Pioneering AIDS Activist Larry Kramer Has Died At Age 84

Author and pioneering AIDS activist Larry Kramer has died from pneumonia, at age 84. Kramer was the co-founder of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, an organisation that provided HIV/AIDS prevention, care and advocacy. After he was kicked out of the organisation, he helped found ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unlease Power) an organisation that performed demonstrations, die-ins, political funerals and speeches against government officials and religious leaders in order to “speed up” AIDS research and advocate for the LGBT+ community.

“Rest in power to our fighter Larry Kramer. Your rage helped inspire a movement. We will keep honoring your name and spirit with action," ACT UP NY tweeted after the news of his passing away.

In the early 80’s, when the then “little-understood disease” AIDS was killing hundreds of gay men, Larry Kramer published his essay “1,112 and Counting’, which helped turn the United State’s attention to the epidemic and respond in the way that it did.

“If this article doesn't rouse you to anger, fury, rage and action, gay men have no future on this earth,” Kramer wrote. “Unless we fight for our lives we shall die.”

Kramer’s close friend and literary executor William Schwalbe told ‘CNN’ about Kramer that “Larry made a huge contribution to our world as an activist but also as a writer. I believe that his plays and novels, from 'The Normal Heart' to 'The American People' will more than stand the test of time.”

‘The Normal Heart’ is Kramer’s semi-autobiographical play which helped bring the AIDS epidemic to the public eye focusing on the rise of AIDS in New York City. It was later adapted into a film.

Kramer was HIV positive himself and is known for his activism and many in the LGBT+ community praise him for leading the way to live proudly as gay.

“I met Larry Kramer when I was 18 or 19 & did a reading of his play The Destiny of Me,” actor Anthony Rapp from "Rent" tweeted. “Getting to converse with him & soak up some of his incredible energy was galvanizing, & was one of the main reasons I then chose to live my life as a publicly out actor at a time when few did.”

“God Bless You, Larry Kramer,” producer and author Andy Cohen tweeted. “Everyone in the LGBTQ community owes you a debt of gratitude.”

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