In this episode of The Other Streets of Philadelphia: The Early AIDS Crisis in the City of Brotherly Love, we examine the oral history of Anna Forbes, a feminist AIDS activist in Philadelphia, and call on a number of experts on AIDS history. In the early stages of the AIDS pandemic, women were generally excluded from all things AIDS-related: in medical studies, in activist efforts, in the ease of accessing services, and even in the definition of those AIDS affected. However, Anna Forbes and many other women were also expected to be the glue holding communities together in the wake of the pandemic by caretaking and educating. How did women fight to contribute in the ways they desired during the AIDS pandemic in Philadelphia despite facing various forms of exclusion?

Timecode guide:

Pre-Segment (0:00 - 4:04) : Zack and Violet dialogue tying Philadelphia to the theme of the podcast

Segment 1 (4:05 - 7:51) : Introduction with Anna’s poem, her hesitancy in entering HIV/AIDS work, and an ACT UP song

Segment 2 (7:52 - 11:27) : Anna and Planned Parenthood, early free clinics in the AIDS crisis, and Prevention Point

Segment 3 (11:28 - 18:26) : Re-defining HIV/AIDS definition for women with the voice of Dan Royles and women being seen as vessels and vectors

Segment 4 (18:27 - 25:07) : The toll of AIDS work and burnout and the other factors of power at play

Segment 5 (25:08 - 29:19) : Sex workers activism and conclusion

For Show Notes

For Transcript