the canadian aids society estimated last year that aids-related causes have killed 25,000 canadians.
kovinsky, only 43, died on feb. 18, 1982.
“this was the first time in canada where someone said, ‘this person died of aids,’” said walter cassidy, a walkerville high school teacher who has done extensive research into local 2slgbtq+ history.
walter cassidy, who is writing the history of the lgbtq community in windsor is shown on thursday, november 18, 2021.
dan janisse
/
windsor star
“this case galvanized canada during that period, because now it was in canada. before, it was just an american thing. but when this case was brought forward, now it’s close to home. so it changed. but no one knew who that person was who started to make the country look at it.”
cassidy started his research a few years ago for a course he also runs at the university of windsor on how to teach 2slgbtq+ students.
“i started to find all of these different things, and one of the things i found out was the first gay man to die of aids in canada was from windsor,” he said.
some outlets, including the windsor star, briefly noted the case decades ago.
but kovinsky’s name was never mentioned, and the case had become a forgotten footnote. it’s time to rectify that, said cassidy.
“he’s a statistic right now,” he said. “this is the anniversary, it’s 40 years since he died. so it’s important to realize that these numbers that we have of people who died, are people and they all have stories. unfortunately, there are still too many that we don’t have.”