "purple colour is in this season" statement. That was all it was to it - the complete whitewash of the characters and faking a situation. The Bennetton campaign was all the opposite: it was raw reality without whitewashing any of the hard edges. Probably the company's management just wanted to sell more clothing (I saw an interview with the photographer somewhere in which he kinda said that he had to fight long and hard for the campaign to be approved), but it's undeniable that it was a reality mirror of things happening in society that nobody wanted to see.

[@tangerinefizz11]

In a way, it was uplifting, because at least David Kirby was surrounded by his family. Sadly, there were many AIDS casualties who died alone, because some of them had been shunned by their loved ones.

[@annnee6818]

So many😔

[@LowLuvR117]

Delilah Hart so true

[@bebebrunette007]

Love and comfort sent to all those who are suffering and feel alone, please remember you are loved by people who didn’t need to met you in order to love you 💕

[@sandjoy54]

@@bebebrunette007 I love what u said, "didn't need to meet u in order to love u."😍❤👍🏽

[@jackiedorman2188]

We stayed up for 3 days and nights when our person was dieing. I was the last person he spoke to. He had ulcers all over his mouth and throat. It ment so much to me and it was so difficult for him to tell me. I miss him

[@Leelz247]

Cannot believe how emaciated he looks. He is fortunate that he has a loving family. Many people with AIDS were abandoned to their deaths.

[@storino03]

When someone enters the actively dying phase, they lose appetite and hardly can take down fluids. Their breathing slows down, start to have a distant look and sleep a lot in between pain medicine given orally. They say hearing is the last sense to go.

[@GEORGIE12211]

Their were thousands of people who looked like that ..

[@shemeciahaskell322]

@@storino03 it's called wasting syndrome and is distinctive to AIDS. It's characterized by a person losing 10% or more of body fat muscle and extreme diarrhea. They look horrifying and unrecognizable compared to when they were healthy.

[@1211jinx]

@@storino03 so sad to see 😭😢

[@danielmorse6597]

So many died alone. We all tried.

[@NolaChick82]

I think it's a powerful photo in many ways, not the least of which is- this was 1990 when there were still people afraid of breathing the same air as people with HIV/AIDS. Here's this photo showing this man dying of AIDS, surrounded by his family and being embraced- skin to skin- by his father. It sent the message that these people aren't untouchable. They deserve love and they deserve to be surrounded by love in their final moments. God bless this amazing family, as well as the photographer who captured this moment.

[@jedisquidward]

Yeah, you're hilarious. Do you have a "triggered" joke next

[@Jilly_Neutron]

I would also say great job to the colourist who made us feel like a part of the picture.

[@heartofjustice6041]

silat guy no homosexuals arent the only ones but they make a large portion of it the other larger portion are africans with their ideas that having sex with virgins cures them or that for girls to be women must have sex with men with hiv/aids

[@jameleason8200]

Nola Chick the same year ryan white died

[@angelbowman4275]

You just love to hear yourself talk, don’t you?

[@Starmadien2019]

Remember Straight or Gay use protection and get tested regularly. Just because the numbers are dropping and treatment is succeeding doesn't mean there's not a risk. You don't want HIV and AIDS.

[@joryschultz1610]

Starmadien2019 specially gay

[@stephaniezee9704]

@@joryschultz1610 no.. anyone, gay , lesbian, bi, STRAIGHT, etc., man or woman.. you are at risk of AIDS/HIV when you have any kind of intercourse.

[@ryanharrington6389]

Say it to the bug chasers

[@hellohey2117]

@Lemuel better "not 100%" than "possibly 0%". I've a friend with HIV. He never used condoms. It's too late now, he could've had at least lowered the risk by using condoms

[@hellohey2117]

@Lemuel I don't disagree, but for those who don't subscribe to such a belief, it's just better to use condoms. Also, in an ideal world, husbands and wives remain loyal. Unfortunately, I've seen too many who aren't. It's sad, but true.

[@karolj.6775]

"They burnt the ambulance" thats insane.

[@gregwest2028]

"Inappropriate Laughter Erupts"

[@dragonsember]

@Margaret Liles yeah, that's the point i assume. The sheer panic the ignorance and confusion surrounding the disease caused was horrible.

[@dragonsember]

@Margaret Liles yeah, grateful to be alive when it's understood, and survivability rate of HIV is so much higher.

[@mook_butt8037]

Ambulances were different back in the late 80s/early 90s, and were a lot more difficult to clean than the fancy ones we have today. The EMS providers also may not have even learned how to fully decon their rig after an AIDS patient call (granted, they would have just needed proper BSI and fluid decon along with proper sharps disposal, but they wouldn’t have known that).

[@markobrien16]

My friend Paul worked for the telephone company. His boss wanted to know why he needed to take so many doctors appointments on company time. He told his boss that he had AIDS. It was supposed to be confidential.....the boss told all of Paul's co-workers......they burned his company truck. 1985.

[@pjhaze]

When my cousin was dying in 1997, she said “you’re the only person who will hug me, touch me. Everyone else won’t even come near me “ we knew then how it was transmitted people were just cruel. Now it’s not even the worst thing to get. Look at Magic Johnson

[@berchyzgb4423]

Magic Johnson?

[@cranberry411]

People free what they dont understand. Bliss your heart sweety for being there for your cousin.

