AIDS: The Lost Voices

Geoffrey Pearce O.A.M. was a prison corrections officer at Long Bay Jail in New South Wales who, shortly after completing his training at 21 with his whole life and career ahead of him, was deliberately stabbed with a needle contaminated with HIV-positive blood by an inmate from the Jail’s AIDS wing, The Malabar Assessment Unit. There was no clear motive for the attack: colleagues and inmates alik...

Long Bay Jail in New South Wales has long been regarded as Australia’s “toughest prison,” and in the 1980s and 1990s it became notorious as the site of the prison system’s AIDS wing, initially called the Malabar Assessment Unit and grimly referred to by inmates as “death row.” Press coverage from the era documents tense confrontations as prison officers staged strikes and protests when inmates lab...

In the third and final episode of Prison and HIV Activist Brian Carmichael, we hear the sentencing outcome of Brian’s 2001 conviction after an incident in which a police officer, having kicked his feet from underneath him, alleged that Brian’s subsequent fall caused an injury and led to a battery charge; Brian contests the ruling, mounting an appeal that winds its way through the courts while he a...

In this second episode of three, prison HIV activist Brian Carmichael is released on parole and takes up a post as manager of a sober living programme, determined to enforce its rules and rebuild his life; his attempts to introduce structure are met with a false allegation from a resident, which, though ultimately vexatious, unleashes a barrage of harassment from authorities that Brian believes st...

California’s Medical Facility in Vacaville had long carried a reputation for poor care of inmates diagnosed with AIDS and HIV. By 1992, Brian Patrick Carmichael — though HIV negative himself at the time — began speaking out after witnessing friends and fellow prisoners die of undignified deaths at the hands of the prison authorities; he helped establish Pastoral Care Services, organising round‑the...

A forgotten and overlooked aspect of the AIDS pandemic was how people diagnosed in prison were treated when their illness advanced: rather than receive dignified medical care, many were transported to hospitals in chains and shackles. In 1991 a male prisoner testified to being taken to hospital still chained, and in 1996 a woman on remand, ‘Jane’ — not convicted, with no previous offences — was he...

Mark Warren Hearne was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988 at the age of 22 and told he had only three months to live; he nevertheless survived for another nine years, during which time he was convicted of robbery in 1992 and sentenced to five years' imprisonment. While serving that sentence at HMP Camp HIll on the Isle of Wight he was admitted to St Mary's Hospital on the island with an AIDS-related illn...

In 1986, Dublin’s Mountjoy and Arbour Hill prisons opened separation wings for inmates diagnosed with AIDS — a policy prisoners likened to being “treated like lepers” that sparked a wave of desperate protests: dirty protests, prolonged sit‑ins and rooftop demonstrations that only drew sustained media attention once visible, dramatic resistance began. Men and women confined to segregation described...

In 1986, Dublin’s Mountjoy and Arbour Hill prisons opened separation wings for inmates diagnosed with AIDS — a policy prisoners likened to being “treated like lepers” that sparked a wave of desperate protests: dirty protests, prolonged sit‑ins and rooftop demonstrations that only drew sustained media attention once visible, dramatic resistance began. Men and women confined to segregation described...

Brian Nugent was diagnosed with AIDS in October 1986 at the age of 33. Originally from Waterford, Ireland, he trained as a cordon bleu chef in Paris before relocating to Sydney, Australia, in 1979, where he carved out a career in journalism as social editor for Sydney & City Magazine and later Panache. In 1987 Brian began sharing his experience of living with AIDS through a collaboration with...

Brian Nugent was diagnosed with AIDS in October 1986 at the age of 33. Originally from Waterford, Ireland, he trained as a cordon bleu chef in Paris before relocating to Sydney, Australia, in 1979, where he carved out a career in journalism as social editor for Sydney & City Magazine and later Panache. In 1987 Brian began sharing his experience of living with AIDS through a collaboration with...

We take a look at the AIDS quilts commemorating figures from fashion and nightlife whose lives intersected with celebrity, creativity and activism: Tommy Nutter, the Savile Row tailor whose daring cuts and showmanship in the 1970s made his suits a zeitgeist item coveted by a generation — friends and clients included Bianca Jagger, Twiggy, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elton John, Cilla Black and The Beatle...

