History Series / NeverWipeTearsWithoutGloves

* DeathBySex

* AdultFear: Rasmus's parents are more than a little scared he might contract AIDS. Guess what happens... Watching Rasmus's father sob over his dying son is downright heart-wrenching.
** The premise itself. A disease that kills you in a horrible way, spreading like wildfire, affecting you and all of your closest friends. Those who get it become outcast by society.
*** The third book has a heartbreaking scene where Rasmus breaks down over the knowledge that once he's dead he will be put in a black plastic bag labeled "Risk of contagion" and his remains treated like they're garbage.

"''Torka aldrig tårar utan handskar''" ("''Never Wipe Tears Without Gloves''") is a Swedish mini series in three parts based on three novels by Jonas Gardell (individually subtitled "''Love''", "''Sickness''" and "''Death''"). The series aired in the fall of 2012 and the books were published between 2012 and 2013.

!!This series provides examples of:.
* AdultFear: Rasmus' parents are more than a little scared he might contract AIDS. Guess what happens... Watching Rasmus' father sob over his dying son is downright heart-wrenching.

* AscendedFanboy: Sort of. Erik Engkvist wrote fan mail to Jonas Gardell and Gardell wrote back. Through their correspondence Engkvist told Gardell about his experiences as a gay Jehovah's Witness. When Gardell wrote the book he based Benjamin on Engkvist.

* BasedOnATrueStory: Some characters are based directly on real people, other are composite characters and some are entirely fictional. The entire series is based on friends of Jonas Gardell and the things they lived through during the eighties.
* TheBeard: An involuntary example. At [[spoiler:Bengt's]] funeral, his best friend Madde is said to be his girlfriend, to hide the fact that he was gay. She never acted as his beard while he was alive, though.

-->'''Benjamin''': What is told in this story has happened. And it happened here, in this city. It was like a war, fought in times of peace. In a city where most people continued to live their lives as if nothing had happened, young men fell sick, wasted away and died.

* ButNotTooGay: Completely averted. The series includes a couple of sex scenes between men and all gay couples are shown kissing and touching. Adam Pålsson (who plays Rasmus) said in an interview that he and Adam Lundgren (who plays Benjamin) agreed right from the start to allow each other to touch, kiss and caress one another freely anywhere on their bodies. The result is a couple portrayed on screen who display a heck of a lot of physical affection for one another which makes the romance very believable.

* DeathByDespair: Heavily implied to have been the fate of [[spoiler:Harald]], the year after [[spoiler:Rasmus died]].
** Also applies by proxy to [[spoiler:Bengt]], and all the others who took their lives upon being diagnosed. At the time HIV and AIDS were so stimatized that many couldn't handle living with the disease itself and the social stigmas so they chose to end their suffering before it began. If they hadn't, some might have gone on to live long, happy lives despite their sickness. Case in point, [[spoiler:Benjamin]], who gets diagnosed in the eighties but whose sickness doesn't develop very fast and he lives long enough for the drugs that slow the progress of the disease to become available.

** In the books there is a mention of an beautiful 19th century chair that was donated to the AIDS ward but was then draped in plastic to stop infection from jeans and underwear-wearing men and that people talked about their disease with their doctor, went home and then killed themselves. In the 2012 segment Benjamin sits his ass down on the normal chair in front of his doctor's table, shakes his hand, asks about his values but needs to ask what those values mean since he constantly forgets about the finer points about his illness, thanks him, get up and goes on with his absolutely normal life.

* TheFunInFuneral: [[spoiler:Paul]] has one of the most awesome funerals ever.

* NothingIsTheSameAnymore: Most noticeable during the last time the group gathers to celebrate Christmas. The only survivor's at this point are [[spoiler:Paul, Seppo and Benjamin. Paul only has days to live, to boot.]] Instead of having the usual grand feast, they sit in the kitchen with no Christmas decorations and eat simple food.

** NarratorAllAlong: Björn Kjellman stars as the Narrator, gives narration that isn't plot specific but is about AIDS in general in Sweden. Then at the opening of the third part we start at the 2010's where Kjellman enter an apartment, goes past a wall full of Pictures of the characters we know and love, takes a call on his mobile phone and calls himself... Benjamin Nilsson.
* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Rasmus is from Värmland, an area with a quite distinctive accent, but neither he nor his parents nor their neighbour show any trace of it.

