Ferd died in 2007, his obituary describing him as “a veteran of the ‘new left’ ” and crediting him as the cowriter and coproducer of The Continuing Story of Carel and Ferd. He hosted the launch meeting for DAGMAR (Dykes and Gay Men against Racism/Repression/the Right Wing/Reagan), the first activist group structured around HIV/AIDS advocacy in Chicago, and the demonstrations they participated in contributed to, among other successes, the opening of the AIDS ward at Cook County Hospital. From 1993 to 2001 he was the AIDS coordinator for the City of Los Angeles, and fought for safe housing, needle exchanges, and initiatives for women living with AIDS. He once said a beautiful thing about his own organizing that I paraphrase all the time, because so many moments call for it: once you realize you can’t do everything, he said, you’re free to do anything.