April 1, 2010

Mark Harrington, founding member and executive director of Treatment Action Group (TAG), a giant in the world of HIV/AIDS treatment and advocacy, can boast about many accomplishments: his paradigm-shifting work on the Treatment and Data committee of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP), 18 years of continued achievements at TAG, countless scientific articles and speaking engagements, membership on various U.N. advisory committees, even a MacArthur “Genius” grant in 1997.

But perhaps his most recognizable imprint on AIDS activism is a piece of clothing. His design graced the iconic “Read My Lips” T-shirt produced by the art collective Gran Fury. The shirt, showing images of same-sex couples kissing, was worn by scores of AIDS protesters in the late ’80s to counter government silence and media lies about HIV transmission. “That,” Harrington says, “was a good shirt. That’s the one shirt I have from that time that I can [still] send to the laundry—it won’t fall apart.”

Read the entire article on the POZ website.