And The Band Played On

An epidemiologist, he eventually leads the task force on AIDS at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta. Previously, Curran also headed the Venereal Disease division there. After the outbreak of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in Los Angeles, he rapidly moves forward with prominent gay doctors and CDC leaders to figure out the explanation to the epidemic.  

Infectious disease specialist for the San Francisco Department of Public Health who is an expert in enteric diseases in homosexual men. In the initial stages of the epidemic, her meticulous tracking of the epidemic assists the CDC on learning how AIDS is spread and monitoring AIDS symptoms. Her calm demeanor, professionalism and trustworthiness places her in high regard with the gay community, scientists, medical officials and media, even as she chooses to side with the unpopular decision to close bathhouses. 

A retrovirologist with expertise in epidemics, Francis works at the CDC and assisted in eradicating smallpox. He also worked with the gay community in creating a hepatitis vaccine. He pushed toward the creation of a retrovirus lab to discover the virus behind the AIDS epidemic and believed from the beginning that AIDS was a new virus that was spread sexually and attacked the immune systems of gay men.

A retrovirologist with the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, he is credited with the discovery of the Human T-cell Leukemia virus. Described as temperamental, arrogant and charismatic, initially he is paranoid about working with the French researchers and the CDC in the event that he does not gain acknowledgement for his efforts, and often desires to leave AIDS research for the frustrations it involves. He is responsible for finding the viral agent behind AIDS and developing an HIV blood test. In the end, he is given credit, but he never receives a Nobel Prize (unlike the French researchers).  

A gay rights activist who co-founded the San Francisco AIDS Foundation with Marcus Conant and brings San Francisco’s community together to fight AIDS. He organizes the march called the White Night Riot after the assassination of the openly-gay politician Harvey Milk and liberal mayor George Moscone by Dan White. Holding considerable political clout in San Francisco and having grassroots experience, he works for the Speaker of the California Assembly. 

A gay rights activist and congressional aide to Congressman Phillip Burton and, later, his widow Sala Burton, he is responsible for promoting gay issues and representing the community in political circles. He pushes an aggressive campaign for sex education and supports the closure of bathhouses, which leads him to be called a “sexual Nazi.” He fights for funding for AIDS programs and succeeds in initiatives such as gaining disability rights for those dying from the epidemic.