Super Bowl: Remembering A Gay Super Bowl Star - Jerry Smith

 

 

 

In 1973, Washington Redskins tight end Jerry Smith help lead his team to Super Bowl VII. Smith who was in the closet was one of the best football players around. In his career he caught 421 passes and make 60 touchdowns. He had 5,496 yards receiving! Smith was named "All-Pro" twice and made a number of National Football League records.

Smith was a star player at Arizona State University where he was team captain in 1964. The football giant played for the Washington Redskins from 1965 to 1977. The football player is a member of Arizona State's "All Time" rooster and also in the Redskin Hall of Fame.

Most importantly, I had the opportunity to meet Smith a number of times and he was one of the most decent and kind individuals I have ever met. He was this masculine, massive and soft spoken football giant who struggled with his sexuality.

The handsome football star was 6'3" and 208lbs.

Smith kept his homosexuality a guarded secret although he had a relationship with David Kopay who was the first person to ever come out after playing for the National Football League.

In 1985, Smith at 43 years old was diagnosed with having HIV/AIDS. While never coming out of the closet about being gay he was open about having HIV/AIDS. In his final days the football giant weigh only 140lbs and was kept alive by intravenous feeding for the last four month of his life.

The Chicago Tribune wrote of Smith's last days:

``It took tremendous courage for Jerry to do what he did, [coming out about his HIV status]`` former teammate Brig Owens said, alluding to Smith`s public disclosure of his illness. ``But that`s Jerry. He was a team guy right to the end.``

Owens was Smith`s training camp roommate for 12 seasons. When Smith retired in 1977, he said: ``Of all the good things football has done for me, one of the best is my relationship with Brig.`` They remained best friends over the years.

Owens visited Smith almost daily the last few months. He was at Smith`s bedside two weeks ago, along with the Rev. Tom Skinner, the Redskins` former team chaplain, when Smith said he had made his peace with the Lord.

``He told us not to feel bad for him,`` Skinner said. ``He said he had a great life and many wonderful friends. He said: `When my time comes, I want you to tell everyone that. I don`t want them to be sad.` ``

Jerry Smith died Oct. 15 in Holy Cross Hospital in suburban Washington. Skinner delivered the eulogy at the funeral service last week.

Jerry's football jersey number was 87. This Super Bowl weekend if you can find a jersey with 87 on it wear it in memory of one of our greatest gay sports figures and a damn decent man.

Art: Hugh Auchincloss Steers Very Erotic New Exhibition In New York City

 

 

Artist Hugh Steers died of AIDS in March, 1995 but has left a legacy of extraordinary art that captures the erotic passions of homosexuality and the era of HIV/AIDS. Steers was the half nephew of Jackie Kennedy and Gore Vidal. New York City's Alexander Gray Associates is hosting a new exhibition of his amazing work. The show will continue until February 16. The Gallery, which is located at 508 West 26th Street (212) 399-2636, writes in a press release about Steer's incredible art:

"Alexander Gray Associates is pleased to present its first solo exhibition of works by Hugh Steers, featuring paintings and works on paper produced from 1987–1993. Throughout his career, cut dramatically short by AIDS at the age of 32, Steers was celebrated for his allegorical painting that captured the emotional and political tenor of New York in the late 1980s and early 1990s, particularly the impact of Queer identity and the AIDS crisis.

Dedicated to figurative painting despite a hostile artistic climate, Steers deliberately experiments with the role of beauty, manipulating the medium to create palpable tension between visual appeal and raw content. Familiar interior spaces—the bathroom and the bedroom—provide the stage for Steers' complex narratives

Why The Oscar Nomination For "How To Survive A Plague" Is So Important

 

Over the years, we have had LGBT documentaries and film nominated for Oscars. Many have won and all have enriched the experience of not only LGBT Americans but our also our neighbors, families and friends. However, the nomination of "How To Survive The Plague" is of exceptional importance. Being nominated for "Best Documentary" ensures that tens of thousands of people who have not seen this remarkable story of our epic struggle for life and freedom in the HIV/AIDS epidemic will now see it.

One of the great tragedies of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980's to the mid-1990's is that so much of our history was lost. Often when a friend with AIDS died their family would arrive and remove any trace of their being gay. Papers were burned, death notices wouldn't mention cause of death, partners were banned from hospital rooms and services and they would simply vanish as a gay person. Years of our history was destroyed. Our story tellers for the next generation disappeared. Mentors to the next generation died before sharing their extraordinary journeys.

