| Joel’s very first brush with
political activism was in 1977, when he organized a student protest of
Anita Bryant’s anti-gay referendum in Miami. However, the mid 70’s and
early 80’s were a self indulgent time for many people. Joel Rothschild
who was in his late teens and a competitive body-builder was no exception.
After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree, Joel opened and ran his first
business. It was a successful Gym that attracted celebrity clients
including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Springsteen.
While running his business, Joel’s
closest boyhood friend Robert Jon Cohen became the head Bartender at NY’s
Studio 54. His other close friend Jon Gould became lovers with Andy
Warhol. Together they introduced Joel to the Disco & Art World of the
80’s. Joel quickly befriended several artists including Keith Haring and
David Hockney. Joel was photographed by Herb Ritts, Greg Gorman, Robert
Mapplethorpe, Cliff Watts and David Hockney.
The party life-style abruptly ended in the
80’s, when friends Robert Cohen and Jon Gould became infected with the
HIV Virus. So in 1984 Joel sold his business and moved to Los Angeles to
be closer to Robert and Jon. In a short time almost all of Joel’s
friends were becoming infected and Joel’s political activism was
rekindled. His lifetime commitment to AIDS causes was soon born.
In April of 1986, Joel was diagnosed with
full blown AIDS and given less than a year to live. Since that time, Joel
Rothschild has outlived three doctor's prognosis for “certain” death
and is now according to The US Centers for Disease Control statistics one
of the longest living AIDS survivors in the world today*. He is a medical
anomaly having survived full blown AIDS for almost 20 years. Joel has
already outlived over 20 million people that have died from the pandemic.
Unfortunately, his closest friends all perished from AIDS. Yet, Joel has
remained optimistic and credits his miraculous survival to living in the
moment and a spiritual transformation that came from the despair of AIDS.
For almost two decades, he was at the
forefront in the effort to save lives thought political action, education
and awareness. He has volunteered, assisted and worked with terminally ill
people for over 20 years. From 1985-1993, he worked pro-bono as an AIDS
activist and domestic lobbyist specializing in the Food and Drug
Administration’s new drug testing policies and as a patients rights
advocate. In 1986, he was a founding member of ActUP Los Angeles. In 1987,
he brought friend Keith Haring into West Coast AIDS politics co-organizing
the first “Focus on AIDS” benefit. At that time, Joel was also
fighting tirelessly to save lives by spearheading efforts to bring foreign
drugs into the US and to change the FDA’s antiquated investigational
drug study policy from Double Blinded to Expanded Compassionate Use
studies. From 1987-1997 he has served as a volunteer medical guinea pig
and is the lone survivor from several FDA phase one and two drug tests.
Joel was first inspired to write by his
friend Robert Cohen. Who before his death published a book about their
times at Studio 54 called “The Club”. So in 1991, he collaborated with
Neal Hitchens on a book about AIDS, "Voices That Care".
Nothing could have prepared him for the
popularity of his next writing venture. After, the death of his beloved
friend Albert, he began journalizing his own unfolding spiritual
transformation. Joel thought that maybe 100 gay men might read his story.
First published in 1999 his book “Signals” almost instantly became a
best-seller and reached the number one position in the US on Amazon.com
(summer 2000). Shortly thereafter, it was sold to Transworld Publishing,
Bertelsmann Publishing and Bantam Publishing for sales in their overseas
territories.
To his amazement, Joel has received over
100,000 heartfelt emails and letters from “straight” readers around
the world. Joel entered into territory very few Gay writers ever go. That
is the hearts and minds of people from all walks of life. His little book
has bridged many gaps and reached people around the world. Readers seem to
be hooked by the very first page. As a gay man, he is humbled and grateful
that his work has be embraced by women worldwide.
His next book “Hope” was released in
2003. Joel credit’s Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl who wrote Man’s
search for Meaning as being his muse for his book “Hope”. You will not
again take a moment of your life for granted after you read “Hope”
Joel has appeared on International and
Domestic TV & Radio shows. He was a guest and co-created AIDS Specials
for The BBC, PBS, Later on NBC’s and The Queen Latifa Show. He has been
a featured guest on the number one TV show in the UK, (Richard and Judy).
In 2001, for his relentless efforts to
bring media attention to AIDS, The Television Academy of Arts and Sciences
bestowed him with The Ribbon or Hope and The TV Cares Award.
Although, his health now places
restrictions on his ability to work, he still lectures at Universities and
volunteers for several charities. As a long term AIDS survivor Joel has
come to value every moment of life. He desires to do as much good as
possible with his time. He believes the best way to reach his goals is
though writing. He is currently writing another book about "other
people's signals stories". He is
also now writing a screenplay and will be writing the forward to Beverly
Cobain's book about Kurt's death and suicide.