In this special tribute episode, "Remembering Roger Youd," published on the 40th anniversary of Roger’s untimely passing on 16 December, intimate recollections from his brother Carlton Youd sit alongside an inspiring interview with Paul Fairweather — a close friend and longstanding, respected LGBT and HIV/AIDS activist who helped establish Manchester’s AIDS line along with the picket and protest i...

After visiting the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt on display at the Turbine Hall at the TATE in the summer of 2025, I found myself deeply moved by the creativity and craftsmanship evident at all levels, alongside the poignant individual stories embedded in each panel. This led me to research various quilts that particularly caught my eye, focusing on those lovingly made for Sandy Kane, a Canadian who move...

After visiting the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt on display at the Turbine Hall at the TATE in the summer of 2025, I found myself deeply moved by the creativity and craftsmanship evident at all levels, alongside the poignant individual stories embedded in each panel. This led me to research various quilts that particularly caught my eye, focusing on those lovingly made for Mark Freeman, an actor and form...

After visiting the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt on display at the Turbine Hall at the TATE in the summer of 2025, I found myself deeply moved by the creativity and craftsmanship evident at all levels, alongside the poignant individual stories embedded in each panel. Whether driven by curiosity or the absence of a permanent memorial commemorating those lost in the AIDS pandemic, I found myself repeatedly...

Part 1 of 2: The Allegations & Investigation William Hampson, host of AIDS The Lost Voices , has recently emerged from the AIDS newspaper archives as the focus of a compelling two-part episode. In January 2025, Will found himself compelled to take legal action against his employer, Fuller’s, Smith & Turner, after enduring persistent discrimination at work due to his HIV disability. Since l...

Part 2 of 2: The Disciplinary & Dismissal William Hampson, host of AIDS The Lost Voices , has recently emerged from the AIDS newspaper archives as the focus of a compelling two-part episode. In January 2025, Will found himself compelled to take legal action against his employer, Fuller’s, Smith & Turner, after enduring persistent discrimination at work due to his HIV disability. Since lodg...

The fifth and final episode in the diary series of Simon Daniels, a young gay man diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 1993. Prior to his diagnosis, he worked as a restaurant manager and was actively involved in acting as well as HIV/AIDS activism. In addition to these pursuits, Simon became a writer, sharing his personal experiences through his diary entries in a regular column titled Positively Speaking f...

Simon Daniels was a young gay man diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 1993. Prior to his diagnosis, he worked as a restaurant manager and was actively involved in acting as well as HIV/AIDS activism. In addition to these pursuits, Simon became a writer, sharing his personal experiences through his diary entries in a regular column titled Positively Speaking for the Hull Daily Mail. Simon’s candid reflectio...

Simon Daniels was a young gay man diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 1993. Prior to his diagnosis, he worked as a restaurant manager and was actively involved in acting as well as HIV/AIDS activism. In addition to these pursuits, Simon became a writer, sharing his personal experiences through his diary entries in a regular column titled Positively Speaking for the Hull Daily Mail. Simon’s candid reflectio...

Simon Daniels was a young gay man diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 1993. Prior to his diagnosis, he worked as a restaurant manager and was actively involved in acting as well as HIV/AIDS activism. In addition to these pursuits, Simon became a writer, sharing his personal experiences through his diary entries in a regular column titled Positively Speaking for the Hull Daily Mail. Simon’s candid reflectio...

Simon Daniels was a young gay man diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in 1993. Prior to his diagnosis, he worked as a restaurant manager and was actively involved in acting as well as HIV/AIDS activism. In addition to these pursuits, Simon became a writer, sharing his personal experiences through his diary entries in a regular column titled Positively Speaking for the Hull Daily Mail. Simon’s candid reflectio...

Kenny Everett was an English radio DJ and television entertainer renowned for his zany comedic style, captivating millions and becoming a national treasure. Despite his popularity, a media frenzy invaded his private life when he was compelled to publicly disclose his sexuality outside his Kensington home, famously quipping, “two husbands are better than one,” while being photographed with his two...

Terence ‘Terry’ Madeley, a London-born actor, received a positive HIV diagnosis in 1985 after long grappling with a decline in his health. Despite the inevitable challenges, Terry remained steadfast in his magnanimous relationship with his long-term partner, Peter, and vowed to outlive the AIDS virus. In February 1987, during ‘AIDS Week’ on UK television, Terry made a brave decision to disclose hi...