The Eighties in America - Salem Press (2009)

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Further Reading
Atack, Jon.A Piece of Blue Sky: Scientology, Dianetics,
and L. Ron Hubbard Exposed. New York: Carol,
1990.
Hubbard, L. Ron.Scientology: The Fundamentals of
Thought. Washington, D.C.: Bridge, 1997.
M. Casey Diana


See also Book publishing; Psychology; Religion
and spirituality in the United States; Scandals.


Hudson, Rock


Identification American movie star
Born November 17, 1925; Winnetka, Illinois
Died October 2, 1985; Beverly Hills, California


Hudson became the first major Hollywood celebrity to die of
AIDS. His public announcement that he had the disease
and the posthumous revelation that he had been gay dra-
matically changed the public perception of both homosexu-
ality and the AIDS epidemic.


Rock Hudson was a popular romantic leading man
in film and television from the 1950’s through the
1970’s, starring in a wide range of films includingGi-
ant(1956),Magnificent Obsession(1954),Pillow Talk
(1959), andIce Station Zebra(1968). He completed
over sixty-five motion pictures and starred in several
television series, includingMcMillan and Wifeand
Dynasty. During the 1980’s, his health began to de-
cline, and his career began to fade. Though he was
diagnosed with acquired immunodeficiency syn-
drome (AIDS) on June 5, 1984, it was not until his
stunning television appearance the following year
onDoris Day’s Best Friendsthat audiences began to see
the remarkable decline in his health. After a brief
claim that he was stricken with liver cancer, on July
25, 1985, Hudson issued a statement acknowledging
that he had AIDS.
After spanning the globe to seek out treatments
for the disease, Hudson returned to his house in
Beverly Hills. He died on the morning of October 2,



  1. He was fifty-nine. Following his death, his for-
    mer life partner, Marc Christian, sued Hudson’s
    estate for the “intentional infliction of emotional
    distress.” Christian, who remained HIV-negative,
    claimed that Hudson had continued to have sex with
    him after he knew of his human immunodeficiency
    virus (HIV) status.


Impact Rock Hudson was instrumental in eliminat-
ing the stigma attached to AIDS. In the mid-1980’s,
AIDS panic was pervasive in the media and politics,
as well as in society, giving rise to a ferocious homo-
phobia. The disease was either demonized or ig-
nored. Hudson’s admission gave AIDS a human
face, resulting in an immediate rise in AIDS edu-
cation and compassion for those afflicted with it.
Shortly before his death, Hudson stated, “I am not
happy that I am sick. I am not happy that I have
AIDS. But if that is helping others, I can at least
know that my own misfortune has had some positive
worth.” Hudson’s story inspired an enormous rise in
celebrity activism surrounding the disease. In the
late 1980’s, popular actors such as Elizabeth Taylor,
Carol Burnett, and others began to raise money and
speak out on behalf of AIDS awareness.
In addition, Hudson helped break the stigma and
stereotype of gay men. His status as a masculine lead-
ing man, and his extreme popularity with all Ameri-
cans, tempered the rising homophobia. Hudson
had followed the protocol for gay actors in Holly-

The Eighties in America Hudson, Rock  493


Rock Hudson and Doris Day speak at a news conference on July
18, 1985.(AP/Wide World Photos)
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