But, back then, the town had nothing but repulsion and ill feelings toward Mike, gay people and AIDS victims, and they took turns stepping up to a microphone to share their feelings.
It’s evident in the clips they showed of that 1987 episode that Mike was a brave man, one who only sought compassion from his neighbors and the right to enjoy the rest of his life with his family. The nation learned of their behavior when his visit to the public swimming pool made headlines, as the town was scared of how he had “contaminated” it. The topic, then, was AIDS, and revolved around Mike Sisco, a gay man who, at the time, was living with AIDS and had been shunned by his community.
On today’s episode of Oprah, the talk show host revisits a fieldhouse in Willamson, West Virginia where she held a symposium of sorts in 1987.
