'My friend was forcibly detained after being diagnosed with a disease that terrified people'
manchestereveningnews.co.uk“We are the voices, we speak up for all those people who died… I think we all know that we’re their voice forever” – the moment that the typically unwavering voice of one of Manchester’s most stalwart public figures was cut through with tears.
In a remarkable speech, a councillor normally known for his robust defence of all things Manchester quietly captured the crushing loss known by so many in the city, as it grappled with the most devastating years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.
Many others in the town hall were also struck by the moving moment and shed a tear as they heard about the reality of an illness wrought with stigma.
Silence filled the historic hall as some of the city’s long-time leaders shared the stories of those who were mistreated, maligned and died as the then-life-threatening illness was sweeping cities around the world.
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