Aggy Dune and her sisters gave us permission to laugh
I met Aggy Dune in the early days of the AIDs epidemic, when our friends were dying and we felt there was little we could do.
Aggy and the Rochester drag community came together and helped us is so many ways. These were the shows where we could laugh for a while.
But the entertainment had a serious side. Aggy and her sisters raised money that we used to help people with AIDS. There were no FDA-approved drugs and we were learning about the illness in real time.
The money from those shows went to help people with HIV buy food and pay their rent. It also went for medications used in underground clinics. I remember Matthew McConaughey in the movie Dallas Buyers Club. That was raw and it was real.
Dr. Bill Valenti and Aggy Dune have been friends since the early 1980s.
Credit: Matt Wittmeyer, Matt Wittmeyer Photography
Aggy and I have been friends since then. We reminisced about those days. Aggy got her start in clubs that are long gone. Remember Back Streets on Charlotte Street when it was a back alley?
Her role may have changed from when she described herself as a cheerleader for the gay community. Now, she sees herself as a spokesperson to the straight community. “I have a responsibility as a recognizable figure within the gay community,” she says, “to be as welcoming and as engaging and as non-threatening.”
The Aggy Dune Photo Gallery
Hear the Story from Aggy Dune Herself
Aggy is still going today. Vibrant, caring, and just as funny as ever. Visit my youtube page to watch or visit the Just Sayin’ with Dr. Valenti podcast, and listen along as she tells her story.