[@lyricavelino6179]

PJ Q he’s rich theirs a complete difference

[@marcylynn3703]

@Lyric Loveless Freddie Mercury was also rich. With time, science goes forward in the beggining life expectancy after you showed symptoms was only a year. Then medications appeared but they had terrible side effects. It used to be around 30 pills a day if you wanted to live 5 or 10 more years. Now the treatment is better and more accesible. Hopefully in years to come (or sooner) scientists will find a cure🙏

[@christinet9641]

Bernardica Vučić Zgb yes, an American Basketball player

[@undertowsoul]

I had a friend in elementary school (late 1980s) whose older brother had AIDS, which he contracted from a blood transfusion. At first, I heard all the kids saying not to play with them because I could catch it. Luckily my mom corrected me as I ended up friends with her for years. He lost his battle when he was 12 but I'm glad I knew them both and that my parents knew enough to not trust rumors.

[@EN-mh6sr]

Untertowsoul....you were INCREDIBLY luck to have a Mom who was well versed on AIDS-especially then. I have the same in my Mom. I'm glad you got to know your friend and her family. We are blessed.

[@mindpower2824]

IMMUNE DEFICIENCY DISEASES EXIST, and have existed for hundreds of years. HIV is just a hoax. PCR test have never detected viruses because Dr. Kary Banks Mullis says this many times... His invention was intentionally used to do harm to humanity... It's exactly what happened with Einstein's invention. Those ppl died in a horrific way... Thanks to the criminal Dr.Fauci and big pharma who prescribed them AZT which is HIGHLY TOXIC. An immune deficiency disease can develop in any person that abuses drugs (legal or illegal ones), who is malnourished (has an imbalance of minerals, vitamins, etc), eats lots of overprocessed/packed foods, and has been exposed to radiation or radiotherapy and chemotherapy. All those things can screw up your immune system. However, those ppl died due to the medication AZT which formerly had a SKULL warning sign on its package... Find out who was the inventor of the PCR tests and what he said about HIS INVENTION. Dr.Kary Banks Mullis. Find out who Robert Willner was and what he said. Find out why Charlie Sheen and MANY ppl today have stopped taking HIV medication and are feeling better with other therapies.

[@TheJulithegreat]

@@mindpower2824 yes yes yes! Smarty;)

[@kafkaseyebrows]

ryan white?

[@philhodgson]

@@mindpower2824 what an absolute load of SH!T... Honestly, you should seriously stop before some poor gullible fool actually believes your dangerous words! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, but you obviously either have the morals of an alley cat or the stupidity of a dunce!

[@Amanda---]

RIP David....your family had the courage many did not.

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

They forgot how it was with families, friends and acquitances of people with AIDS. The society was ruthless with them too. It was courage beyond limit for David's family to do it.

[@sweetlizzy8831]

RIP David.

[@montrelouisebohon-harris7023]

His father looked like a dad that didn't care how whose son got sick but just that he wanted him to be healthy and live. What a heartbreaking photograph.

[@littlemisseatscrispsforbre5353]

Someone's baby, the fathers face, the pain is tangible.

[@lovealwayswinslovealwayswi51]

My the pain in the parents face is indescribable!!! Rip 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@kashabrown2692]

I watched my dad die from AIDS in 2016. He didn’t have to die. He didn’t accept his HIV diagnosis so he refused to take meds or see a doctor. He eventually got full blown AIDS. His kidneys, heart, liver & lungs started failing. He eventually stopped eating & developed dementia. In the end he looked just like David. I was at his bedside when he transitioned. It was a peaceful transition. I took pics of him in his final stages & the pics of him in his casket. He looked better dead than he did alive. I’ve never shown anybody these pics & I want to eventually speak & show the pics. I want people to see what this disease does to you. If only my father would have taken care of himself😢

[@disneyprincessintraining2725]

I am so sorry. Sending lots of love from the western US. ❤️

[@Dataisthetruth]

My gf sister had aids. She started out taking the medicine, but she was so ashamed that she stopped. She was judged and shunned by her family. My gf shunned her as well. I came into the picture and had the wonderful opportunity to meet her when she was still vibrant. I knew she had aids and the first time I met her I gave her the longest hug. She told me from then on out she liked me. She said I was the first person to hug her in a long time. I met her in 2017. Right before she became extremely ill, we went to a haunted house in October. We had the best time. After that she became extremely sick. She went from walking to talking to not being able to move. I fed her on so many occasions and it was so personal for both of us I feel like we bonded and that bond is unbroken till this day. She died in 2018 and my gf still can’t get over her death because she knew she could have treated her better. My gf also thanked me for taking them to the haunted house as it was the first and last time they were truly together as sisters. I still think about Brooke to this day. I want to go and visit her grave site, but my gf breaks down everytime. I just miss her and I wish I could have spent more time with her. She was so sweet.

[@paigeherrin29]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@AngelicaRodriguez-mb2ld]

This is really sad. HIV isn't a death sentence anymore and no one is privy to your medical records but your doctor and who ever you trust. I'm so sorry you lost your dad :[ and I hope anyone coming by this gets encouraged to get tested and seek medical attention.

