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83-586: The Treatment Action Group had its origins in the AIDS activist organization, ACT UP New York. In January 1992, members of the Treatment and Data Committee of ACT UP left the parent group to create a non-profit organization focused on accelerating treatment research. During the early 1990s, TAG members, including Mark Harrington and Spencer Cox , advocated with government scientists, drug company researchers, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials to speed

166-682: A "Harmful to Minors" law making it illegal to distribute sexually explicit material to underage persons. On November 29, 1991, the Black Friday shopping day, ACT UP activists dressed in Santa Claus costumes chained themselves inside Macy's flagship Herald Square department store to protest the store's decision not to rehire an HIV-positive Santa, Mark Woodley. They sang protest Christmas songs with lyrics such as, "Santa Claus has HIV, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la/Macy's won't rehire he, fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la." Nineteen activists were arrested at

249-555: A commercial break. The same night ACT UP demonstrated at the studios of the MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour . The next day activists displayed banners in Grand Central Terminal that said "Money for AIDS, not for war" and "One AIDS death every 8 minutes." One of the banners was handheld and displayed across the train timetable and the other attached to bundles of balloons that lifted it up to the ceiling of

332-516: A coordinated national policy to fight the disease. An op-ed article by Larry Kramer published in The New York Times the previous day described some of the issues ACT UP was concerned with. Seventeen ACT UP members were arrested during this civil disobedience . On March 24, 1988, ACT UP returned to Wall Street for a larger demonstration in which over 100 people were arrested. On September 14, 1989, seven ACT UP members infiltrated

415-443: A full-scale national educational program within reach of all. The organization held die-ins and sleep-ins, provided freshman orientation for Harvard Medical School students, negotiated successfully with a major pharmaceutical corporation, affected state and national AIDS policies, pressured health care insurers to provide coverage for people with AIDS, influenced the thinking of some of the nation's most influential researchers, served on

498-583: A passage in David Wojnarowicz 's 1991 memoir Close to the Knives , these actions scattered the ashes of people who had died of AIDS, including Wojnarowicz and activist Connie Norman, on the White House lawn, in protest of the federal government's inadequate response to AIDS. Formed in 1989, ACT UP Vancouver began at a public meeting to determine how to respond to the government's inaction on

581-481: A psychiatrist, entitled "Reassuring News About AIDS: A Doctor Tells Why You May Not Be At Risk." The main contention of the article was that in unprotected vaginal sex between a man and a woman who both had "healthy genitals" the risk of HIV transmission was negligible, even if the male partner was infected. Women from ACT UP who had been having informal "dyke dinners" met with Gould in person, questioning him about several misleading facts (that penis to vagina transmission

664-401: A range of events and services for individuals ages 13–21 such as dances, movie screenings, open mic night, summer camp and discussion groups. The programming and services are connection, leadership, support, and youth resources. The center also houses Center Youth (previously called Y.E.S.), which provides support and resources for LGBTQ and allied youth. Programs such as both a young men's and

747-455: A young women's discussion group, a gender exploration group, a safe schools network, a yearly summer camp and a variety of support groups are available to youth free of charge. In February 2011, the center became embroiled in a controversy over a pro-Palestinian group that was to have a party in the building on March 5 during " Israeli Apartheid Week ". The group, Siegebusters, planned to train activists and raise funds for another vessel to break

830-410: Is impossible, for example) and questionable journalistic methods (no peer review , bibliographic information, failing to disclose that he was a psychiatrist and not a practitioner of internal medicine ), and demanded a retraction and apology. When he refused, in the words of Maria Maggenti, they decided that they "had to shut down Cosmo." According to those who were involved in organizing the action, it

913-741: Is located in the West Village at 208 West 13th Street in Lower Manhattan , in a historic building which formerly housed an elementary school and the High School for Food Trades. In December 1983, the New York City Board of Estimates approved the sale of the former Food and Maritime Trades High School, located at 208 West 13th Street, to the Lesbian & Gay Community Services Center, Inc. for $ 1.5 million. According to

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996-508: Is shutting down. TAG criticized the move by MSF in an open letter by Mark Harrington . The open letter declares: "The shuttering of the Access Campaign will have an extremely negative effect on the very populations whom MSF stands in solidarity.... We urge you to reverse the decision to close down the Access Campaign and engage with our communities to ensure continued collaboration." Treatment Action Group's mission statement describes

1079-649: The Democratic and Republican presidential debates and primaries in New Hampshire , and at other events during the presidential race . During an ordination of priests in Boston in 1990, ACT UP and the Massachusetts Coalition for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights chanted and protested outside during the service. The protesters marched, chanted, blew whistles, and sounded airhorns to disrupt

1162-556: The Harvey Milk High School, a program of the Hetrick-Martin Institute. The Lesbian Switchboard became a permanent tenant after it was evicted from its former home, and Dignity, a Catholic gay and lesbian religious organization , sought refuge when it was expelled from Catholic churches . In 1989, the center commissioned The Center Show, an art exhibit to commemorate the 20th anniversary of

