Key West AIDS Memorial, Key West

The Key West AIDS Memorial, funded privately and given to the City of Key West in 1997, became a poignant symbol of the AIDS crisis. On December 1, World AIDS Day, during its inauguration, 730 names were inscribed, honoring the lives lost. This loss was deeply felt on an island with a population under 25,000, where AIDS claimed over 700 lives in a short period, affecting diverse groups including business leaders, homemakers, local Conchs, and both gay and straight individuals.

Key West, grappling with a poorly understood epidemic, also became a sanctuary for many diagnosed with AIDS who faced hostility elsewhere. This influx exacerbated the strain on the island's limited medical facilities. By 2012, the memorial was running out of space. Architect Michael Ingram expanded it, adding a new wall that accommodated more names and poems, dedicated in 2014 on World AIDS Day.

By the end of 2019, the memorial bore 1230 names, with 10 added in 2020, marking the tragic toll of AIDS in the Florida Keys. As the world's first municipal AIDS Memorial, it stands as a testament to Key West's accepting and caring community.

For 24 years, the Friends of the AIDS Memorial have held an annual World AIDS Day service on December 1. This event includes a sunset gathering for reading the names on the memorial, a candlelight vigil, and the recitation of a poem by Key West's Poet Laureate. Attendees honor the departed by calling out their names and laying flowers at the memorial.