On the death of Larry Kramer

Larry Kramer has died at the age of 84. He was an activist who spent his entire life fighting HIV/AIDS. Aids had committed himself. For many, he was (and still is) considered an important guiding figure and ray of hope. He had no problem being outspoken, was sometimes uncomfortable and always had his goal in mind.

If you were looking for someone to talk to who always shared your counterpart's opinion, you had to look for someone else. Larry Kramer was an icon. For him, those responsible for the HIV or AIDS pandemic, which of course also spread across the USA, were certain.

He blamed the mayor of New York at the time, Reagan, and the editor-in-chief of the "New York Times" for the fact that many people fell ill and died. Another very special trait of the activist, however, was to dare to think outside the box. In order to clarify grievances, he also investigated the conditions within his own ranks.

Larry Kramer was HIV positive,...

... but that didn't stop him from standing up for the community and questioning almost everything. The famous "good manners" sometimes fell by the wayside. But maybe this was also the reason why he always managed to inspire people for himself and his opinion. Maybe more people listened to him that way?

Certainly, deep emotions played an important role in his actions and demands. Kramer researched history. He looked into the role that gays had played in society up to that point. At the same time, he always kept an eye on the future. It almost seemed as if he wanted the coming generations to behave "better" or to fight more intensively for their rights.

The artist Larry Kramer

It would definitely be wrong to see Larry Kramer as "only" the activist who campaigned against AIDS and for gay rights. Because: he was also a gifted artist. He is one of those Americans who started their career at the elite university Yale and from here began their artistic triumphal procession.

Kramer realised himself both in the film business and as a writer. He wrote several novels and screenplays, always using his individual handwriting, which made his works unique.

Through a lot of empathy and sometimes unsparing honesty, Kramer managed to show outsiders again and again what the AIDS pandemic, exclusion and medical care did to a gay man. At the same time, he never lost the courage (and apparently never the motivation) to stand up for the weaker or for justice.

The network mourns

The news of Larry Kramer's death spread like wildfire on the internet. People all over the world expressed their condolences and left the works of a very special man of the Scene revive once again.

Larry Kramer not only managed to connect different generations, but also built bridges between gays and straights. He provided a common basis for conversation and discussion, which often helped to understand the other person a little better.

Let us hope that many of his messages and also his discomfort will continue to be present in the years to come.

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