Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes

Although the first officially recognized cases of AIDS were reported in 1981, the rising epidemic was ignored and dismissed as a condition that seemed to primarily affect gay men. The virus was briefly called GRID, or Gay-Related Immune Deficiency. The timing of the plays’ setting within the epidemic is important, as they begin in October of 1985. In July of 1985, actor Rock Hudson, who had been an archetypical masculine leading man in over 60 films, became the first celebrity to announce that he had AIDS. It was suspected that he was gay, but he never discussed his sexuality with the press. In September, President Ronald Reagan mentioned AIDS publicly for the first time, four years after the start of the epidemic, in response to a question at a press conference. He wouldn’t give a full speech about it until 1987. Then in October, Rock Hudson died, bringing national attention to the crisis. AIDS was feared and misunderstood, and patients often died in unnecessary isolation. Gay partners were refused information about their loved ones or access to their bedsides. This history informs Prior’s response to his own body, and the significance of Harper’s revelation that there is a part of him that is untouched by sickness.