Larry Kramer was on the frontlines of the AIDS crisis, trying to bring attention to the disease gay men were facing around the country.

In 1981, he co-founded the Gay Men's Health Crisis organization, which was the only group devoted to helping those affected by HIV/AIDS.

He later created Act Up (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), which held high-profile demonstrations to bring more public action to the fight against AIDS.

In the '80s, he wrote the play "The Normal Heart," which chronicled his experience in AIDS activism. The play eventually appeared on Broadway and was recently turned into an HBO movie.