During the past two decades he has supported several AIDS related
charities including AIDS HealthCare Foundation, APLA and he has been a
"Circle Of Life" Donor to The Jeffery Goodman AIDS Clinic since
1993. He does not accept financial payment for his time, asking instead
that a donation is made to an AIDS related charity.
His hobbies include chess, bowling,
gardening, working out, classical music and writing poetry. He shares his
home in Los Angeles with two Jack Russell terriers named William
Shakespeare (AKA Billy) & Gertrude Stein (AKA Gerttie).
*“Regarding Joel, the patient, who
continues to survive with AIDS for almost 20 years, I can tell you that
what I know of his history is all fact. He is one of the longest-known
survivors with HIV infection. He has weathered storms of Karposi’s
Sarcoma, Pnuemocystis Pneumonia, and Meningitis among other life
threatening opportunistic infections. He has juggled the complications of
multiple diagnostic procedures, changing medical regimens and revolving
(dying) healthcare providers as well as having to shift and repeatedly
re-focus insurance issues. And through all that, he is still here.” Dr.
Peter Anton, MD.
Dr. Peter Anton, MD. is a graduate of
Harvard University. He is one of our nations most respected HIV research
scientists. He is Associate Professor of medicine at UCLA and Director of
UCLA center for HIV research. As a scientist, he also works with the
National Institute of Health.
Partial listing of Bibliographic
references for Joel Rothschild
Joel Rothschild AIDS fundraiser, The
Hollywood Reporter July 13, 1989 page 38
Joel Rothschild and Kelly “Nat” Cole, The Los Angeles Herald Examiner
Oct. 22, 1989 page E3
Joel Rothschild AIDS activist and Elizabeth Taylor, The Los Angleles Times
Dec. 11, 1991 page E4
Joel Rothschild AIDS activist and Elizabeth Taylor, The Los Angleles Times
Oct. 8, 1991 page F8
Joel Rothschild & David Hockney, Zoom Magazine (US, French, Italian
editions) Oct. 1991 pg 106
Joel Rothschild & David Hockney, “Prints” Museum of Contempary Art
Tokyo, 1995
Joel Rothschild & David Hockney, “New Pictures” Nishimura Gallery
Tokyo 1995 page 21
Joel Rothschild’s Portrait by David Hockney Exhibited: Museum Ludwig
Koln Germany 1997-98
Joel Rothschild’s Portrait by David Hockney Exhibited: Galleria Civica d’
Arte, Torino Italy 1998-1999
Joel Rothschild by David Hockney Exhibited: Musee de L’Elysee Lausanne
Switzerland 1999
Joel Rothschild’s Portrait by David Hockney Exhibited National Museum of
Wales 1999-2000
Joel Rothschild’s Portrait by David Hockney Exhibited Liljevalchs
Konsthal, Stokholm Sweden 2000
Joel Rothschild by David Hockney Exhibited Waino Aaltonen Museum of Art,
Turku Findland 2001
Joel Rothschild and David Hockney, “ Retrospective” Museum Of
Contemporary Art LA, 2001 pg 114
Joel Rothschild in O Globo Newspaper (Brazil) Aug. 25, 96, July 21, 00 and
Dec. 30/00
Joel Rothschild Benofit AIDS Program, The Desert Sun (Palm Springs) Oct.
20, 2000
Joel Rothschild Profile & Donor Jeffery Goodman Clinic LA Gay &
Lesbian Center Annual Report 2000
Joel Rothschild and “Signals”, Publisher’s Weekly March 27, 2000
Joel Rothschild and Cliff Watts, Genre Magazine July 2000 page 66
Joel Rothschild et al, Poz Magazine May 2000 page 32
Joel Rothschild and “Signals”, The Pink Paper (UK) Dec. 19, 2000 page
39
Joel Rothschild AIDS History, BBC Magazine (UK) Autumn 2001 page 73
Joel Rothschild and “Signals”, Kindred Spirits (UK) Spring 2001 page
55
Joel Rothschild and Life’s Evolution, Sydney Xpress News (Australia)
April 3, 2001 page 9
Joel Rothschild Awards, North Hollywood News May 3 2001 page 13
Joel Rothschild Long Term Activist and “Hope” A&U Magazine Oct,
2003 page 28
Joel Rothschild’s Long Journey, West Hollywood Independent Oct. 16, 2003
front page
Joel Rothschild, Hope, AIDS and Signals, Zero Magazine (Spain) April 2004
Joel is available on a limited basis for
speaking engagements and seminars. Every effort will be made to
accommodate those that benefit charitable organizations. He does not accept
payment for these services. In lieu of payment a donation made to either
cancer, AIDS, or children's charity is required.
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