Windy City Times Produces 9-month AIDS @ 30 Series

This year marks the 30th year of the first known cases of what would later be called AIDS. To mark this unfortunate milestone, Windy City Times newspaper will run a special 9-month series of articles, essays and photos.

From April through December, 2011, Windy City Times newspaper will have weekly features that will look back at the early days of the epidemic, including profiles of people lost to AIDS, activists, volunteers, service providers, and organizations which sprang up to respond to the crisis.

Windy City Times was founded in 1985, just as AIDS was escalating in Chicago and across the world. This series will pull from the archives of the newspaper, in addition to other Chicago publications produced by Publisher Tracy Baim: Outlines, BLACKlines, En La Vida and Nightspots. These archives include tens of thousands of photos and articles. In addition, a team of more than two dozen reporters will produce new articles about the current state of AIDS.

"Many young people today do not realize the impact the AIDS epidemic had on the LGBT community," said Baim. "We want to document that history, and give perspective to this disease, which has claimed millions of lives around the world. The AIDS epidemic is not over, even though new therapies have helped some people survive longer."

The AIDS Foundation of Chicago, a nationally recognized leader on AIDS issues, is the key editorial partner on this project. In addition, Windy City Times will work with other agencies and individuals to uncover some of the untold stories of this epidemic. This includes interviews with surviving partners and family members, and people who have lived with HIV for more than two decades.

"We are proud to partner on this important project," said David Munar, executive director of AFC. "Our agency was also founded in 1985, and we recognize how important it is to learn from the incredible history of this epidemic. There were so many heroes who stepped up to respond to HIV and AIDS, and so many people we lost. A generation of gay men was decimated, and we can never forget their contributions to our community."

The material from the series will be collected into a book in early 2012.

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