Candlelight Vigil, Christopher Street, New York (c. 1988)

The event probably took place in May 1988. Candlelight vigils were a prominent part of both the mourning and political process in the early AIDS Crisis. The names of dead loved ones were written on the ballons and the balloons were ultimately let out into the air. This practice came into disfavor and was eventually discontinued when it became known that the balloons ended up in the ocean and were swallowed by sea turtles, thus killing them. The names of dead loved ones were often intoned during the vigil. 00:57- Ed Murphy (the bouncer at the Stonewall who re-invented himself as a Gay activist, not the comedian) 01:10- Arty Strickler 01:21- George Towne 02:02- Kiss ‘n’ Tell Tommy 02:12- Jamie Leo 04:47- Gerri Wells, Ilith Rosenblum 05:10- Sarah Schulman