St. Mark's and AIDS Ministry - a History and Call to Action
Posted on by Karen Hardison
From Karen Hardison, Chair, Worship Team
Since our Sunday worship has moved to the fellowship hall, you may have noticed the two banners hanging to the right of the stage which commemorate two AIDS Rides that were undertaken and supported by St. Mark’s. As Sunday December 1, 2024 is the 36th annual World AIDS Day, this seems like an appropriate time to take a moment and reflect upon the first worldwide pandemic many of us recall, the role St. Mark’s has played, and where we might go from here.
We lived in a rather different world in the 1980’s…no gay characters on TV, no one openly serving in the military, no legal protections for gay folk, and certainly no marriage equality. When alarming numbers of gay men began experiencing unexpected and lethal illnesses, first in the large coastal cities, and soon everywhere, no one knew what was causing such sickness. The outbreak of illness was rapidly followed by an outbreak of fear and even hatred in the population at large. Some families turned their backs on their sons, gay men lost their jobs, their housing, even their health insurance, in the wake of the hysteria. When folks needed medical attention, they were often turned away and when they died, it was difficult to impossible to find a funeral home to take the body or a house of worship to conduct a service. It would be fair to say that what came to be called AIDS brought out the very worst in a good portion of our society.
But that’s not the whole story, because even as many families and society were gripped by fear and even bigotry, others rose to the occasion. First, it was predominantly gay men who stepped up; who cared for the sick, brought meals, raised money, bathed the wounds, sat bedside vigils, and buried the dead. Before long, others in the community stood beside them. The LGBTQ community did not wait for others to decide that these lives mattered. They showed the world what was possible when everyday folks truly acted heroically, making herculean efforts to support those living with, and dying with, AIDS.
And you’ll be pleased to know that St. Mark’s came forward and our people did their part too. You may know that many, many, funerals were held from St. Mark’s for gay men who died from AIDS related illnesses at a time when other churches would not do so. But that is not all that happened here. Folks from St. Mark’s were instrumental in the foundation of Richmond AIDS Ministry, one of the first AIDS Service Organizations in Richmond. People who were members here or would become members, were tireless in their service. They were nurses and social workers at the Infectious Disease Clinic at VCU; the Director of Client Services, the Chair of the Board, and numerous members of Care Teams at RAM; volunteers at the Richmond AIDS Information Network at Fan Free Clinic; and the Chair of the Central VA Chapter of The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. Personally, and professionally, we had folks who were committed to seeing that those who were sick, those who died, and those they left behind, were loved and cared for, day and night, throughout the darkest times of the pandemic. Their actions, their lives, truly bore witness to what it means to be Christ unto your neighbor.
In the mid 1990’s the world changed dramatically with the introduction of the so called “AIDS cocktail.” The combination of antiviral drugs had an immediate impact. People infected with HIV or who had AIDS no longer faced a certain death sentence. A lethal disease became a manageable condition. That did not mean the involvement of St. Mark’s folks ceased. Money needed to be raised… money to support those living with HIV/AIDS, money for research, money for activism…and thus the AIDS Rides were born. Muti-day, long rides, that required riders and crews to care for them; folks of every size, shape, color, identity, and orientation, rode all over the US, and St. Mark’s was there. Look at the photo on the board beside the door in the fellowship hall. You’ll recognize some of the folks from that ride who continue to be part of our church family. And then go take a look at the banners. Look at the smaller squares on the banners. Those squares, the ones with the names handwritten upon them, were each carried by a St. Mark’s rider as they peddled mile after mile, determined that not one of these folks be forgotten. Please look at the names and hold each one and each rider in your heart and in your prayers.
And as WORLD AIDS Day approaches on December 1, 2024, please remember not only these folks and the faithful service of the people of St. Mark’s but lift up the 32 million who have died worldwide and the estimated 40 million (the majority of whom are women & girls), who live with HIV around the world today. We may hear less about HIV/AIDS than we did 30 years ago, but this pandemic is not over. Not all people have access to medication that makes transmission of the virus unlikely, nor to those medicines that allow for a high quality of life for those who have the virus. Support the work of our local free clinic, Health Brigade, as they continue to serve folks who are at considerable risk and lack the resources to access the support they need. And if you will, take a few minutes to write your members of the House and Senate in Washington, DC and let them know you are paying attention. Tell them that while it is a good thing that PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which was started by George W. Bush and has saved an estimated 25 million lives worldwide) was extended until March 2025, you expect them to work for full funding and a full five-year reauthorization. Tell them you still care, and you’ll be watching and praying. And having told them so, be sure you do indeed still care, and watch, and pray. St. Mark’s folks helped change a portion of our world once. Let’s extend our reach farther still and do so once again.
Karen
image of our AIDS Ride banners