| Alison Gertz | |
|---|---|
| Born | Alison L. Gertz February 27, 1966 Manhattan, New York |
| Died | August 8, 1992 (aged 26) Manhattan, New York |
Alison Gertz (February 27, 1966 – August 8, 1992) was a prominent AIDS activist in the late 1980s and early 1990s, who died from AIDS related complications in 1992.
Gertz was first diagnosed with AIDS in 1988 and later found out that she had contracted HIV from her first sexual encounter in 1982. She became an AIDS activist, appearing on numerous television shows and also speaking with teenagers on the subject of safe sex.[1]
During Gertz' time as an activist, she was voted Woman of the Year by Esquire magazine, received the Secretary's Award for Excellence in Public Service from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and a film based on her life starring Molly Ringwald was released.[2]
Gertz died of complications arising from AIDS on August 8, 1992. She was 26 years old.[3]
Alison Gertz was referred to in the song "Life Support" from the rock opera RENT. At the beginning of the song, various members of the group say their names. Jonathan Larson used the names of his HIV-positive friends as the characters in this song. At the beginning of the song, the character who refers to herself as "Ali" was named after Gertz.
In 1989, Alison's foundation, Love Heals, along with Martin Himmel Health Foundation, hired Tony Schwartz to create public service announcements on AIDs awareness. The scripts and correspondence are housed at the Library of Congress in the Tony Schwartz Collection. [4]