The story of gender and sexual liberation is surely complex and nuanced, Helen Cassidy Page, but I believe you are correct that the HIV epidemic played a major and very unexpected role in opening up hearts and minds. Remember the 90s when the red ribbon was de rigueur among some people?

Clearly, a social movement that was born in the 40s and 50s set the revolution of acceptance into motion, but I think HIV and its associated forced outings were important.

You couldn’t have full blown AIDS and be in the closet. People KNEW, and that changed the game in some really vital ways. It’s hard to hate people you love, after all.

Jim