** At [[spoiler:Lars-Åke's]] funeral, Benjamin curses when he hears that donations are being made to the Cancer Fund (implying that [[spoiler: Lars-Åke]] had died of "legitimate" cancer, rather than "shameful, self-inflicted" AIDS).

* TitleDrop: In an opening scene a young nurse is chastised by her older colleague for having wiped [[spoiler:Reine's]] tears without her gloves on, using the exact title words.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The TV series never reveals if Seppo caught HIV, if he found somebody new, or even if he stayed in touch with Benjamin. The book reveals that Seppo [[spoiler:and Benjamin are still close and that Seppo eventually found somebody new and married his new partner.]]

!!This series provides examples of:

* {{Adorkable}}: Benjamin can be this at times.

* NobodyOver50IsGay: Averted.

->"''You '''don't''' get to re-live your life. That's the whole point.''"

* AllGaysLoveTheater: Averted with Paul (who would rather watch soap operas on video), but played straight with Bengt.

* STDImmunity: '''Brutally''' averted. It's kind of the whole point.

->"''You '''don't''' get to re-live your life. That's the whole point.''."

->''As long as we gives a voice to all those who died; as long as we educate the young and as long as we shame those who were there and over-reacted -- then we will have suceeded.''

* TheTwink: Rasmus

* TeamDad: Seppo.

The series is based on real people and real experiences of Jonas Gardell, himself a gay man who was around the same age as Benjamin and Rasmus in the eighties. It became a huge hit when it premiered in Sweden and a landmark piece of entertainment. It does not shy away from depicting gay relationships, it was produced by and aired on Swedish public service and when Jonas Gardell was named Homo of the Year at the Swedish Gay Gala in early 2013 it was the Swedish crown princess who handed him the award. BBC Four aired the series in December 2013, under the title "''Don't Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves''". The series received great critical acclaim and is now available on DVD with English subtitles.

"''I want, in my life, to get to love somebody who loves me''."
--> - Benjamin

"''You '''don't''' get to re-live your life. That's the whole point.''."
--> - Paul

''As long as we gives a voice to all those who died; as long as we educate the young and as long as we shame those who were there and over-reacted -- then we will have suceeded.''
--> -- Director Simon Kajser

"''And it was those who loved the most... Those by love possessed... They were the ones who fell to the frost.''"
--> - Closing Narration

* WordOfGay: Holger.

--> '''Paul''': ''Innocent?!'' Then what does that make the rest of us, ''guilty?''

* DyingAlone: Many of the AIDS victims. [[spoiler: Reine]] is repeatedly stated to have ''chosen'' this, so as not to bring "shame" on his family. [[spoiler: Benjamin, who has been ostracized by his family and lost most of his freinds to AIDS, fears that this will be his fate, but he survives.]]

"''You can't re-live your life. That's kind of the whole point.''."

Set in Stockholm in the 1980s the series depicts the gay culture of Sweden, the spread of HIV and AIDS and above all the fear and the prejudice that came with the disease. It is narrated by Benjamin, a Jehovah's Witness who is invited to a Christmas party by Paul, a flamboyant homosexual man with a habit of taking young, insecure gay men under his wing. At the party Benjamin meets Rasmus, a young man from the small community of Koppom who moved to Stockholm to be able to explore his sexuality. Benjamin and Rasmus fall in love and begin to build a life together, facing problems such as prejudice and Benjamin not wanting to tell his parents that he's gay, but for the most part having a happy life and a great love. Then HIV and AIDS begins to spread among the gay community and Rasmus finds out he has the disease.

* AttendingYourOwnFuneral: When Benjamin reveals his sexuality to his parents they pay him a visit, bringing cake and roses. While they are eating the cake Benjamin realizes that he's actually attending what his parents consider his funeral, since once they leave they will consider him dead.

* TheBeard: Sort of. At [[spoiler:Bengt's]] funeral his best friend Madde is said to be his girlfriend, to hide that he was gay. She never acted as his beard while he was alive, though.

