Cliff Morrison courtesy the Subject
Why should LGBTQ people thank Cliff Morrison? He changed the way our healthcare system treats people with AIDS forever.
Cliff Morrison is an unlikely movie star. But he’s unquestionably a hero.
In the early ‘80s Morrison created a ward at San Francisco General for patients suffering from a disease first known as “gay cancer.” His story is retold in 5B, a film that tracks the lives of those who passed through the ward over the course of the epidemic.
At that time, no one could say for certain how AIDS was spread. Morrison, who had been through a Shanti Project training, was tapped to consult with doctors, patients and families. And when he couldn’t save his patients’ lives, he decided to help them die with dignity and knowing they were loved. He guessed AIDS was blood-borne early on – although others considered his assessment reckless.
Ultimately, Cliff Morrison’s groundbreaking ideas became standard.
“I wasn’t wearing any of the professional protective equipment, but I was following general infection control protocols,” he recalls.
”I thought, ‘If this is killing all my brothers, it’ll probably get me, too. So I’m not going to stand by. I’ll take control of my own destiny.’ And that’s exactly how I approached it.”
Want Metrosource LGBTQ content notifications? Sign up for MetroEspresso.
Read our coverage of the movie that chronicles Cliff Morrison’s life-changing care.
Read Next | Finding a Great LGBT Friendly Physician in New York
There’s more to love this Valentine’s Day when actor and queer comedian Fortune Feimster (The…
Strip off the stress and add some heat to this year’s V-Day festivities with a…
Conjure up the coolest characters in the history of film and literature. They’re twisted, they’re…
Siblinghood is like the gift you never asked for. It’s awkward and cumbersome, but it…
Regrets are so last century. When you flex your fabulosity at full volume, you drown…
Are you ready to trade your everyday blues for some fabulous desert hues? Because we're…
Leave a Comment