KQED is a proud member of
Save ArticleSave Article
upper waypoint
The Bay

The Story Behind the National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco

Ericka Cruz GuevarraMaria EsquincaAlan MontecilloAmanda Stupi
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
California Housing Is Even Less Affordable Than You Think, UC Berkeley Study SaysCalifornia PUC Considers New Fixed Charge for ElectricityWill the U.S. Really Ban TikTok?Pro-Palestinian Protests on California College Campuses: What Are Students Demanding?Gaza War Ceasefire Talks Continue as Israel Threatens Rafah InvasionKnow Your Rights: California Protesters' Legal Standing Under the First AmendmentTunnels Under San Francisco? Inside the Dark, Dangerous World of the SewersUC’s President had a Plan to De-Escalate Protests. How did a Night of Violence Happen at UCLA?California Forever Shells out $2M in Campaign to Build City from ScratchOakland’s Leila Mottley on Her Debut Collection of Poetry ‘woke up no light’