Today, 27 years ago, Freddie Mercury passed away at his estate in Kensington, London after 45 years of life. He would sadly be among the 20,454 known deaths of AIDS related causes in 1991. Freddie didn’t want to be defined by his struggle with AIDS, as he waited 4 years to make a public statement about his diagnosis, but his death does prompt a very necessary dialogue. The Government turned a blind eye to the epidemic and the suffering of gay men in their countries who were dying at alarming rates. And when a “solution” was found in AZT, over 16 thousand had already died because of their negligence.
Nearly 22 million have died of AIDS since the beginning of the crisis in 1980 and today, 36.1 million people are living with HIV/AIDS. In Freddie’s memory, Brian May, Roger Taylor and Jim Beach founded the Mercury Phoenix Trust. The MPT primarily focuses on funding grassroots HIV/AIDS organizations that government just don’t reach. Since its founding, The MPT has provided more than 17 million dollars to over a thousand projects in 56 countries.
Today is a day to mourn the loss of of this absolute legend and also the time to realize there is still so much work to be done. In 2017 alone, approximately 1.8 million people were diagnosed with HIV. Foundations like the Mercury Phoenix Trust are fighting for a future without AIDS and every day we get closer to that reality.
Ida Rentoul aka Ida Rentoul Outhwaite aka Ida Sherbourne Rentoul (Australian, 1888-1960, b. Carlton, Melbourne, Australia) - The Witch On Her Broomstick from The Little World of Elves and Fairies Paintings: Watercolors, Ink
