Ruth Coker Burks

Shes a fucking saint. Every time I read about her,I cry. I remember those horrible dark days of ignorance and fear and friends dying in droves.

A true Christian. There arent so many.

I remember as well R1. Nurses would leave meal trays at the door to avoid even entering the room. Not all of them of course (Thank God and thank them) but there were many.

I remember even in the 90s how some people were treated. Two people I knew - friendly, not super close friends but I was friendly with them - died in terrible, ugly ways, mostly because they were poor and didn't have the money for then-expensive medications.

I did what I could but was poor myself at the time. My ramen soup days didn't end until well into the 00s.

Looking past R4 busily making it about himself, do we think DL could make a concerted effort to at least but the fucking book?

She’s got medical issues now and another Guwrdian story implies she really has no one to provide the loving grace that she gave so freely to so many.

I read dark things here about AIDS. “The AIDS”, “AIDS face” — there’s still a hate for gay men dying of AIDS.

Just how old are you R6?

I’m not taking away your AIDS jokes R7. Have a picnic.

There was a great documentary about her.

Well, she is truly wonderful but there was a huge group of gay men and lesbians helping out just as well. Why do straight people get all the praise?

They had a support base R10. She was in fucking Arkansas fighting for those poor souls all by herself. BIG difference.

What? there were no gays or lesbians helping out? So who was dying from AIDS?

I’m not praising her because she was straight. I am praising her and thankful for her because she showed an amazing amount of humanity, and shared a bit of grace that, for whatever reason, so many others didn’t.

And no, I don’t have any AIDS jokes you preempted R6, at least not about this.

Ruth, and all the others that found themselves unexpectedly on the frontlines of a heartbreaking catastrophe should be lauded, and remembered, and even revered a bit.

What is it about this Tory that makes you want to diminish it, R10?

I just read her memoir. Heartbreaking. What a strong, courageous woman. Arkansas sounds like a nightmare. I hope her book is made into a film.

The woke trolls saying she doesn't deserve recognition because she's straight are clueless. Nobody else was helping out in Hot Springs.

The South should just drop into the ocean.