1981
May 10 Dr. Lawrence Mass writes the first report about the illness that would become known as AIDS for the New York Native.
July 3 The New York Times publishes its first piece on the epidemic: “Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals.”
August 11 Novelist and playwright Larry Kramer hosts a meeting of 80 men to discuss the epidemic and the need for research funding. The group raises $6,635.
Late 1981 The media starts using the term GRID (Gay-Related Immune Deficiency) to describe the illness, mistakenly linking the virus to homosexuality.
1982
January Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) is founded by Larry Kramer, Dr. Lawrence Mass, Nathan Fain, and others, becoming the first community-based AIDS service organization in the world.
September 24 The CDC coins the term “AIDS” (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), defining it as a disease at least somewhat predictive of a defect in cell-mediated immunity and identifying four risk groups: gay men, intravenous drug users, Haitians, and hemophiliacs.
1983
March The CDC warns that blood and sexual contact are the main transmission routes.
March 14 Larry Kramer publishes the essay “1,121 and Counting” in the New York Native, criticizing government and community apathy regarding AIDS and calling for immediate action.
April The AIDS Medical Foundation (AMF) is founded by Dr. Mathilde Krim, Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, Michael Callen, and others in New York City, becoming the first private organization dedicated to funding scientific and medical research on AIDS.
June The first AIDS candlelight vigil is held in New York City.
1984
St. Vincent’s Hospital’s AIDS ward on the 7th floor becomes a crucial care facility.
June GMHC publishes its “Healthy Sex is Great Sex” guidelines.
October 21 New York City Health Commissioner Dr. David Sencer reports that while cases still mostly affect gay men (61%), there is an increasing percentage of intravenous drug users (25%) contracting the virus, further dispelling myths that AIDS was a “gay disease.”
1985
The Division of AIDS Services (DAS) is established in the city by Human Resources Administration (HRA) to provide services, including case management.
The Minority Task Force on AIDS is established in the city to serve individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS and advocate for the needs of people of color.
October The state and city close bathhouses, citing them as spaces that allow “dangerous sex” and facilitate the spread of AIDS.
October The death of actor and Hollywood celebrity Rock Hudson from AIDS forces the mainstream media to cover the epidemic and accelerates funding for medical research.
1986
The AIDS Center of Queens County (ACQC) is founded, becoming the largest provider of HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and advocacy services in the borough.
The Brooklyn AIDS Task Force is established to become the first HIV/AIDS organization in Brooklyn. It is created to provide HIV/AIDS prevention, education, and services.
May 18 GMHC holds the first AIDS Walk, with more than 4,500 people raising $710,000 to support their services.
October 22 U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop releases his “Surgeon General’s Report on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome,” calling for a nationwide education campaign, an increase in use of condoms, and voluntary testing. The report emphasizes that HIV cannot be spread casually, addressing a widespread misconception.
1987
Debra Fraser-Howze, Director of Teenage Services at the Urban League of New York, establishes the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS to educate, mobilize, and empower Black leaders to fight HIV/AIDS and other disparities in their communities.
March 12 After a fiery speech by Larry Kramer at the LGBT Center, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) is formed as a non-partisan, leaderless, direct-action group to pressure drug companies, government agencies, and other institutions to establish better treatments for people with AIDS.
March 19 AZT (zidovudine) is approved in record time, becoming the first anti-HIV drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration. AZT becomes the most expensive drug in history at $10,000 for a one-year supply.
March 24 ACT UP’s first protest is a march of action and civil disobedience on Wall Street to protest the high cost of drugs, especially AZT, and the slow government approval process.
1988
The New York AIDS Coalition (NYAC), an alliance of community-based service providers, is established to work for increased funding and better services for people living with HIV/AIDS in the city and state.
August AIDS cases among injecting drug users exceed those of gay and bisexual men for the first time in the city, affecting the South Bronx and Harlem in particular.
August 5 Upper Room AIDS Ministry, now Harlem United, is established by community leaders and activists in a church basement in Harlem to offer care, compassion, and services to communities of color in upper Manhattan.
November 7 The City’s Health Department under the leadership of Dr. Stephen Joseph begins an experimental needle exchange program despite intense opposition from law enforcement officials and leaders in communities of color.
1989
March 28 More than 3,000 protesters demonstrate against Mayor Ed Koch’s AIDS policies, demanding more housing for homeless people with AIDS and better care at city’s hospitals.
September 14 ACT UP members infiltrate the New York Stock Exchange and drop fake $100 bills onto the trading floor to protest the high cost of AZT.
