About The Queer Women's AIDS Activism Archive

The Queer Women's AIDS Activism Archive presents stories of queer women AIDS activists from The Washington Blade, DC's oldest queer newspaper, between the years 1981 and 1985. Queer women maintained complicated relationships to the AIDS crisis: some believed themselves immune to the supposed “men’s disease,” others resented the traditional caretaking roles assigned to them after the outbreak, and many feared that their contribution would go unreturned by gay men. 

Despite such concerns, queer women assumed leadership responsibilities during the crisis. As The Washington Blade broadcasts, queer women lobbied for AIDS funding, led public education initiatives, and joined gay and lesbian organizations aimed toward healthcare reform.  

Beyond traditional advocacy, the Queer Women's AIDS Activism Archive includes the Ray Engebretsen series written by Lisa Keen, an openly lesbian Blade journalist, who followed Ray from terminal diagnosis to death. Whether through their storytelling or political reform, queer women continued their legacy of community leadership during the AIDS epidemic, even as they lost fellow queer women and close friends to the disease.

Below are recently added archival items. Click here for the rest of the materials.