[@itsfreshrot9641]

Mind Power shut up

[@src3360]

My mother was a nurse in the 80s and 90s in a small town outside Orlando. The stigma surrounding hiv and aids was even worse in the south, Bible Belt back woods where we lived. She has told me the sad and horrific stories she witnessed caring for aids patients. How terribly nurses and doctors treated sick patients, treating them less than human. Having to call family members to tell them their son was dying only to be told not to call back bcuz they didn’t care, “he done this to himself” And watching them die. Trying to to hold their hands as they left this earth so they wouldn’t die alone. She is still a nurse. 62 years old and continues working 3 days a week 12 hr shifts in the ICU. She is and always has been a patient advocate. She has been nurse of the year many many times and was recognized on the state level. She’s my hero 🌈 I’m a nurse as well, all because of her 💕

[@alfonsotirado9676]

You have an angel for mom.

[@ruthie8785]

She has a soul of solid gold.

[@adaralondon1753]

Think he done a brilliant job at getting people more aware

[@athmaid]

@@longdongsilber what

[@elisa_lily]

I remember when the ad came out.l didn't like that it was associated with a brand,but it did get a lot of conversations going

[@modernlover7769]

the man chanting "we die, they do nothing" made me tear up

[@muffdiver240]

@calo10able Thank you.

[@muffdiver240]

@Robert Ward True Dat.

[@muffdiver240]

@Robert Ward You have my condolences regarding your "orientation" and purported "asexuality". I give you props for resisting your sinful inclinations. Best of luck to you & *God Bless.*

[@muffdiver240]

@Robert Ward Not finding any mention of "holy rosary" in the Bible- but, *God Bless,* anyway.

[@seer1623]

This whole reaction to AIDS demanding funding, protests, et cetera turns my stomach. What about cancer, ALS, MS and numerous other deadly diseases that people get through no fault of their own?

[@DiogoF.]

Some things people just don't want to see, particularly if it confronts their own taboos and prejudices.

[@Yukon_83]

DD what do you mean by that?

[@Swnsasy]

DD You hit that nail dead on with the hammer!

[@XRZ350]

DD Don't go up men's butts and you'll be fine.

[@Swnsasy]

DD I wouldn't have even taken the time to respond to such stupidity love.. What you said makes total sense.. That person just wants attention!

[@DiogoF.]

Thank you dear, I didn't want to reply but sometimes it is just too coward not to. It is people like them who paint this already vicious issue an even worst scenario. If anyone is interested to know more and be accurately informed please visit aidsmap.com

[@leegreer5895]

The anguish on that dad's face. No parent should ever have to see that happen to their child.

[@jonathanbierman5382]

they burned the ambulance ...wow

[@jonathanbierman5382]

i think it was literal

[@angie_exe]

They probably did, the disease being so misunderstood at the time, people didn’t want to breathe the same air as hiv victims. It’s sad but very true.

[@dorothyparker544]

That shocked me too, but it was really a different time back then for AIDS. 😢

[@krissy7342]

Jonathan Bierman you mean NOT literal ??

[@Blackarachnia1996]

That’s not how viruses work...

[@technicolor101]

Benetton has always been crazy inclusive in all their ads. Wish other companies & humans would take note.

[@JenniferBrigitteOpticalVortex]

넌 외로운 꽃 They did a stupendous job

[@waltervega8730]

They were always great at that! Including pple from different ethnicities. Including this amazing photograph. The son and family made an impact. Without him knowing how much he made a difference with the disease! It woke everyone up!!

[@dumblewhoree]

넌 외로운 꽃 they also hire underpaid workers working in dangerous conditions to make their clothes

[@44894490]

@@dumblewhoree | most of clothing brands still doing that till nowdays, it isn't only because their greed, but mostly because developed country doesn't have strict regulation to help their workers

[@TheFakeyCakeMaker]

Not really, there are a number of Benetton ads that were considered racist.

[@isabelbaratta3073]

I lost 3 family members to AIDS and as a new nurse I worked on an AIDS Unit my patients were 40 pounds when they died it was a different time. I am blessed I got to care and be there when they crossed over I didn’t let anyone die alone

[@waltervega8730]

You were their Saint!!

[@FriendofDorothy]

I was a hospital social worker in L.A. in the early years of AIDS. I try not to think of all I saw as I do also have to take care of my own mental health. I did my best but will never feel like I did enough; I was 35.

[@yesterdayitrained]

@@FriendofDorothy Thank you for helping those in desperate need of not only medical care, but love and support, as they died. You were appreciated, probably more than you will ever know. It’s hard to feel like you ‘did enough’ when every person you spent time with eventually died. You did all you could- and that is more than anyone could ask.

[@ultra_sharp]

You are so caring and great!! 😞

[@marlenewegner3772]

This was hard to watch. This reminded me of my brother’s last days. He died of AIDS in 97. My mom took care of him until his death. She was never the same after. My dad, unfortunately, shunned my brother. It broke my heart. My brother suffered horribly. It gives me a deep pain in my gut just thinking about it. Every day, I wish he was here and didn’t have to die that way. I wished so much more for him. This young man’s parents are amazing. He was blessed to have them. Thankfully we have seen a much needed change in the handling of this disease.

[@darcylkc]

I'm very sorry for the loss of your brother.

[@enochia]

I'll be honest, sometimes I don't particularly like my brother but I don't know what I would do if I lost him. We grew up together, he's been by my side since I was born

[@ruthie8785]

I’m glad he had you and your mother. He will always have existed, even if he no longer does. The truth of his being cannot be erased from time.

