Discussing The Undiscussable: Reflecting on the “End” of AIDS

This thought piece reflects on David Román’s 2000 GLQ article “Not-about-AIDS” as an important intervention in which he critiques other intellectuals and public figures who have proclaimed or celebrated the “end” of AIDS because of combination therapy. I repeat and extend this critique into the present, questioning the lack of memory and discourse on AIDS in contemporary US culture. Like Román, I insist on the importance of humanistic discourse on AIDS through embodied, cultural interventions. Moreover, I point to discursive backlash that humanistic discourse often solicits via a critique of Arlene Croce’s review of Still/ Here. Finally, I point to the importance of platforms such as GLQ to continue a critical dialogue on how AIDS is discussed.