Carl Goodman, one of the original ACT-UP co-founders committed suicide in Rhode Island this past week. Goodman was a pioneer in our movement and will be deeply missed. Michael Petrelis, another original ACT-UP co-founder, talks about losing his good friend and fellow activist:

"In the BC era, before cocktails, Carl and I met and became friends when I was in the Mob and he was partnered with Tom Hannon, and together they were key individuals in the underground drug and then buyers club movements.

Carl heartily approved of the activism and strategic zaps we ten or so members of the Lavender Hill Mob carried out. In February 1987, after the Mob had appeared at and disrupted a CDC conference in Atlanta about a Reagan administration proposal of mandatory HTLV-III testing, putting anger and access to treatments on the agenda through media attention we brought about, Carl and I were excited that Larry Kramer was soon to speak at the NYC gay community center about the crappy state of AIDS.

Carl was with me at Larry's now-famous talk that led to the formation of ACT UP and participated in many early actions, and was an occasional member of the Treatment + Data Committee.

Ok, the tears are flowing again as I write this and in the background I'm listening to the classic album "Gonna Take a Miracle" from Laura Nyro and LaBelle. One of my earliest and fondest memories of time with Carl and Tom Hannon at their Greenwich Village Perry Street studio was listening to the album and we three queen singing along with the girls.

Rest in peace, Carl. You were and are very much loved."

Read more from Michael's response here.