In the face of the AIDS epidemic, when patients were treated less than humanely, one group decided that there should be dignity in death. In 1987, Chris Brownlie, a Gay political activist who was diagnosed with AIDS, was admitted into Los Angeles County Hospital and lay on a gurney in the hallway for three days due to a lack of beds. Chris Brownlie, alongside Michael Weinstein and Mary Adair, decided that drastic measures were necessary to eradicate this type of treatment.
The trio soon became the founding members of the AIDS Hospice Foundation. The first hospice the group opened was the Chris Brownlie Hospice. In 1988, a day after Christmas, the Chris Brownlie Hospice opened, with 25 beds, a staff of 40, and numerous volunteers in the hills of Elysian Park. Designed on a model of care that did not emphasize dying but living the last days. In less than a year after its inception, Chris Brownlie would transition at the age of 39at the hospice.
For seven years, the Chris Brownlie Hospice provided its patients with a haven for peaceful transition. In September 1996, the emergence of ARVs led to longer life spans of those suffering from the virus and no need for AIDS hospices. The space was repurposed and became the headquarters of the now-named AIDS HealthcareFoundation, Public Health Division. On January 26th, 2013, a sunset memorial was held as the property was returned to the City of Los Angeles. The ceremony symbolized just how far the fight against AIDS had come.
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