Is this project complete?

Stories from an Aging Pandemic is a work-in-progress: some interviews are still being transcribed and edited, and we look forward to sharing more of them in the weeks and months to come. We hope you’ll follow us on Facebook and Twitter and return to this site in the future to follow our progress.

Have these interviews been edited?

Interview transcripts have been edited for length and clarity but reflect the word choices and speech patterns of the individuals profiled.

How representative is this collection of stories and portraits?

The people represented in Stories from an Aging Pandemic all volunteered to participate knowing that their faces and stories would be visible online; many people living with HIV or AIDS may not feel comfortable being quite so “out” about their HIV-status for a variety of reasons, including on-going stigma related to living with the virus. In addition, most participants visited the Global Village community hub at a recent International AIDS Conference (2012, 2014, or 2016) and therefore are either active within the HIV/AIDS community or happen to live near a conference site.

Many older adults who are “living positive” experience isolation and may either live far away from services or choose not to be active in the HIV/AIDS community. In addition, many have health challenges or limited resources that might prevent them from traveling without the support of a community-based organization or scholarship. Still, we hope that elements from the stories included here will resonate for them, and that they will find a sense of fellowship and connection in the broad range of people who are experiencing many of the same things that they are experiencing.

Who else was involved in the making of this project?

The participatory installations at the International AIDS Conferences in Washington, DC, Melbourne, Australia, and Durban, South Africa would not have been possible without the critical support of our project assistants: Viviana Peretti (at AIDS2012), Lani Holmberg (at AIDS2014), and Samantha Reinders (at AIDS2016).

The AIDS2012 exhibition was presented in collaboration with AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (ACRIA). With special thanks to the women and staff of Iris House and the staff and clients of ACRIA who worked with us in the planning stages of this project to test possible approaches to portraiture and interviewing, and shared their own experiences of aging with the virus.

The AIDS2014 exhibition was made possible by the generous support of our 222 Indiegogo campaign donors.

The AIDS2016 exhibition was made possible by the generous support of the Herb Ritts Foundation, angel supporter Michael Heady, and the contributions of a number of individual donors to whom we are incredibly grateful.

The Graying of AIDS project has been supported in the past by the following organizations: Open Society Foundation Documentary Photography Project, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Working Films, Materials for the Arts, Hecho Inc., and Film Biz Recycling.

How can I contribute?

All visitors to the on-site and online exhibitions, regardless of age or serostatus, are encouraged to share their thoughts and questions for older adults from around the globe who are “living positive.”  Many of these questions are integrated into participant interviews and inspire cross-cultural and intergenerational dialog. So, if you could ask one question of older adults living with HIV/AIDS around the world, what would it be? Write us at: info(at)grayingofaids.org.

Do you work on aging and HIV/AIDS-related issues? Would you like to partner with The Graying of AIDS on a project? Commission us to develop your next campaign. Hire us to create a tailored content for your company, organization or media outlet. Sponsor an exhibition of our materials in your community. Invite us to speak to your organization, class or professional meeting.

Finally, financial contributions are always welcome! Contributions to the The Graying of AIDS can be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible in the US to the extent permitted by law.