Thread by @TheGranVarones

today we remember civil rights and aids activist, kiyohsi kuromiya. because of his vision and commitment to people with hiv, many of us are living longer and healthier lives.

#AsianHeritageMonth

in the late 1980’s, the only approved hiv treatment medication available was AZT. when it hit the market in 1987, there was hope that it would “save” the day. that didn’t happen. in fact, the side affects of AZT were brutal and caused many to discontinue use.

this meant that folks needed access to alternatives and information. it was this very need that inspired the creation of the critical path aids project in 1989.

founded by kiyoshi, critical path, then a newsletter, was one of the earliest & most comprehensive sources of hiv treatment information. just a few years later, kiyoshi would expand the reach of critical path by developing a bulletin board during the early days of the internet.

critical path also provide free dial-up internet making email accessible for people living w/ hiv. in additional, a 24-hour treatment hotline was established. kiyoshi believed that people living w/ hiv were experts & reaching each other would help to keep us alive.

born on may 9, 1943, in a US japanese US concentration camp, in heartland, wyoming, kiyohsi was one of the founders of the gay liberation front & served as an openly gay delegate to the black panther party.

as part of an anti-war direct action in 1968, he announced that a dog would be burned alive in front of a upenn library. thousands showed up only to find the message: "...you saved the life of a dog. now, how about saving the lives of tens of thousands of people in vietnam.”

in 1999, kiyoshi was the lead plaintiff, in kuromiya vs. US, a federal class-action lawsuit that sought to end the federal ban on marijuana. he hoped to establish the right to compassionate medial use of marijuana to treat people w/ AIDS-related nausea & wasting.

on may 10, 2000, just one day after his 57th bday, kiyoshi died. his work with act-up & critical path shifted how hiv prevention information is shared on the net. he was an integral part of successful lawsuit against the 1996 communications decency act.

we salute you, kiyoshi!