[@preferredguyforyou]

It breaks my heart really. There's so much pain and agony that people with HIV/AIDS face every day.

[@maxs3986]

Not really, just the stigma. I know a lot of people with HIV who are happy and living life to the fullest. Most people with HIV today have the same life expectancy as people who don’t have it all thanks to advance medicine.

[@damienholland8103]

There have been advancements in medicine but in less developed nations, where getting the medication could be difficult, yes.

[@ellgould3113]

I remember at 18 I helped my grandmother take care of my dying aunt with AIDS. It only took a WEEK for her to get sick and she passed away. It still traumatised me because she died Infront of me like my mom did. Hopefully one day a cure will be made.

[@euodiapercy1231]

How did your aunt get infected with AIDS if I may know

[@mahaswetadas190]

@@tessabakker662 it's definitely not an autoimmune disease

[@lmaololz6853]

Aids only strikes you after ten years, so how did she die in a week?

[@mahaswetadas190]

@@lmaololz6853 now with the treatment it does. When there were no treatment modalities before people used to die left,right and centre

[@jarethbadillo8421]

Éll Gould they are somewhere better now God bless you 🥰😩❤️

[@pirateslifeb]

my mom was alive during this time and she told me a lot of her friends died from aids. She also said that it felt like she was going to a funeral every week. what a horrible time that was.

[@lilly243]

Apirateslifefors B omg I remember my mom saying the same thing.

[@lindacosta3381]

True to her word, the photographer never profited from the photograph. All the money made was donated to Aids research

[@manuelsaldivar01]

I hope to live long enough to be a witness for the cure of AIDS and many other diseases the have no cure at the moment, I want to be part of the celebration!

[@DiogoF.]

Me too. So much!

[@obscurelyvague]

"Mighty Boy" Not to sound cynical or sarcastic but it would take more than waiting to celebrate. More people have to become scientists and doctors and not only that, ones with the right conscience. There are always more needy people than there are people to provide care and whatever else to the needy. It goes into a topic of lack of equilibrium in the economics of life. It goes into the topic of social un-involvement and the irony is that if people can't be involved in the right way, they are just as good as people standing on the sidelines doing nothing or even worse. . Protesting and crying out about "victim-hood" has only a limited use and is too easy. Also people need to face facts no matter how offensive. I once recall a gay politician telling like it is and saying that the crisis largely got to the proportions it did because of the irresponsible practices of gay males. She had republican ideals but that is not the point. I am not religious. It is not about certain groups getting a judgement from some kind of righteous god, whoever that god is. But there was a lot of avoidable human folly involved. A lot of older gay people today say that a lot of younger gay people are spoiled, and take it for granted that AIDS is medically controllable today whereas when it first began, ti wasn't and it was only through the activism of people who saw the AIDS crisis begin and saw it at its worst to get something done. We can't just point fingers and say "' 'They' ought to be doing something about it." Sure for some of us it is too late to become scientists and doctors and bio-chemists, or maybe we don't have a talent to handle such studying of math and science and medicine for decades before being able to help come up with cures or remedies or treatments. Emotions will always be at the forefront of it all when it takes responsible actions

[@BixbyLBC]

Wont happen! BIG BUCKS in the treatment of HIV and AIDS.... Why go and stop all that 💰💰💰 with a cure?!?!

[@Bergen98]

People talking about big pharma, but from scientific point of view I do not think you can cure AIDS. AIDS is too far gone, it is like stage IV cancer. But maybe we will be able to prevent HIV infections in the way that if you get infected, virus can be killed

[@PinkSparklerToontown]

It's practically cured when taking meds regularly it can become undetectable.

[@Phoebehunniexox]

My parents lost five extremely close friends to AIDS during this time. My father said that during Christmas, everyone knew his friend was dying. He went into a room to find his friend's father crying like he'd never seen before. He knew it was his last Christmas. My father visited his friend in hospital just before he died, and has said that since then he can never visit someone in hospital again because what he saw was the most devastating thing he could ever see. He never saw one human go through so much pain and loss as he saw his friend's father go through.

[@kathklim]

Phoebe Dowling It’s so sad. In my culture there’s a saying which literally means the old shouldn’t have to bury their young. The heartache must be unspeakable.

[@cjengland1724]

Robert Ward suppose you've got a silly excuse for people starving in the world , what's their sin.

[@luluc5408]

Robert Ward lmao what did those hemophiliacs do then to “deserve” that disease, I wanna hear your reasoning, all those children too. You really think their deaths were justified?

[@demimorbid8234]

My uncle had AIDS. He was a very stong-willed, heart warming man. He was a good friend to me, and a loyal husband to my aunt. There are a lot of things to remember about him and a lot of people just keep focusing on his illness. I was told he was sick when I was 17. I wondered why no one told me before, and that was his own wish, since he didn't want me to be afraid of him. He got sick back in the 90s, when there was little to no hope of surviving. In his last years, he got married and built a family, he was loved, and he fought to live as much as he could, he did not waste any time and his life is worth remembering. I wish he knew how much he meant for a lot of people. And how any illness does not define your worth as a human.

[@jolokenikunga-kohe6883]

God bless you.

[@yesterdayitrained]

He knows. He had worth. You just proved it with your comment.

