San Francisco Bay Times photographer Rink not only has photographed every Pride Parade in San Francisco, but he also photographed even earlier gay-themed gatherings in the city since the late 1960s and inspired Harvey Milk (1930–1978) and his efforts with the annual march/parade in the early to mid 1970s. (About 30 people participated in the initial San Francisco Gay Liberation March on June 27, 1970.)
A decade after Milk’s death, and during the heart of the HIV/AIDS crisis, Rink captured this now-historic photo of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) members marching in the 1988 parade, which was then called the International Lesbian & Gay Freedom Day Parade. It was a heated year for ACT UP, which first formed in New York in March 1987 before expanding to San Francisco in 1988 and then to many other cities.
Note that many women actively supported the organization. Individuals such as Bay Times columnist Joanie Juster were among those who helped care for their friends, family members, and colleagues with AIDS at a time when public fear surrounding myths about the virus was still high.
Two years after this photo was taken, ACT UP militant members again took to the streets of San Francisco, this time essentially shutting down entire sections of the city during a week of massive protests as the Sixth International Conference of AIDS was held. Former San Francisco Bay Times journalist Tim Kingston reported on the protests, and later helped host a series of commemorative events about them.
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