November 19, 2009

AIDS Activist Edward Zold Dies at 38

Edward Zold, an HIV-positive AIDS activist known for his tireless work with Ryan White funds, ACT UP and teen programs, died in his home in San Francisco November 4, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. He was 38.

Diagnosed with HIV as a teenager in Michigan, Zold became an activist in the 1990s, working with the federal Ryan White program to secure funding for AIDS drug assistance programs (ADAP). In 1993, he joined activist group ACT UP Golden Gate and was its spokesman until 1997, serving as a liaison with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He also helped create some of the first HIV prevention programs for LGBT teenagers.

“He was a brilliant activist, and he’s someone against whom I measure myself and other activists,” said Kate Krauss, director of the AIDS Policy Project in Philadelphia. “He had the intelligence to think up really strategic things to do to benefit people with AIDS, and he had the nerve to follow through.”

A memorial service will be held in San Francisco on Sunday, November 22, at the AIDS Memorial Grove.

Search: Edward Zold, San Francisco, ACT UP, ACT UP Golden Gate, Ryan White, LGBT, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AIDS Policy Project, AIDS Memorial Grove

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