[@jtmoore662]

I was in first grade when HIV first came to light. I was intrigued by the mystery of viruses. When Ebola came out to the public, again I kept newspaper clippings of all these breakouts. I started reading books on these diseases. So when I decided to go to college, thats what I did, I became a Medical Lab Scientist. I test those with HIV, HCV and various other illnesses. I love what I do if it helps doctors cure these people

[@nurlindafsihotang49]

Hear...hear! And i hope it is in our life time, we see the cure found. Let's crack a cold one when it happens,eh? Keep up the good fight!

[@samud7041]

💕💕💕💕

[@milicaraznatovic]

g s C

[@ultra_sharp]

Do you know about a famous Moore's law?

[@louiseturner9811]

❤️❤️❤️

[@mrfunky1768]

I remember that photo vividly. I was at my favorite news stand ready for my monthly consumption of over price glossy collections magazine, and I saw this cover it ripped through mw like a hot blade , I felt flush and a rush of sorrow simultaneously. It snapped right into a stark reality of deeper importance than some damn fashion magazine. Thank you for the jolt !!!!!!

[@monkeyman2407]

Mr Funky it was an ad, not a magazine cover photo. Perhaps you saw it while flipping through a magazine at the newstand? (I think it would be most effective juxtaposed to the perfectly airbrushed high fashion photography, it's an like a sudden - & completely nessasary at the time -assault on the senses.) Like the man who chose the photo for Benneton said, not all art evokes pretty emotions. It can evoke, joy, disgust, sadness - it becomes art when it makes an individual feel anything at all. I think the term iconic is terribly overused nowadays, but this photograph is the absolute definition of iconic.

[@mrfunky1768]

YOu know I do think you're right , as I remember it was folded in the middle of an airbrushed landscape of escapism . Thank you !

[@adc2327]

I remember it too it was a billboard here. Driving down the freeway and seeing that big billboard, it was pretty shocking.

[@firefly-fu3ce]

He loved his son 😭

[@eilissmith8591]

I recall the whole AIDS media mess, people were afraid of what was portrayed as certain death. My father in law who I always thought of as a true Christian man, shocked me so much with his hateful views of what were children of God, I never was able to see him in a good light again. Christ had no favourites we all all equally loved and precious in His sight.

[@chrissimpson6701]

God judges ALL sin.

[@carlexerfinny2585]

you are totally off Jesus stated clearly in the book of matthew that those who sin are the children of the devil so read your bible properly before coming to comment here.....and the same Jesus judges sin

[@FriendofDorothy]

@@chrissimpson6701 ... unfortunately, many Christian people consider it their duty to judge others even though the Bible clearly says to leave the judgment up to God. Additionally, such constant preaching and judging of others is displaying spiritual superiority which is unconducive to what the Bible says about pride. It is clear that many, if not most Christians of a particularly vociferous and zealous nature simply pick and choose which Bible verses support their personal narratives and ignore those which do not. A shocking number of them have never actually even read the Book in its entirety.

[@lukebennett1648]

Religious people can't help themselves......

[@lukebennett1648]

@@chrissimpson6701 moron

[@catenystrom6506]

I think the picture upset many American "Christians" because it showed a gay man, dying of AIDS....and looking like Jesus who had just been taken off the cross. They didn't like equating the two, when in fact, that's exactly what needed to happen. People needed to see these were human beings dying. It's an incredible image that makes me cry every single time I see it.

[@cometome255]

Beautifully put. There was a strange familiarity in the image and you're sooo correct.

[@M60gunner1971]

Watch your mouth!!

[@samantha_2686]

@@M60gunner1971 look,you need to be more open to others opinions...

[@darciambaye4871]

That's a fake story.

[@kaustuvray6737]

Looking like Jesus! You are really something! I am no christian, but comparing an AIDS patient who did catch the disease because of his own will and medical carelessness to Jesus (again I do not believe in bs like "son of god" or any man can have supernatural power etc) who was a humanitarian (it is a well documented fact at least) in tumultuous time is CLEARLY AN ACT OF LUNACY. Supporting LGBT cause is a noble one, but to do so awarding unnecessary sainthood to a man who endangered his life by having unprotected sex is outrageous. This sort of OVERDOING is one of the reasons behind the HATRED AGAINST LGBT.

[@bcaye]

I was a young newly graduated health care professional when AIDS became an epidemic. I saw so much prejudice and lack of compassion! Years later I had lost quite a few friends and was still seeing the awful stigma attached to the disease. I started speaking out against it whenever I had a chance. If good people do nothing, bad people will do anything they want.

[@Fantabbydozy2608]

Such a beautiful boy. You can feel the despair on the father’s face. So much pain. It hurts to see what this disease did to people. I take some comfort in the fact that David’s family were surrounding him with love til the end. That’s a blessing that a lot of people with AIDS didn’t get at that time. You can tell they adored him.

[@j.elizabeth4621]

I was around 6 when I saw this photo and it's stuck with me. A photographer who can frame a shot and share such intense emotion through a lens, positive or negative, shows how visual we are as a species and how important photography will always be.

[@rogerharris825]

I lost 2 boyfriends and my best friend to AIDS. The last one in 1998. I wish every day we had the treatments then that we do now. I don't really know what to think about this particular issue. It was a difficult period for all of us in the Gay community. We were afraid yet fighting to be heard and fighting for our lives.

