Family, friends, and fellow ACT UP members joined together at Henrietta Hudson on Feb. 24 to remember the life of Gerri Wells, an original member who died earlier in the month at the age of 70.
The event featured a slideshow and stories of memories with Wells, whose home served as a home base for family and friends, including individuals who attended the remembrance event. “Queer Beer” was provided by Henrietta Hudson.
During a 2007 interview with the ACT UP Oral History Project, Wells recalled being motivated to join ACT UP after her brother was ostracized in the hospital.
“And I went to visit him, and his tray was being left outside his room, at that point,” Wells said. “This is early ’80s. And a friend of mine and I was outraged about that. And a friend of mine, and I said, well, what do I do with this? I wasn’t getting anywhere in the hospital. People were just like, they just didn’t want to talk about it.”
Wells said a friend then referred her to Larry Kramer, who went on to be a co-founder of ACT UP, paving the way for Wells’ involvement in the group. According to ACT UP, Wells also co-founded the Pink Panthers, which fought to protect LGBTQ New Yorkers from hate crimes.
Wells remembered the moment she learned her brother first got sick.
“When I found out that he had AIDS, I was working a job,” Wells explained. “I was up on Park Avenue… I had a crew working. We were renovating an apartment up there. And I got the call; what his T-count was and that he was HIV-positive. So I just shut the job down. I, I couldn’t work that day, sent everybody home.”
ACT UP paid respects to Wells on social media.
“ACT UP mourns the loss of one of our original members, Gerri Wells,” the organization stated. “Gerri was a lifelong New Yorker, a proud lesbian, and a relentless advocate for people with AIDS. Her life was a testament to the power of direct action, personal courage, and the belief that no fight was too big if it was the right one.”
See some photos below:
