Arts & Entertainment
Origins of an epidemic
New HIV book well researched but academic and heavy
‘Virus Hunt’ by Dorothy H. Crawford. (Image courtesy Oxford University Press)
‘Virus Hunt: The Search for the Origin of HIV’
By Dorothy H. Crawford
Oxford University Press
$27.95
244 pages
Some things are easy to track down. Others take years, even decades.
In the new book “Virus Hunt” by Dorothy H. Crawford, you’ll see how scientists discovered the roots of HIV.
In 1981, doctors in California began noticing “rare infections … and an unusually aggressive tumor” in certain patients. Soon, the same was reported in New York, Florida and elsewhere around the country. By 1982, the disease was called AIDS.
The risk of catching AIDS seemed at first to be limited to sexually active gay men, particularly those with multiple partners. Within weeks, heroin users and hemophiliacs were added to the at-risk group, then doctors discovered that infected mothers could pass it to their children. “Fear of AIDS” became “a disease in its own right.”
By 1984, the “causative virus was identified [as human immunodeficiency virus]… and shortly thereafter the genome was sequenced …”
But where did HIV come from?
Soon after the first description of AIDS was released in 1981, Boston researchers noticed that their captive macaque population was affected with something that sounded similar. Four years later, scientists at that research facility isolated a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) that had spread and mutated as animals were “unwittingly” shipped around to other facilities.
That led to the discovery that some SIVs are “closely related” to certain strains of HIV and share “between 62 and 87 percent” of their genetic sequences. It didn’t take much to see how the virus mutated, or how it leaped from animal to human, possibly via Africa’s sooty mangabey monkeys (a “natural host of the virus”), which were sometimes hunted for food.
But the question of where HIV came from needs to go back even further than 1981. A man from Memphis experienced AIDS-like symptoms back in 1952. SIVs were discovered in Icelandic sheep in 1949. Scientists, in fact, believe that SIVs are “ancient parasites” and that HIV has been “circulating in the African population since near the start of the 20th century.”
At the beginning of this book, author Dorothy H. Crawford indicates that the search for the beginnings of HIV is somewhat like a mystery. She’s absolutely correct. It is, but you need a Sherlockian PhD to understand it all.
That’s not to say that “Virus Hunt” is a bad book — that’s not the case at all. What readers will want to know, however, is that it’s very academic and heavily steeped in genetics, epidemiology and laboratory-level research. That’s great for anyone employed in those fields. For the layperson, this mystery’s not unreadable but it’s as far from relaxing entertainment as you’ll ever get.
Tackle this book, therefore, but give yourself some time to absorb it. Without that kind of consideration and careful contemplation, “Virus Hunt” will be hard to appreciate.
Out & About
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Daylong Pride celebration blends history, remembrance, art and community
Historic Congressional Cemetery will host the second annual “Gays & Graves: A Big Gay Festival” on Sunday, June 14 at 11 a.m.
The event will feature pioneering activist Randy Wicker, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, and new public art installations and programs celebrating LGBTQ+ history. Gays & Graves is an official partner event of Capital Pride 2026.
This event is a daylong Pride celebration blending history, remembrance, art and community. Visitors can shop from LGBTQ+ and allied artists and makers, experience performances and interactive installations, and engage with programs exploring LGBTQ+ history and lived experience.
For more details, visit the cemetery’s website.
Baltimore Pride is underway, taking place from June 8-14.
The Pride Parade will be on Saturday, June 13 at 12 p.m. at Charles Street & North Avenue, followed by the Pride Block Party at 1 p.m. at Druid Hill Park. And then the Pride Festival will be held on Sunday, June 14 at 12 p.m. at Druid Hill Park.
There will be an array of additional events including: a fashion show, a “Suits and Sneakers” reception and a 5k race, among many other events.
For more details, visit Baltimore Pride’s website.
Friday, June 12
Bet Mishpachah will host “Pride Shabbat Happy Hour” at 6 p.m. at Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center. This is an in-person happy hour with an open wine and beer bar, great company, and joyful conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Women in their Twenties and Thirties will meet at 8 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social discussion group for queer women in the Washington, D.C. area. For more details, visit Facebook.
Saturday, June 13
Out N Bad will host “SWEET WHINE: DC Pride Queer Caribbean Slow Whine Function” at 9 p.m. at Decades DC. This is a late-night escape into slow and steamy Dancehall & Kompa only. No splits. No headtops. No pressure. Tickets are $22.14 and are available on Eventbrite.
The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center will host a screening of “10s Across the Borders,” a bold pan-Asian queer film that confronts homophobia, transphobia, and racism while celebrating Southeast Asia’s underground ballroom scene. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
Sunday, June 14
Beth A Wolfe Yoga will host “Pride Baby Goat Yoga” at 1 p.m. at Faith Lutheran Church in Arlington, Va. The goats will be decked out in their finest Pride apparel, and human participants are welcome to do the same. Proceeds from this event will go to the Trevor Project. Tickets cost $44.52 and are available on Eventbrite.
Monday, June 15
“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).
Tuesday, June 16
“Self-Defense Class with Avi Rome” will be at 12:30 p.m. Rome is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and a full-time Martial Arts instructor with 25 years of teaching experience. He holds a 5th Degree Black Belt in Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do and is the director of the studio’s Adaptive Tae Kwon Do program for students with special needs. He has also run numerous self-defense workshops for various groups and situations. For more details, visit the center’s website.
Center Bi+ Roundtable will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting.Visit Facebook or Meetup for more information.
Wednesday, June 17
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Thursday, June 18
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5:00 pm if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.
D.C. Council approves expanded grant funding for Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs
Congressional Cemetery hosts Gays & Graves
Baltimore Pride is here
Calendar: June 12-18
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