[@thecajunphoenix]

You are still fighting for your lives even now because in addition to HIV/AIDS, the surgence of bigots like Florida's Ron DeSantis, Texas's Greg Abbott, Jeremy Boreing, and too many others to fit on this page and their hate crimes just make it worse. The reason I mention Boreing is he also owns and operates Jeremy's Razors and Jeremy's Chocolates, both of which you can check out online.

[@c.f.7408]

I had a neighbor named Sam when I was a kid in the 1990s he had AIDS and he was the coolest person and was always really nice to me in fact he was one of the few adults who was kind to me. He lived with his mom across the hall from us. Bless him.

[@NickanM]

I don't know how it feels to loose a child. But I'm getting a hint of it when I look at his dad's face..... Heartbreaking. 😢😭

[@ruthie8785]

Yeah. I imagine it feels like putting your soul through a wood chipper.

[@RainyJan309]

Im currently reading a published mothers journal about her 28 year old sons diagnosis with AIDS until his death in the 1980s when so little was known. As I read their true story, I cant help but almost become angry that AIDS has fallen from public attention. It seems like we gave up on a cure and moved along to something easier. These people deserve a second chance a life. What a horrible horrible way to die. I wish there was more talk and more action regarding AIDS. This is simply horrific.

[@Dpurple28]

Can you please tell me what book your reading?

[@SoulShines4Music]

Alex Anderson - Are you stupid or just plain ignorant?? AIDS doesn't discriminate and can be contracted by anyone, not just gay people & intravenous drug users. Do everyone on this thread a favor and get lost.

[@alexanderson1193]

Am I supposed to answer that or it that a rhetorical question? Youre right AIDS doesnt discriminate its a progression of the HIV virus which you get if youre a homosexual having unprotected sex with a carrier, a junkie sharing needles with a carrier or a baby whose parents are either one or both of the above mentioned.

[@magicMike757]

And there is a promising HIV vaccine. www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/health-44738642

[@charisselinnell-morton2193]

Jan Lamb After you read that .There is a scientific study that is on the official first documented case of AIDS in New York. It’s a teenage male who stumped all of the physicians who tried to diagnose his medical condition.All of his organs were prescribed and kept due to the complete bizarre nature of this single case. It’s been featured on an episode of Dr.G and other health investigation programs. It’s so interesting as it demonstrates that HIV/AIDS was active in the late 50s in this young teenage male. I wish we could have more information through his family and friends.

[@A1B2C3D46919]

I think the photo was beautiful, honestly made me cry! David Kirby was amazing for being so brave and trying to raise awareness in such a dark time, yet our society wasn’t ready for the ugly truth of what AIDS was doing at this time

[@musiq680]

My uncle passed 10/29/90 as a result of AIDS. 30 years ago this month. This picture really hits home for me in many ways and brings back sad memories. 6 years later his partner would pass the same way. It’s fantastic that modern medicine has advanced and people are now able to lead healthy long lives with HIV, but it’s such a shame so many had to suffer first. I strongly believe AZT contributed to a faster decline in health. I sure wish there were better meds during this area...lots of loved ones may still be with us

[@m.f.richardson1602]

My cousin died from AIDES. He was white, rich and we'll known in the community. They said he died from leukemia.

[@just2vicious466]

Yup my cousin died from aids as well back in 92 she was 27 years old and my aunt still tells people she died from kidney failure she stuck to that story till the day she died..mind you my cousin told my mom what she was dying from when she went to go visit her but my mom never said a word but everyone knew what it was

[@Peachy08]

I lost my favorite cousin to AIDS who was more than just a cousin. He was my best friend as a child and my confidant. I remember the last time I spoke to him. He told me how scared he was. He was only 40 years old.

[@sharronhogan523]

My brother Michael died from AIDS the person who gave it to him infected 225 people without telling anyone i didn't hate him i even named my youngest daughter michalle (the female version of michael) he died on me once i gave him a very hard heart punch my atlrm hurt for a week he passed away two years later i will always love my brother Michael he passed away 29 years ago a day after my oldest daughters birthday on October 14

[@mrmoseby8075]

My uncle died of AIDS in the middle of the 80s. By the end he was completely delirious. I remember him smoking an imaginary cigar and handing it to my father, who would just play along and pretend to smoke it as well. He went on so many adventures and I still have most of his souvenirs and keepsakes around my home. Such a great guy. This disease is ruthless.

[@seriamendito7384]

That Picture Breaks My Heart.......But What a Brave Family.....God Bless Them

[@lisasangria1086]

I think my aunt (one of my favorites) died of AIDS years ago. I remember she had drug problems and was a prostitute. She had lost all her teeth and she was only like 45. She used to call me peaches & cream. She was admitted to the hospital bc they said she could not stop hiccuping. They put her in a coma and a month later, she was gone. I asked my mother what really happened but really did not get an answer. I love and miss you Aunt Charlotte!!

[@hannahstahl1857]

They’ve came a long long way in AIDS research. They now have it to where it can become untraceable and you can not pass it onto your partner. That was thought as impossible back then. I’m proud of the funding that goes into disease and drug research because we get results like this and a lot less death and fear like back then.

[@thecajunphoenix]

Undetectable makes it harder for an HIV-infected person to infect his/her/their partner through unprotected sex, though I still stand by the use condoms mantra because HIV itself doesn't care if the infected is at undetectable status or not.

