Didier Lestrade (born 22 February 1958, in Mehdia, Algeria), is a leading AIDS & gay rights advocate.

Biography

Early years

He grew up in the Southwest of France, and left home in 1977 after failing twice to graduate from the French Baccalaureate. He then went to Paris, where he began working for the first French independent gay publication, Gaie Presse. This magazine was short-lived (four issues only). At the age of 22, he then decided to found Magazine Trimestriel, with Misti who soon became art director for the leading 80’s French gay newspaper, Gai Pied. Magazine Trimestriel was considered by many to be the most influential all male underground gay publication of its time.

In 1986, the publication folded after conducting 90 full-length interviews, in both English and French, including David Hockney, Bronski Beat, Brion Gysin, Divine, Gilbert & George and Tom of Finland. Magazine was also a leading outlet for cutting-edge European and American male photography of that time, introducing vintage work from Pierre & Gilles, Patrick Sarfati, Erwin Olaf, and Paul Blanca, Stanley Stellar and many more. The last issues were up to 190 pages.

As an AIDS activist

In 1986, at the age of 28, he discovered he was HIV positive, Lestrade developed a career as a freelance music journalist, writing for Gai Pied, Libération and Rolling Stone. He played an influential role in the new house/techno music scene, writing weekly reviews in Libération that where widely read. In 1989, at 31, he shifted his focus to AIDS activism, and founded the first French chapter of ACT UP with close friends and journalists Pascal R. Loubet and Luc Coulavin. He was president of Act Up-Paris for the three first critical years. In 1992, he played an important role in founding of TRT-5, a coalition of major French AIDS organizations. TRT-5 was at the forefront of AIDS treatment issues, and Lestrade was one of its administrators until 2002.

As a journalist

In 1995, at 37, he co-founded the leading French gay & lesbian monthly magazine, Têtu, again with the help of Pascal R. Loubet. Financed by Pierre Bergé, of Yves Saint Laurent fame, and run by Thomas Doustaly, its editor in chief, Têtu is now by far the most successul gay magazine in Europe.

As a writer

In 2000, Lestrade published his first book, « Act Up, une Histoire » (Denoël), a personal history of the first eleven years Act Up-Paris. This was followed by « Kinsey 6 » (Denoël, 2002), an intimate cultural and sexual diary of the eighties, during the time he published Magazine. His strongest book, however, is « The End » (Denoël, 2004), a fierce and ground-breaking essay on the failure of AIDS prevention, and the phenomenon of « barebacking » in France.

Lestrade left Paris in 2002 to live happily in rural French Normandy, near Alençon. He has always been a nature lover and a garden enthusiast. He is currently working on his fourth book, due to be published in early 2007 by Flammarion. He will be featured in the 2006-2007 edition of « Who’s Who in France ».

External links

• (fr) Têtu official site
• (fr) TRT-5 official site
• (fr) Interview with Didier Lestrade for the French magazine Poptronics