December 10 More than 5,000 activists participate in the “Stop the Church” protest at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, organized by ACT UP and WHAM! (Women’s Health Action and Mobilization), targeting Cardinal John O’Connor for the church’s opposition to condom distribution and safe sex education in public schools. Dozens enter the church and stage a “die-in” during Mass, and 111 people are arrested.
1990
Under Mayor David Dinkins, New York City increases the budget for AIDS services, though activists continue to protest inadequate housing and support systems for homeless people with AIDS.
Housing Works is established by members of ACT UP, including Charles King, Keith Cylar, Eric Sawyer, and Virginia Shubert, to provide housing, healthcare, and advocacy for homeless and low-income New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS.
August 18 Congress enacts the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, providing $220.5 million in federal funds for community-based care and treatment. It becomes the largest HIV federal grant program in the country.
November Deborah Glick becomes the first openly gay person elected to the New York State Assembly, representing a district in lower Manhattan. She becomes a crucial supporter of AIDS services in the state legislature.
1991
January ACT UP protests at Grand Central Station and CBS Evening News to bring attention to AIDS deaths as the nation focuses on the Gulf War, using the slogan “Money for AIDS, Not for War.”
October 28 Congress enacts the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) Act, focusing on the housing needs of people living with HIV/AIDS.
November 5 Tom Duane and Antonio Pagán are the first openly gay men elected to New York City Council. Duane, an ACT UP member, is also the first openly HIV-positive elected official in the city and becomes a champion of AIDS services in City Council.
November 7 Basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson announces that he is HIV-positive and is retiring from the Los Angeles Lakers. His disclosure helps fight against stigma and shifts the public perception that HIV only affects marginalized groups.
1992
Clinical trials for combination antiretroviral therapy begin, using two drugs instead of one. Data shows that combining AZT with newer drugs like zalcitabine is more effective than monotherapy at slowing the progression of AIDS.
April Ronald Johnson becomes the city’s first official Citywide Coordinator for AIDS Policy, appointed by Mayor David Dinkins.
July During the Democratic National Convention in Manhattan, thousands of activists protest the lack of action on AIDS, holding rallies in Times Square.
July 22 Artist David Wojnarowicz dies of AIDS-related complications in his home in Manhattan at the age of 37.
1993
February 6 Former Tennis star Arthur Ashe dies of AIDS-related complications. He is believed to have acquired HIV from a blood transfusion during heart bypass surgery in 1983.
Clinical data shows that many AIDS patients are developing resistance to AZT after long-term use, emphasizing the need for new kinds of drugs and combination therapies.
President Bill Clinton establishes the White House Office of National AIDS Policy to coordinate the federal response.
Tony Kushner’s play about AIDS, Angels in America, wins the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
1994
The CDC announces that AIDS has become the leading cause of death for all Americans ages 25 to 44.
March 22 ACT UP and Housing Works protest Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s proposed budget cuts to the Department of AIDS Services in a 1,000 person march from Brooklyn to City Hall.
June During the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, activists organize a separate march up Fifth Avenue to protest the official committee’s failure to make AIDS the main focus of the commemoration.
1995
ACT UP continues to protest the Giuliani’s administration threat to cut AIDS services, staging demonstrations at City Hall.
Rivington House on the Lower East Side reopens as a 219-bed nursing home for people living with AIDS.
October 5 Hip-hop and R&B acts, including the Wu-Tang Clan, Notorious B.I.G., Salt-n-Pepa, and Mary J. Blige perform at Madison Square Garden to raise money for AIDS research.
December 6 The FDA approves Invirase, the first protease inhibitor. This new class of drugs, when used in combination with older medications like AZT, marks the emergence of the era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART), transforming AIDS from a mostly fatal diagnosis to a manageable chronic condition. The drug is approved in just 97 days, the fastest in FDA history.
1996
Following the approval of protease inhibitors, the city begins to see a steady drop in AIDS deaths, from more than 19 a day in 1995 to about 10 a day by the end of 1996.
Manhattan becomes a key site for analyzing the effects of new treatments. Dr. David Ho presents data illustrating a major reduction in viral load among patients using the new combinations.
The Lancet publishes a four-year study of New York City syringe exchange programs, providing evidence that these programs reduce HIV transmission by two-thirds without increasing drug use. The study offers definitive scientific evidence to support harm reduction.
June ACT UP and Housing Works occupy the office of New York State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno to protest cuts to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). The demonstrations lead to seven arrests but also successfully restore funding.