[@7CreativeHandsDIY]

My sister told my mom the last word before she died, she said "Mom I am in much pain let me go" that was 1993, after saying the words she slept never to wake up.

[@jacquelineholts4801]

RIP David....you are still relevant in 2020🖤🖤

[@veronicaferguson8548]

As a young woman, when I heard about AIDS I was fearful.I changed my behavior about "relationships".It wasn't until someone I loved was diagnosed that I educated myself. Now I speak about it to whom ever will listen,and some who don't.Although there has been many positives in the fight,we still have a long way to go.There is still stigma and shame.It makes me sad and angry.

[@elainedixon1954]

I know all to well about AIDS, my sister in 97 was diagnosed with it. I was devastated over it, didn't know much about it, did all my research. I sat with her we hugged, I kissed her on the cheek. How AIDS was so misunderstood and it scared people. My daughter stayed with my mom and she'd wake up to her sleeping with her. My sister passed away at my mom's house with family surrounding her. Don't let fear or disgust take you away from love ones

[@scorpleeon]

His parents were loving and brave.

[@EsKaYf4]

I'm a Registered Nurse working in Palliative Care and I think this photograph is absolutely beautiful.

[@boundariessetinstone5893]

I watched my dad die from AIDS in 1997. I watched it from the beggining to end I was 17 and 18 when he died.

[@davidbeach5563]

I was living in Columbus Ohio where that photo was taken at the time. I would have been really young I was 18 in 1987 and had just started going out to the gay bars and found other people like me for the first time. One of the first people I met became a close friend of mine, he became my best friend, he committed suicide at the age of 21 because he had contracted AIDS and was starting to get sick, I still wonder what would have become of our friendship to this day and I miss him very much and it's been almost 40 years. Why I managed to come out of that horrible time HIV negative when so many others died, I'll never know.

[@carmenmarie5975]

A beautiful, heart wrenching photo of unconditional love.

[@KiwiHobbitful]

Love and compassion.

[@eduardofagundes4793]

May David be in peace and in no pain. He will never be forgotten ❤

[@SweetasSugar42]

Have always loved Benetton, there's always been a feeling of solid individuality in their brand. Wish we still had advertisements like these, genuinely outspoken and not just to benefit from.

[@ashm1174]

Dave Kirby is a real inspiration to allow everyone to see such a personal moment to bring the world together ❤

[@lifeisastruggle5517]

that photo is so damn powerful it shows a loving and caring parents and that is what makes it so powerful. R.I.P David 🙏

[@user-if4df7lk1z]

That add was powerful because it brought the pain of HIV into your living room. It showed how people suffered and is still painful today.

[@ahill4642]

God bless the souls of every single victim of AIDS. ❤️ I’m so sad you had to suffer.

[@helgalelie1280]

This father is saying goodbye to his son, such a presious moment!

[@RebelBuddha1971]

My heart is breaking all over again. 💔💔💔 May these wonderful men (and women) taken so tragically soon remain resting in peace.

[@still_fatmatic]

Dad holding him face to face without a care in the world that he could possibly have gotten the virus with the little known information back then. Obviously I know he couldn’t, but with the hospital burning the ambulance he came in, puts into perspective how scared everyone was about it, but this dad showed he had nothing but love for his son no matter what. he didn’t care if he could have gotten sick, he was there for his son.

[@Montrosesister12]

I was a very young man growing up in a straight environment . I couldn’t wait to get to the geiborhood and live my life out! When I got there at 18 I noticed all of these people were fine one week and dead the next. It was shocking. My first apartment at 18 my first adult friends. My apartment complex was only 20 units big with a small pool in the center of it. We had parties, barbecues, movie nights it was a blast! But those were short lived because the next week someone would die. 😭. I wished I could tell my story in a book. Clearly I have no idea how to tell a story but I have so many incredible stories to tell of the aids crisis back from the eighties. Extremely traumatized here. .......so many stories.

[@zd3444]

Hi, if you’d like to share your experiences with me, I’m available

[@Montrosesister12]

@@zd3444 hi

[@zd3444]

@@Montrosesister12 where would you like to share your stories?

[@Montrosesister12]

@@zd3444 I haven't but I'd like to

[@Montrosesister12]

@@zd3444 where are you ? What city?

[@johngolden891]

That image of David and his Father does indeed appear as a 20th Century pieta -- a parent's unconditional love for a son at death's door after a horrific suffering.

[@pamweese4724]

My brother passed away from AIDS in 1998 just before his 30th birthday. I will never get over it, ever.

[@mikledeepikle-4033]

Ignoring all of the horrible, sad aids things, this is a perfectly composed photo, and the composition really helps to evoke emotion, she is a really good photographer.

[@Mninoyb]

You know what I like to hear? "People living with AIDS" and not "People dying of AIDS". Thank you for that😘

[@krissy7342]

4:48 Such a powerful imagery... R.I.P. all victims of AIDS, both the patients & the family/friends. 🎗❤️

[@rdred8693]

People don't realize how bad it was. I visited our friend with AIDS and we were fully gowned up. Poor Brent, rip

[@juliefitzsimons3882]

This was the picture. Every time I see it it makes me think that there were so many people who died of AIDS with no family around, people afraid to hug them or touch them, etc and here was a family that knew their child was dying of such a horrible disease and all they could do was hold him. I see love in this picture. I see pain. I feel anger that the government did nothing for people who were infected and dying. To many had to die. But this picture makes the pain and sadness real. I'm glad David had his family with him when he passed.

