Leaders in Health, HIV, LGBTQ+ Rights React to Larry Kramer's Death

Right up until his death on Wednesday, Larry Kramer was a force. The founder of Gay Men's Health Crisis and ACT UP fostered a relentless drive for accountability -- from government, pharmaceutical companies, the Catholic Church -- on HIV and AIDS; his confrontational tactics would change the public's perception of the disease and force progress. Nearly 40 years after a "gay cancer" was first identified, HIV is no longer a death sentence but a chronic, manageable condition. Kramer helped oversee that monumental change by pushing for affordable medications and a proactive government response. Without Kramer, HIV would have remained a disease of undesirables into the 1990s, with thousands of more deaths silently accepted by the mainstream world.

Kramer's legacy will be dissected for months and years to come. For now, here is how some of the most influential individuals reacted to his passing.