A few notable speakers were Elizabeth Taylor, Maya Angelou, Al Gore and his wife Tipper (AIDS quilt). I was able to overcome my emotions and stand on the very same stage and recite names. This was a very emotional time for me. I was a high school senior far away from home, only knowing my mom and sister.
The experience was overwhelming and left me questioning myself at times. One of those times occurred while helping families and friends find the panel of loved ones depicted in a panel. Armed with a map and list of names I had to navigate my way around the display as it ran perpendicular to the street. This street positioned a couple hundred feet away was the temporary home of protestors and hate groups. At this time, the gay community was primarily targeted for the rapidly increasing number of infections of HIV/AIDS. This was evidenced by the insults