RIP Larry Kramer

https://www.theatermania.com/new-york-city-theater/news/larry-kramer-obituary_71141.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=27may2020&fbclid=IwAR0B1yPbt3gbKgsW--c

When The Normal Heart premiered, the New York Times published more information about AIDS in Frank Rich's review of the play than they had in the past 4 years of the crisis.

Every playwright dreams of their writing changing the world. Larry Kramer was one of the few that did.

RIP.

The passing of a legend of a man. I feel a little numb and very heavy-hearted.

He did great things, he did terrible things. He was loved, he was hated. Often by the same people depending on the issue involved. He did so much for AIDS activism. Many peopled survived because of him.

Highland Guy said: "joevitus said: "he did terrible things."



What "terrible things" did he do?

"

He accused people like Edmund White in particular for potentially inspiring people to have careless sex and spread AIDS to spread by writing about it in their books. He claimed that men who choose to use PrEP rather than condoms are cowards. Those are off the top of my head. He was a very controversial person as much hated as he was loved. That's just fact. He also saved lives. That's also fact.

Highland Guy said: "joevitus said: "Highland Guy said: "joevitus said: "he did terrible things."



What "terrible things" did he do?

"

He accused people like Edmund White in particular for potentially inspiring people to have careless sex and spreadAIDS to spread by writing about it in their books. He claimed that men who choose to use PrEP rather than condoms are cowards. Those are off the top of my head. He was a very controversial person as much hated as he was loved. That's just fact. He also saved lives. That's also fact."



And then barely a year later he changed his mind and called PrEP "an essential tool", and criticized the manufacturer for excessive pricing. But let's trash the man before the body is cold."


How am I "trashing" someone who I say saved many lives? He did great things and terrible things.

You only point to one offensive thing he did that he changed his mind on. His novel, whose title I probably can't print here, is still hated by TONS of gay men and taken as a slap in the fact. He regularly attacked people. He was part of the ACT-UP demonstration where the eucharist was stomped on. The man is extremely controversial. Sorry you can't deal with that. Don't blame me.

And don't re-write reality just because someone died. You don't honor someone by ignoring a big chunk of their public personality.

Updated On: 5/27/20 at 04:53 PM

Thank you.

The in fighting and the word HATE in a tribute to Mr.Kramer is absolutely despicable.

Uncageg, that was a beautiful memory you just shared with everyone here on the board. Wow, the fact that he was there the night you saw the play, just made it all the more powerful.

Ellen Barkin's monologue brought cheers of bravos. As the play progressed, and more names were being shown, the reality of the situation made it all the more real, and more shocking. The end line of - why didn't I try more, why didn't I picket the White House, was just so raw, and so emotional. After curtain call and more names where shown, and the play was officially over, I just sat there, sobbing, as was pretty much everyone in the theatre. A very nice man who was seated to my right, looked at me - with tears in his eyes, and patted me on the leg and shoulder. We all could relate. We were one.

I saw the show on a Sunday evening. I sobbed leaving the theatre, and walked back to my hotel and checked my email. I was uplifted by the piece and depressed about the bad memories. When I logged online, that's when I saw on Yahoo news that Osama Bin Laden and been killed. I remember walking out of the theatre and hearing cheering and loud noises from Times Square. I didn't think too much of it, and now it made sense. After reading that online, I walked back to Times Square and saw President Obama announce that he was killed. Everyone was so joyful, that it made the evening even more special, and meaningful. Out of tragedy, something good can come of it. Of course it's two very different situations.

From there, I went to Junior's for dinner, and had a great rest of the evening. Everyone was so happy, myself included.

nealb1, what I do remember from that afternoon, I attended a matinee, is that he was just quietly standing there. Bringing no attention to himself. And I remember briefly thinking "Oh my God, it's him" as I watched people walk past him having no clue who he was.

uncageg said: "nealb1 said: "You're very welcome. Larry's "Normal Heart" was absolutely gut-wrenching. I saw it in 2011 and was never so moved in my entire life. When it was over, I was just sobbing. Pretty much everyone was."

I was a pure mess after the performance. As I left it only got more intense as he was standing in the lobby handing out flyers. If you were around and knew who he was back then up to now, at least for me, just seeing him left me speechless. He is an icon in our community, warts and all. I think I thanked him for all he has done in the past regarding the AIDS epidemic as I took a flyer, but emotion was welling up in me so fast that I needed space. I walked across the street from the Golden theater and collapsed on the fence there and just sobbed on the ground for a good five minutes.

"

This is really beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

I can imagine. I'm I guess a little younger than you. I don't know many who died, but I was constantly being told when I was first coming out "So and so would be such a good role model for you." "Well, I'd like to meet him." "He died." It's the first thing you seemed to learn. "He died." Over and over and over. I can't imagine what it was like to experience that in real time.

And that Kramer could capture the time so effectively demonstrates what a great artist he was.