Mary Fisher

Mary Fisher is an American political activist, artist, and author. After contracting HIV from her second husband, she has become an outspoken HIV/AIDS activist for the prevention, education, and compassionate treatment of people with HIV and AIDS. She is particularly noted for her speeches before two Republican Conventions: Houston in 1992 and San Diego in 1996. The 1992 speech brought the convention floor to silence and tears, moving millions around the world. This speech has been hailed as "one of the best American speeches of the 20th Century."

She is the founder of the Family AIDS Network, Inc., and the Mary Fisher Clinical AIDS Research and Education (CARE) Fund, non-profit organizations dedicated to funding HIV/AIDS research and education. Since May 2006, she has served as a global emissary for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and is a member of the Leadership Council of the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS. Her enduring advocacy efforts have taken her around the world, supporting those who share her HIV-positive status.

Fisher is also a recognized artist and author of six books including "My Name is Mary: A Memoir", "Angels in Our Midst", "ABATAKA", "Sleep With the Angels", "I'll Not Go Quietly", and "Messenger: A Self-Portrait", the latter detailing her life story and experiences dealing with HIV. Her artwork has been exhibited in both one-woman and group shows and features in prestigious private and public collections. Additionally, Fisher has fostered economic empowerment through teaching HIV-affected women in Rwanda and Zambia to hand-bead bracelets, which she designed and markets to support them and their families. Her multifaceted contributions to art and advocacy continue to resonate from her current base in Sedona, Arizona.