Andre: In 1986, this hospital needed blood. As so many did. But sexually active gay men were banned from donating it in this country, even if they knew they were HIV negative.
Max: It's not Helm's fault. It was the way the world was then.
Andre: Gay man can't donate convalescence plasma for COVID right now, so you tell me, what exactly changed? I was a gay HIV negative man, my friends were dying, they needed blood, I couldn't donate, I was the head of the damn blood bank. You know what that feels like? A person has to do something. Has to act.
Max: Like Howie Cournemier?
Andre: Howie was fearless. I never met him, but God was he inspiring. He made it so simple. Just do something. Act up. And I did.
Max: You had gay men hide their identities and donate using Howie's name.
Andre: That's the best thing to do during a plague. Give. Help. I got to see scared men going from helpless to heroes drop by drop. Until...
Max: Helm found out.
Andre: He said he'd fire me, my staff, too. Howie Cornemeir wouldn't have stopped fighting, but I needed my job. So I shut the program down, and that's something I have to live with for the rest of my life.
Max: You refilled this hospital's blood bank in under a month, during a pandemic. You're a hero.
Andre: Yet you honor the man who made me a coward. The world is burning, Dr. Goodwin. And you spend your day hunting me down for me defacing a photograph? Shame then. Shame now.