Revisiting the Archive: Episode 5: Vito Russo

Making Gay History | LGBTQ Oral Histories from the Archive

Making Gay History

Sexuality, Personal Journals, Health & Fitness, History, Society & Culture

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 18 April 2020

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Vito Russo’s legacy—as a film historian, activist, and cofounder of GLAAD and ACT UP—is hard to overstate. In this 1988 interview, legacy was also very much on Vito’s mind: It was the height of the AIDS epidemic, which had claimed Vito’s boyfriend, and now Vito was sick, too. As we remember the people lost to the current pandemic, listen to Vito reflect on what it means to leave something behind. Visit our season one episode webpage for background information, archival photos, and other resources. For exclusive Making Gay History bonus content, join our ⁠Patreon community⁠. ——— To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Okay, I've just pressed record.
0:02.0	Okay, so I'll put myself on the exam we'll get started.
0:04.0	Yep, I'll just close the closet door.
0:06.0	I'm Eric Marcus, and this is making gay history.
0:13.0	I'm recording this fifth episode in our revisiting the archive season on Thursday, April 16th.
0:20.0	Five weeks to the day since my partner Barney and I started sheltering in place.
0:24.9	Our governor says we've reached the peak of the epidemic here in New York,
0:28.9	but it's hard to take comfort in that hopeful sign when hundreds of people are dying in the city every day.
0:37.5	This week the hundreds included Robbie Brown, a proudly out gay man who is famous for his philanthropy and his brilliance at connecting people.
0:46.5	Robbie was 73. He was responsible for some of the best things that have happened in my life.
0:53.0	He introduced me to Greg Luganus, the Olympic diving champion,
0:56.0	who made history when he came out as gay and soon after disclosed that he had AIDS.
1:01.0	Together, Greg and I wrote Greg's number one best-selling
1:04.1	autobiography, breaking the surface. And Greg led me to Barney, the absolute
1:10.3	best thing that happened in my life. We've been together for 26 years.
1:16.0	And then more sad news. My friend Julie's mom died.
1:20.0	She was an incredibly vibrant 88 years old, although I don't think she'd be so happy with me for revealing her age.
1:28.0	Natalie Appel, or Nat, to those who loved her, was the elegant matriarch of her family.
1:35.0	She said an example for what it means to be a parent, a grandmother, a friend, a New Yorker,
1:41.0	and in her own ways a champion for social justice.
1:45.0	Barney and I attended Natalie's memorial Shiva service via Zoom a couple of days ago.
1:50.0	Nat's grandson, Josh, moved me to tears as he described his grandmother's legacy, a legacy
	...

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