* CharacterFocus: The book devotes a few chapters solely to [[TheWoobie Reine]], [[CouldHaveBeenAContender Bengt]] and [[TheEveryman Lars-Åke]].

* ConvertingForLove: Sort of. Benjamin leaves Jehovah's Witnesses to be with Rasmus, though it's never stated if he actually converts to another form of Christianity.

* TheDiseaseThatShallNotBeNamed: Parents often lies about what killed their son, causing distant relatives to donate money to Cancer Research.

--> ''Innocent?!'' Then what does that make the rest of us, ''guilty?''

--> ''Girlfriend... It is one thing that this beautiful young man wasn't allowed to live his life -- but must they deny him that short life that he had?!''

* ParentalAbandonment: Benjamin's parents [[YouAreDeadToMe act as though he is dead]] after he leaves their church.

* AllGaysArePromiscuous: One of the prejudices gay men faced in the eighties. It was commonly used against the gay community at the time. Some of the characters in the story are promiscuous (as much as Rasmus loves Benjamin he doesn't want a monogamous relationship, Paul ReallyGetsAround) but many are not (Benjamin only ever sleeps with Rasmus, Seppo and Lars-Åke are monogamous).
* AllGaysLoveTheater: Averted with Paul, played straight with Bengt.

* CampGay: Paul.

* CharacterFocus: The book devotes a few chapters solely to Reine, Bengt and Lars-Åke.

* DwindlingParty: Most of Benjamin's friends have died of AIDS by the end of the series. The third part is called "Death" for a reason.
* DyingAlone: Many of the AIDS victims, notably [[spoiler: Reine]].

** NarratorAllAlong: Björn Kjellman stars as the Narrator, gives narration that isn't plot specific but is about AIDS in general in Sweden. Then at the opening of the third part we start at the 2010's where Kjellman enter an apartment, goes past a wall full of Pictures of the characters we know and love, takes a call on his mobile phone and calls himself... Benjamin Nilsson

** At [[spoiler:Lars-Åke's]] funeral, Benjamin curses when he hears that donations are being made to the Cancer Fund (implying that [[Lars-Åke]] had died of "legitimate" cancer, rather than "shameful, self-inflicted" AIDS).

* DrivenToSuicide: Several gay men took their own lives when they got the diagnosis. Out of the main characters this happens with [[spoiler:Bengt]].

* DwindlingParty: Most of Benjamin's friends have died of AIDS by the end of the series. Especially the third part is ripe with this as that is when most of the deaths take place.
* DyingAlone: Many of the AIDS victims.

* GoodVictimsBadVictims: Paul comments on a newspaper article stating that the first "innocent" victim of AIDS has died.

* NothingIsTheSameAnymore: Most noticeable the last time they all gather to celebrate Christmas the group consists only of [[spoiler:Paul, Seppo and Benjamin. Paul only has days to live, to boot.]] Instead of the usual grand feast they sit in the kitchen with no Christmas decorations and eat simple food.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: When Bengts best friend Madde is identified as [[TheBeard "Bengt's Girlfriend"]] by the priest at his funeral, Paul answers not with his normal glib, but with genuine tear-filled offence.
--> ''Girlfriend... It is one thing that this beautiful young man wasn't allowed to live his Life -- but must they deny him that short Life that he had?!''
** Also at [[spoiler:Lars-Åke's]] funeral Benjamin curses when he hears that donations are being made to the Cancer Fund.
* ParentalAbandonment: Benjamin's parents pretend that he's dead after he leaves their church.

* RulesLawyer: Paul told the tale of getting a blow-job by an Orthodox Jew. When pointing out the paradox of this the man quipped that he had indeed "Never laid with a man as one lies with a woman" -- he had been on his knees the whole time.
* STDImmunity: Averted.
* StraightGay: Several characters. Most notably Benjamin and Seppo.

--> ''Girlfriend... It is one thing that this beautiful young man wasn't allowed to live his Life -- but must they deny him that short Life that he had?!''

* GoodVictimsBadVictims: Paul comments on a newspaper article stating that the first "innocent" victim of AIDS has been diagnosed.