[@sarasotelo2540]

My favorite Uncle passed of AIDS in 1989. It was horrible to watch him in the different stages of suffering but, he always stayed humble. Benetton and so many others were fantastic when it came to helping people with AIDS!!

[@paulg6527]

I have a friend who is in his late 50s, gay and he would tell me stories of watching and hearing about all his friends dying from AIDS. He became a recluse in the dating scene because he was so scared of catching the disease. He lived that way for years and it wasn't the early 2000s when the disease became "under control," people were more educated and knowledgeable about the disease that he felt comfortable to start dating again. Fast forward to today, with medications like PREP and PEP, he is saddened that people have become almost unconscious about not getting HIV because they have drugs to "prevent" the transfer of the disease from happening.

[@rhino79]

It's such a powerful photo partly because it reverses the traditional and expected scene of a stoic, distant father and emotionally bereft mother. Instead, it shows a grief-stricken father expressing tenderness and love for his son. It's rare that men are shown in such a raw, vulnerable state.

[@riverice7]

I remember that it changed my view, the father saying goodbye to his son. His son, not a gay guy, with risky lifestyle, but his son.

[@rubinsmyers1400]

I think the fact that they got permission to use this photo makes a big difference. It's not as if Benetton just warped someone's personal narrative to reap a profit, this is exactly what David Kirby wanted these photos to do. He wanted his suffering and death to mean something and make an impact and Benetton had the kind of platform to reach people that no individual person had.

[@nina1891]

Some of the comments gave me a headache. Great video though

[@devotionbybeachhouse]

@@M60gunner1971 i always think about how advance civilization would be if people would stopped praising a god that didnt exist. only created by abraham to put sense to the good in the world. by thinking the world is controlled by a big man in the sky, and not by human intentions and science, is ignorant. you dont even have any proof of a god, except for the superiority you feel and the warm feelings you get singing church hymns. the truth isnt a fucking book, its the world.

[@maureenjones5808]

I never saw this picture before….but during that time so many people with aids died alone and this picture of a grieving father the pain in his face…he was there with his son when so many were alone….I don’t think that people who didn’t live through that period can fully grasp how awful it was

[@kangtavenus1236]

Salute to all those who fought for this . Today you are well informed atleast because of them .

[@carolynsaunders2747]

I lost my brother in 1992 to AIDS and he was also incarcerated because he had AIDS I also got a help get a law pass for terminally ill inmates to be released from prison in NYC

[@mrgreatbritain]

What an incredible photo, I had never seen this up until now but it speaks a thousand words, as did Princess Diana when she so openly embraced others suffering with AIDS

[@Newwaytoofeelthepain]

This breaks my heart 😕😢 I wish I could’ve helped David and give him the love he needed ❤️

[@bredajbergin8387]

Like so many other people , David was a son , brother , partner . It's a heart breaking picture. Incredibly moving. How could you not be moved . 😟

[@suzannejenkins3896]

I remember the first time I saw this photo...it broke my heart then... it continues to show the devastation caused by Aids...hold your loved ones close...

[@brendakite6611]

You want to talk about the most terrifying death I've ever seen, a dying veteran on the hospice unit at the hospital I work at. Full blown AIDS has no mercy!

[@stitchedtogether88]

this made me cry. RIP david and to the Kirby family I think you made the right decisions.

[@MiracleFound]

I remember this so clearly. It was at the beginning of my nursing career. Early on we knew so little. What I knew was that the people with AIDS were people just like everyone else. It was so devastating and we lost so many wonderful human beings. I will always remember their names and their faces.

[@greggeorge3638]

When I first saw the photo as part of an ad campaign, I was put off by the juxtaposition of sorrow and sales, but I've come to see it as powerful document for change. I love it now. And love that Benetton had the guts to show it.

[@nzrockboi]

Good art triggers many different reactions and very strong reactions. I had one with this photo a very emotional one

[@mcewenca]

There’s so many important messages in that picture at a time when when we didn’t know what we know now and we were reacting to fear. Showing a family loving and supporting their son in his last moments of life was so important because so many people were shunned by their families when they needed them the most. Many died alone. A father loving on his son, not afraid to touch him and be close to him because he knows that his job right at that moment was to be a loving parent to his child. Such a powerful message at a time when we were afraid to breath the same air as people with AIDS. The young man who is in the prime of his life, who should be as healthy as a horse and living a productive life, emaciated and dying from a disease we didn’t understand. I don’t care who got this message out there, it needed to be seen and talked about at the time. It was images like this one that helped bring us to the awareness and understanding of HIV/AIDS that we now have.

[@Thetruth-hr6rt]

I'm glad they showed that. People needed to see that. People today still need to see it. Our youth act as if HIV/AIDS don't exist.

[@lynetteallpress8079]

The emotion in this photograph is heart breaking and that was the aim of the ad, to make people look inward to their own humanity. It is a beautiful picture of life, death and love. It helped the world to face aids head on and achieved a result. It was designed to shock and it did.

[@lauriekrebs4522]

This is a brilliant piece, the parallels it draws with our current society are remarkable.

[@bigverybadtom]

I remember in my former junior high school there was someone who got AIDS and they refused to reveal who it was. It turned out to be the band teacher.