About Raising Generation HIV

Raising Generation HIV (formerly An American Family: An AIDS Legacy) is a documentary photography book chronicling the extraordinary journey of Steven Lofton and Roger Croteau, a gay couple in Florida who became pioneers in caring for children living with HIV during the height of the AIDS epidemic.
 

A Family Born From Compassion

In 1988, while working as nurses in a Miami pediatric AIDS unit, Steven and Roger were asked to care for Frank, an eight-month-old boy living with HIV whose mother was terminally ill. They said yes.
 

That decision changed their lives. At a time when fear and misinformation surrounded HIV/AIDS, Steven and Roger opened their home to children who were often abandoned or orphaned.
 

Over the years, they welcomed five children, creating a family defined by love, resilience, and commitment. 
 

Their journey included profound loss, serious medical challenges, legal battles, and intense public scrutiny.

Their fight to protect their family became part of a larger national conversation about HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ+ parenting, adoption, and the meaning of family.
 

From Ginger’s Book to Today

Part of the story first appeared in Ginger’s Book: An AIDS Primer, published in 1995. Raising Generation HIV incorporates that earlier work while expanding the story to include the family’s years in Oregon and bringing their journey into the present day.
 

Through intimate documentary photographs spanning more than 35 years, Tomás Gaspar documents not only the realities of raising children with HIV, but also the strength, dignity, and love that sustained this remarkable family.
 

More than the story of one family, Raising Generation HIV is a testament to resilience, chosen family, and the transformative power of love in the face of stigma.
 

Preserving the History

I’m thrilled to have partnered with Wise Ink to publish Raising Generation HIV, with a planned release in Fall–Winter 2026.
 

The Kickstarter campaign was successfully funded at more than 200%. Thank you to all of my backers for helping bring this project to life.
 

I’m honored that Raising Generation HIV will become part of the Library and Archives of the Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The photographs and history documented in this book will be preserved in Stonewall’s LGBTQ+ collection for future generations.
 

Stonewall is also planning a major expansion and a new permanent museum home in Fort Lauderdale, creating additional space to preserve, exhibit, and share LGBTQ+ history and culture.
 

This is more than a book. It is a record of a family, an era, and a history that must not be forgotten.
 

Stay tuned—there is much more to come.