Career

Levithan has been on the forefront of the reaction to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome epidemic since the early Eighties. Levithan writes prolifically on living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and other issues related to GLBT culture on both Advocate.com and GoodMenProject.com. Levithan was born on the island of Manhattan on April 11, 1951, third son of Alice and Lou Levithan.

He was raised in the liberal suburb of Englewood, New Jersey, attending public schools K - 12 and graduated from Dwight Morrow High School in 1969.

In 1984 Levithan trained at GMHC as a buddy and began volunteer work with seriously ill patients. In 1986, he found an alternative support group, The Healing Circle and became actively involved, eventually leading groups.

By 1987 the group had several hundred attendees at 3 weekly groups, representing an alternative to the main-stream agencies which were preparing people to die. The Manhattan Center for Living was formed and then in 1991 Levithan began working as a counselor, group facilitator, and later, board member at Friends in Deed.