STORIES
Joan Baker, 1966-1993
Story & Recording by Judith Cohen
This image, and others of Joan which were carried on the day of her public funeral, are stored at the GLBT History Museum in San Francisco.
My friend, Joan Baker was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986 and died on September 3, 1993.
Joan was a tireless and outspoken activist who unfortunately had to deal with ignorance and misunderstanding from her own community … ergo, she would often say:
“It doesn’t matter how I got it, it’s that I have been diagnosed and I am coming out as a woman with AIDS, because a lot of lesbians still think that they cannot get AIDS — and I’m here to say that this can and did happen.”
In early October 1993, members of San Francisco Lesbian Avengers and ACT UP held a public funeral demonstration and march that went from Dolores Park to Market and Castro and was covered on television news that night. This would end up being likely the only public funeral for a lesbian with AIDS anywhere, ever.
We love you and we miss you incredibly, Joan. Thank you for your inspiration, your contribution, your life and love.