The group started out in San Diego, launched by Barbara Vick and her partner, and held their first drive in 1983 at the San Diego blood bank. Almost 200 lesbians turned up to give blood, resulting in 130 donations, leading to a wave of blood drives across the United States hosted by lesbian and gay religious congregations.
There was a powerlessness everybody felt, but the lesbian community seemed immune to the disease. I don't want to say there was guilt, but you look at counterparts bearing this burden for no reason. At that time, women had less to give economically, but blood is such a basic thing.
Many politicians and broadcasters called the disease a 'gay plague', further perpetuating the stigma against the LGBTQ+ community.
One group of lesbians played a vital role in saving lives of countless people during the crisis by holding blood drives.
Collection
[
|
...
]