Marc Paige papers (MS.2017.018)

Biographical / Historical

Born in 1959, Marc Paige grew up in Cranston, RI. He graduated from Rutgers University in 1980 and then worked in the fashion industry in New York City. After testing positive for HIV in 1989 at the age of 31, Paige moved back to Rhode Island and began his career as a gay rights and AIDS activist. A frequent speaker at schools, universities, and community groups, Paige was often at the forefront of the push for better HIV/AIDS education as a means of prevention in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He was an integral advocate for the passage of the Rhode Island's gay rights bill in 1995, and was either a founder or a member of numerous groups, including: ACT UP Rhode Island, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island AIDS Task Force, Simple Justice, and Youth Pride, Inc.

Paige was also an influential figure in the Jewish communities of Rhode Island and Fort Lauderdale, FL, where he moved in the 2000s, having founded the "Seder of Hope," an interfaith Passover service devoted to those affected by HIV/AIDS. He was also a prolific writer of articles and letters to the editor for numerous local and national newspapers, dealing with issues ranging from politics and religion to his own experience with the development of various HIV treatment methods throughout the 1990s and 2000s. As of October 2017, Paige lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL.