upper waypoint

The Story Behind the National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco

Save ArticleSave Article
Failed to save article

Please try again

A group of about fifty people stand in a circle holding hands in a brightly lit grassy area.
Every volunteer work day at the AIDS Memorial Grove ends with a healing circle where participants link hands and say the names of loved ones lost to AIDS. (Courtesy National AIDS Memorial)

The National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park is the nation’s first and only federally designated memorial of those who have died of AIDS (though ironically, it doesn’t receive federal funding.) The folks behind it say its existence is not just about remembering those who’ve died, but also the activism of the queer community who stepped up when the government wouldn’t. 

This story is part of the Bay Curious series “A Very Curious Walking Tour of Golden Gate Park.” It originally aired on June 3, 2022.

Episode Transcript 


Sponsored

lower waypoint
next waypoint
9 California Counties Far From Universities Struggle to Recruit Teachers, Says ReportAlameda County District Attorney Challenges Recall Signature CountSFSU Pro-Palestinian Encampment Established as Students Rally for DivestmentThe Politics and Policy Around Newsom’s Vatican Climate Summit TripAs Border Debate Shifts Right, Sen. Alex Padilla Emerges as Persistent Counterforce for ImmigrantsCity Lights Chief Book Buyer Paul Yamazaki on a Half Century Spent “Reading the Room”Millions of Californians Face Internet Dilemma as Affordable Subsidy EndsCalifornia Partners with New Jersey Firm to Buy Generic Opioid Overdose Reversal DrugInside Mexico's Clandestine Drug Treatment CentersChristina’s Trip: 'I'll Take It'