Born in 1958, Marc Paige grew up in Cranston, RI. He graduated from Rutgers University in 1980 and then worked in the fashion industry in New York City. After testing positive for HIV in 1989 at the age of 31, Paige moved back to Rhode Island and began his career as a gay rights and AIDS activist. In 1992 he started getting sick and feared he may not live to see the age of 40. He wanted to create a record of his life for his family and friends. As his health improved, he continued to collect these materials. A frequent speaker at schools, universities, and community groups, Paige was often at the forefront of the push for better HIV/AIDS education as a means of prevention in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He was an integral advocate for the passage of the Rhode Island's gay rights bill in 1995, and was either a founder or a member of numerous groups, including: ACT UP Rhode Island, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, the Jewish Federation of Rhode Island AIDS Task Force, Simple Justice, and Youth Pride, Inc.
Paige was also an influential figure in the Jewish communities of Rhode Island and Fort Lauderdale, FL, where he moved in the 2000s, having founded the "Seder of Hope," an interfaith Passover service devoted to those affected by HIV/AIDS. He was also a prolific writer of articles and letters to the editor for numerous local and national newspapers, dealing with issues ranging from politics and religion to his own experience with the development of various HIV treatment methods throughout the 1990s and 2000s. As of 2023, Marc and his husband reside in Fairhaven, MA.
Rhode Island gay rights bill.
AIDS education.
AIDS education, Seder of Hope.
AIDS education, HIV prevention, Seder of Hope.
Political commentary, Jewish AIDS network.
Political commentary, Gay rights, Seder of Hope.
Political commentary.
The collection contains materials chronicling the activism of Marc Paige from 1992-2014. The bulk of the collection consists of newspaper and magazine clippings of articles either written by Paige or about Paige's activities. A prolific writer of letters to the editor and responses to articles in a range of print media, the collection contains Paige's published arguments with numerous local and national figures. Many of these clippings relate to the passage of Rhode Island's gay rights bill in 1995, the controversies surrounding Paige's speaking engagements in middle and high schools, the founding of the interfaith "Seder of Hope," as well as other topics related to gay rights or HIV/AIDS education in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Florida.
The collection also contains correspondence related to Paige's educational speaking, including responses from students, educators, and politicians who heard him speak. Also included is the transcription of an oral history interview of Paige conducted as part of an AIDS/HIV Oral History Project by Rebecca Sears in 1998.
All researchers seeking to publish materials from the collections of the John Hay Library are requested to complete a Notice of Intent to Publish, available on the John Hay Library website or by request, prior to reproducing, quoting, or otherwise publishing any portion or extract from this collection. Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Marc Paige papers, Ms.2017.018, Brown University Library.
The scrapbooks are arranged chronologically.
There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Gift of Marc Paige in 2015.