Aids and Activism

About

Critic, writer and HIV+ activist Simon Watney has been one of the most vital and uncompromising voices to emerge from the AIDS crisis. In this rare public appearance, he reflects on the political, cultural and personal history of HIV/AIDS, and the enduring need for activism, accountability and remembrance.

Throughout the 1980s and '90s, Watney's writing cut through fear, denial and misinformation with clarity and urgency. He demanded action from governments, the media and the medical establishment, and helped shape a number of landmark queer and HIV organisations, including the Sussex Gay Liberation Front, Terrence Higgins Trust, OutRage, GMFA, NAM and Crusaid. He also remains closely involved with the AIDS Memorial project in London and the preservation of Derek Jarman's Dungeness home.

As part of the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt display at Charleston, this conversation offers a rare opportunity to hear from one of the most significant thinkers and organisers of the era. Watney will reflect on the historical and ongoing impact of the quilt, the difference between how the HIV epidemic has unfolded in the UK and the US, and what queer activism looks like today in the face of ongoing stigma and global inequality.

This event will be chaired by Dr Theo Gordon, queer art historian and critic.