“Don’t touch our plates or glasses, yours is in the cupboard. It’s blue and plastic, and it needs to go back in that cupboard away from the rest. It can’t go into the dishwasher either, so you need to wash it when you finish. Nobody else will because we don’t want your disease. If it’s not washed, it’ll go in the trash and you’ll not have anything to eat or drink from.”

Do those words sound harsh?

Unfortunately, one of our editors heard this from their own grandmother when they informed their family of their HIV+ status. You’d think in 2024, when we nearly have a cure for HIV, people would comprehend that HIV isn’t a death sentence – and if people maintain it correctly, it can’t be passed to others. However, more often than not, this isn’t the case.

The harsh reality of our world is simple to understand yet difficult to grasp and accept. Since it’s frowned upon to meet our counterparts with the same energy they often serve us with, we must be occult and aligned in our efforts.

How?

We’re delighted you’ve asked.

The best way to ensure our community continues to thrive is by learning about our culture, our history, our stories. And, since World AIDS Day 2024 is right around the corner, we thought – rather than spew the same information you’ve heard thousands of times (despite it being important), we’d like to recommend a curated list of reading materials.

For those of us who carry LGBTQIA+ history in our bones (and our bookshelves), World AIDS Day is a living archive for our community. As Audre Lorde reminded us, “My silences had not protected me. Your silence will not protect you.” So, let’s break our silence, yet again, with ten books that capture the complexity, courage, and continuing relevance of AIDS activism and history.

The Gateway Reads (That Pack More Punch Than You’d Expect)

You thought reading “Giovanni’s Room” made you a queer scholar?  

While we love that you’ve discovered Baldwin, let’s expand that bookshelf beyond what you found on that “Essential Gay Reads” listicle your straight roommate shared on Instagram.

Pour yourself something stronger than an iced coffee and settle in – these first few books are your gateway drug to understanding just how deep our rabbit hole goes.

1. It Was Vulgar, and It Was Beautiful by Jack Lowery

Remember when everyone thought activism couldn’t be aesthetic? Lowery’s exploration of Gran Fury shows how wrong they were. Through the lens of ACT UP’s artistic arm, we see how a group of furious creatives transformed public health messaging from sterile pamphlets to searing cultural critique. Think of it as your introduction to the art of resistance (and yes, that pun was absolutely intended).

2. Love Your Asian Body by Eric C. Wat

Don’t let the provocative title fool you – this is a masterclass in intersectional analysis disguised as community history. Wat’s exploration of Los Angeles AIDS activism reveals how Asian American organizers created networks of care that transcended traditional cultural boundaries. It’s the kind of book that makes you realize how much of our history has been whitewashed (and how much richer it is in full color).

The Deep Dives (For When You’re Ready to Get Serious)

So, your desire to learn is growing faster than your sphincter? 

What a shame… 

Time to level up from those Instagram infographics about queer history. (Yes, even the ones with the cute illustrations.)

You didn’t really think anyone in our community made those, right?

3. Between Certain Death and a Possible Future: edited by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore

This collection hits different. It speaks to those of us who came of age in that liminal space between crisis and management when desire and death were still dancing partners. Sycamore has assembled voices that capture the intergenerational trauma of AIDS in ways that will have you highlighting passages and texting quotes to your queer theory reading group at 2 AM.

4. Womanist AIDS Activism by Angelique Harris and Omar Mushtaq

For those who thought Black women’s AIDS activism began and ended with their supportive roles in white gay men’s organizations – it’s time to check yourself. Harris and Mushtaq deploy womanist theory to examine how spirituality, identity, and community intersect in Black women’s AIDS advocacy work. The theoretical framework is as sophisticated as the analysis is necessary.

The Heavy-Hitters (Because Theory Matters)

RuPaul is huge in our community and for a good reason. He has paved the way for many to shine and be who they are. He effectively brought our community into the mainstream, for the good and bad. 

On the one hand – it’s nice to see so many people accepting us and getting involved. 

Contrastingly… we now need to allow Karen to feel included when she tells us that our current form of Polari is uncalled for and inappropriate.

5. Let the Record Show by Sarah Schulman

Schulman’s comprehensive political history of ACT UP New York is the kind of text that makes other AIDS histories look like CliffsNotes. Based on over 200 interviews conducted over two decades, it’s a masterwork of oral history methodology that refuses to simplify complex political realities. When someone asks why we need another book about AIDS activism, hand them this 736-page reminder that we’ve barely scratched the surface on what we really need.

6. AIDS and the Distribution of Crises, edited by Jih-Fei Cheng, Alexandra Juhasz, and Nishant Shahani

If you’ve been seeking an intersectional analysis of AIDS that doesn’t shy away from critiquing global capitalism (and really, who hasn’t?), this collection delivers. The editors bring together scholars, activists, and artists to examine how neoliberal logic structures both the experience and representation of AIDS. It’s the kind of book that makes you rethink everything you thought you knew about crisis theory.

The Global Perspective (Because Pandemic Means Worldwide)

Some of the comments we hear truly want to make us pull a Van Gogh. 

Our community is a minority worldwide – regardless of:

• Race
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Nationality
• Political Affiliation

Here are some books to help you understand that a bit better – they’ll definitely help you see our perspective as if looking through new spectacles. 

7. Ending AIDS by Tony Sandset

Sandset’s analysis of the shift from crisis rhetoric to “ending AIDS” discourse is as timely as it is theoretically rigorous. Through a Foucauldian lens, he examines how responsibility is framed in contemporary HIV prevention, challenging us to consider whose voices are centered in the push to “end AIDS” and whose are pushed to the margins.

8. To Make the Wounded Whole by Dan Royles

Royles’ examination of African American AIDS activism challenges the whitewashed narrative of the epidemic with methodological precision and theoretical sophistication. His analysis of how Black communities mobilized against both the virus and structural racism offers lessons that resonate far beyond the specific context of HIV/AIDS.

The Contemporary Interventions (Because This Isn’t Over)

Last but definitely not least – here are books that exemplify, through albeit heartbreaking realities, the necessity for ongoing research and unity surrounding HIV and AIDS.

9. Forget Burial by Marty Fink

A Lambda Literary Award finalist, Fink’s analysis of HIV kinship and disability justice frameworks is required reading for understanding how early AIDS caregiving networks inform contemporary queer and trans organizing. It’s the kind of book that reminds us why theory matters for practical politics.

10. How AIDS Activists Challenged America by James Driscoll

Driscoll’s insider account of AIDS activists’ battle with the FDA offers a masterclass on how grassroots movements can transform bureaucratic institutions. His analysis of the accelerated drug approval process has implications far beyond AIDS activism (hello, COVID-19 vaccine development).

Why These Matter Now

As Harvey Milk reminded us, “If you help elect more gay people, that gives a green light to all who feel disenfranchised.” 

These texts do something similar – they permit us to see our history as worthy of serious study, our activism as worthy of theoretical analysis, and our lives as worthy of documentation.

In an era when some would have us believe that AIDS is “over” (like Christianity, right?), these books remind us that the epidemic was never just about a virus – it was about… 

Power…

The ultimate decision of who lives and who dies…

Restricting whose stories get told and whose gets buried…

Subjugating the “faggots”… (in case that wasn’t apparent through our examples)

As we mark another World AIDS Day, let’s remember that understanding our history isn’t just academic – it’s survival.

And in a world where Andrew Tate is considered an “Alpha Male” – well…

We really think our chances are nothing shy of 100%.

What do you think?

We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.