As the survivors of that generation quickly age, we run the risk of losing so much of our history. Each new person from that time that makes the transition takes with them so many stories, so much of our history and represents a great loss to future generations.

Without a history, without the stories of struggle and without knowledge of our past struggles, culture and journey, it will be harder for future generations to build upon the those journey's. Nor will they be able to protect all that is good about being an LGBT person including a history of courage, a marvelous cultural that is uniquely ours and amazing stories that could inspire millions in the future.

That is why the nomination of "How To Survive The Plague" is so important. This extraordinary film deserves an Oscar. Not only for its brilliant story telling or its excellence in film making but for helping to save our history and passing it on to our young. If you are an Academy member, please vote for this powerful achievement not only in film making but as a vehicle to tell the story of so many who no longer are here to share those stories.

Treatment Action Group (TAG) To Hold 20th Anniversary Event In New York City

 

 

Anyone who has had the honor of watching the film How To Survive A Plague will know of the extraordinary work of the Treatment Action Group (TAG) against HIV/AIDS. The group was formed twenty years ago out of the ACT UP actions and they have not let up for a second in their efforts to find a cure and vaccine.

Peter Staley and Joy Tomchin are the CoChairs of the celebration to be held December 9 (Sunday) at 6PM. They will be honoring Judith Light, Jon Cohen, Dr. Paul Farmer and Dr. Franoise Barre-Sinoussl. Hosting the evening will be NBC's Jenna Wolfe and Meredith Viera. The event will be held at 404 10th Ave (at 33rd) in New York City.

You can obtain tickets and more details by clicking here.

Hell's Kitchen Journal: The Meningitis Crisis and Early Days of AIDS

 

 

You would have to be hiding under a rock not to know about the recent outbreak of fungal meningitis across the country. Originating from tainted steroid shots, close to 200 people have suffered meningitis and at least two dozen people have died from this health crisis. Fortunately, it has been on all the front pages, saturation coverage on the media, the CDC is contacting all 14,000 persons who have received the shot and everyone, if they wish, knows exactly what to do.

How fortunate the users of this particular steroid that they have had such a quick and efficient response from the public health sector, the media and government. It has been impressive, knowledgeable and quick.

However, while this all have been taking place my mind drifted back to the early days of of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. At that time, the LGBT community was fending for itself with little media attention, no governmental action and an overstretch public health system unable to effectively disburse the message. For several years, the community was left floundering for information as our young friends died all around us. The government was missing in action and the best the media could do, if there were any media, was call it a 'gay' disease.

There was no sense of crisis similar to the meningitis outbreak or Legionnaires Disease or Toxic Shock Symptom Because it was viewed as a 'gay disease' everyone took a vacation and the epidemic rapidly spread throughout the country leaving thousands dead without warning. Many in government declared this was 'God's punishment' on us for being gay men and sat back with smug satisfaction.

Over the epidemic I lost slightly over 300 friends including some of the best friends in my life. Most died before their fortieth birthdays and all were talented, vital and wonderful men. I gave over 90 eulogies in a two to three year period for those young men. My entire existence from about 35 to 50 was consumed with death and dying while still fighting for our freedoms.

There is no question in my mind that if America had responded to HIV/AIDS like they have responded to the meningitis crisis that many of my friends would have been alive today. Because the media, government and social services failed us, tens of thousands died needlessly.

We should never forget. Never. Never.

History On Film: Rock Hudson Dies (September,1985)

 

 

In many ways, the death of Rock Hudson started the gradual movement of straight America into becoming more supportive of HIV/AIDS. It was certainly the turning point in the entertainment community. Just before he passed away, AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) had a huge dinner with a packed ballroom filled with celebrities because of the coverage surrounding Hudson's illness. . It was the organizations first million dollar event.

Rock Hudson was one of the 1950's and 1960's biggest movie stars. The 6'5" handsome star was also extremely popular in Hollywood. He had the reputation of being one of the nicest persons in the entertainment business. Hudson was a matinee idol for many women in the country while being closeted. Although many in the entertainment business knew of his personal life, very few of his fans were aware of his homosexuality until his diagnosis with AIDS.

In the 1970's he had one of the biggest hits on television for six years called "McMillan and Wife". He also in 1974 starred with Carol Burnett in Broadway's "I Do, I Do'. The actor was nominated for an Oscar for the movie "Giant" in 1956. Hudson also won four Golden Globe Awards.