San Francisco remembers lives lost on World AIDS Day

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Those who lived through the dark days of the epidemic want every generation to know how AIDS swept through the Castro District in the early 80s. Thursday morning a group of San Francisco students left their mark to remember the fallen.

Paola Fonseca knew very little about Steven Margulos. But writing his name on the pavement made people pause to remember him and others who died of AIDS.

"He worked at Walgreen's and me and my friend Emily here, we did a rainbow under this name," said Paola Fonseca, student.

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An entire block of Castro Street had names of people long gone. The event called Inscribe was put on by a number of AIDS organizations. The students of Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy were told to honor them in a colorful way.

"It's actually pretty sad that people are dying from HIV and we can't find a cure yet, but people are still taking pills and surviving from HIV," said Kevin Lamanna, student.

Stephen Guerrero, Michael Young, these are all names of people who one way or another will not be forgotten. It's also a reminder of how one disease transformed this community.

"People just disappeared," said Troy Brunet, AIDS patient.

Brunet was diagnosed 22 years ago.

"I want the new generation to be careful and understand that safe sex is still needed regardless of PrEP and everything that's out there," said Brunet.

"I do think maybe many of us do take for granted our rights and all of the work that people did and all of the pain and suffering that they went through and still go through," said Bryan Harrelson, San Francisco resident.