Reynolds, Bobby

Bobby was interviewed for Lon Nungesser's book, Epidemic of Courage: Facing AIDS in America, which was published in 1986. Here is an excerpt from the interview (in Bobby's own words): I have a philosophy about life that I've had for a long time, even before this happened, and there are certain things that happen to a person in his or her life that allow that person to grow and stretch and become better, let's say, and I think that this, AIDS, has happened to me for some cosmic reason. I'm not really sure why, I don't really spend a lot of time thinking about why it's here or if it was because I did this or that or the other thing, but it's in fact here. So now I'm dealing with it, and I'm trying to do the best I can. Does that answer your question? [Nungesser had asked him: Has your own definition of risk had any effect on the way you dealt with yourself after the diagnosis?]

I have followed since 1981 all the references and news about HIV/AIDS since when the LGTB community was accused of being the vehicle for the spread of the disease and it was just when I was taking my first steps within my sexual definition, and the terror of getting sick and worse still the stigma of society with people with the virus. Today I pray for the soul of all the people who have died and for those who are sick. And every documentary I see from the 80s 90s era when the hope of survival was almost zero makes me cry, cry a lot, because I have lost many friends and people I know.