GLAD mourns the passing of Larry Kessler, a national leader and community organizer from Boston who helped spearhead Massachusetts and the nation’s response to the AIDS pandemic. 

Larry co-founded AIDS Action Committee (AAC) of Massachusetts in 1983 and led the organization as Executive Director until 2003. He played a leading role in advocating at the state, local, and federal levels for fair and effective AIDS policy and funding.

GLAD, including Senior Director of Litigation and HIV Law Bennett Klein worked closely with Larry while he was at the AAC in the early years of the epidemic. We cherish our memories of keeping community with him at the AIDS Walk, as well as partnering with him and Belynda Dunn, another AIDS justice trailblazer, in the work to ensure access to organ transplants for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Our thoughts are with his husband, friends, and the tremendous activist network he leaves behind.