Timothy McCarthy, 61, born in July of 1957 in Massachusetts, passed away on Friday, October 19th, 2018. He is survived by his sisters Maureen, Beth, and Colleen, his brothers, Mike, Chicky, Patrick, Gary, and Bob. His preceded in death by his parents Ann and Charles, and his sister Kathleen. While we mourn his passing, we cannot help but reflect on the joy and goodness that he brought to the world and take pleasure in the knowledge that he never wasted the time he spent among us.
Tim enjoyed spending time in Provincetown, Massachusetts, his home. He was always involved in the town, supporting the theater, spending time with performers, and influencing local politics. He was an avid supporter of local politicians. He was working to begin a craft cannabis collective on the Outer Cape. He was a mentor and friend of anyone. He was always willing to listen and impart advice learned over decades of participating in and documenting the LGBTQ communities and researching the rise of HIV/AIDS in the world.
Tim was part of ACT UP in the ’80s and ’90s. He learned to direct his youthful vitality and joie de vivre into meaningful change for his community. From the early days of AIDS and LGBTQ activism, he took those lessons and translated them for a new generation over the last 20 years. His seminal achievement, his work with Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), was the logical next step for a man bent on bettering the world, not through quiet speech, but through bold action. He worked closely with SMUG, fighting to counteract those hoping to prey on a group they deemed weaker by amplifying their plight. He took great joy in standing side by side with a persecuted people and lending them his voice, always loud and proud, to improve the world. Beyond his own voice, Tim wanted to empower the repressed and oppressed to speak for themselves, as a gay video historian. You can still see his efforts immortalized in the films "How to Survive a Plague" and "Voices: Combating Homophobia In Uganda." In both cases, he used his network to provide a platform for the oppressed to speak for themselves.
Tim’s passing is not easy to accept; his bright light for equality and justice has been extinguished. But, if each person who has a fond memory of Tim, or appreciated his passion, can channel even a small part of his spirit and life, the world will be significantly improved one more time by our good friend and fighter, Tim McCarthy.
Now, Tim will get one last opportunity to shine his light upon the world as he completes his final journey aboard the Celestis Horizon Flight.