1245-538: The Hearst Building (parent company of Cosmopolitan ) chanting "Say no to Cosmo!" and holding signs with slogans such as "Yes, the Cosmo Girl CAN get AIDS!" Although the action did not result in any arrests, it brought significant television media attention to the controversy surrounding the article. Phil Donahue , Nightline , and a local talk show called "People Are Talking" all hosted discussions of

1328-599: The Israeli naval blockade of Gaza . Advocate columnist and porn producer Michael Lucas threatened a boycott, claiming that Israel is the only gay-friendly country in the Middle East , that the group was antisemitic , and that LGBT people in the Palestinian territories are tortured and killed. The center cancelled the party, stating that Siegebusters was not an LGBT-related group. Siegebusters protested

1411-526: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland , splitting into sub-groups across the campus. The protest was in part directed at National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and its director, Anthony Fauci . Activists were angered by what they felt was slow progress on promised research and treatment efforts. According to Kramer, this was their best demonstration, but

1494-594: The New York Stock Exchange and chained themselves to the VIP balcony to protest the high price of the only approved AIDS drug, AZT . The group displayed a banner that read, "SELL WELLCOME" referring to the pharmaceutical sponsor of AZT, Burroughs Wellcome , which had set a price of approximately $ 10,000 per patient per year for the drug, well out of reach of nearly all HIV positive persons. Several days following this demonstration, Burroughs Wellcome lowered

1577-594: The Queen Elizabeth Theater . They protested against the Premier of British Columbia Bill Vander Zalm who was in favor of enacting quarantine legislation (Bill 34). There was a diverse range of activist groups from the community who protested against Bill 34, there were many members from ACT UP, support from the First Nations community, and politically left-leaning people. Despite its impact,

1660-875: The Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights , in October 1987, ACT UP New York made their debut on the national stage, as an active and visible presence in both the march, the main rally, and at the civil disobedience at the United States Supreme Court Building the following day. Inspired by this new approach to radical, direct action, other participants in these events returned home to multiple cities and formed local ACT UP chapters in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Rhode Island, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and other locations. ACT UP spread internationally. In many countries separate movements arose based on

1743-687: The Stonewall riots . Some of the pieces in the exhibit included: Adam and Eve by George Martin, Boy on a Wall by Stephen Lack, and Once Upon a Time by Keith Haring . The availability of meeting space was a major organizing tool for the LGBT movement in the 1980s and early 1990s. Groups that have expanded throughout the nation, such as the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) , Queer Nation , Lesbian Avengers , and Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) , had their inception at

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1826-399: The 1980s due to its Catholic nature. They took over the emergency room and covered crucifixes with condoms. Their intent was both to raise awareness and offend Catholics. Instead of pressing charges, the sisters who ran the hospital decided to meet with the protesters to better understand their concerns. On May 21, 1990, around 1000 ACT UP members initiated a choreographed demonstration at

1909-580: The 1989 CDC demonstration, where ACT UP members learned about issues motivating the action. The handbook, edited by Maria Maggenti , formed the basis for the ACT UP/New York Women and AIDS Book Group's book titled Women, AIDS and Activism, edited by Cynthia Chris and Monica Pearl, and assembled by Marion Banzhaf, Kim Christensen, Alexis Danzig, Risa Denenberg, Zoe Leonard , Deb Levine, Rachel (Sam) Lurie, Catherine Saalfield (Gund) , Polly Thistlethwaite, Judith Walker, and Brigitte Weil. The book

1992-678: The ACLU and the New Jersey Women and AIDS Network, called for adding fifteen conditions to the list of the CDC's surveillance case definition, which was eventually adopted in January 1993. Six months later, the Clinton administration revised federal criteria for evaluating HIV status and making it easier for women with AIDS to secure Social Security benefits. The Women's Caucus's role in altering

2075-523: The ACT UP/LA organization was unique because in this chapter they had a significant amount of control over how they included women's issues into the organizations larger gay male actions. Men were present in the WC, but only as allies, which harvested a collaboration for effective actions, rallies, and any acts of resistance for the whole organization as a whole. While the collaboration was not always perfect, at

2158-538: The AIDS crisis, and focused their activism on the provincial political crises surrounding AIDS. The first ACT UP event took place in Robson Square as a public display of art in which three mummies wrapped in linen hung upside down to depict the inaction and neglect of the provincial government on those affected by AIDS. They organized and participated in various protests, including the Les Misérables at

2241-642: The American model. For example, the famous gay rights activist Rosa von Praunheim co-founded ACT UP in Germany. Much of the documentation chronicling ACT UP's history is drawn from Douglas Crimp's history of ACT UP, the ACT UP Oral History Project, and the online Capsule History of ACT UP, New York. On March 24, 1987, 250 ACT UP members demonstrated at Wall Street and Broadway to demand greater access to experimental AIDS drugs and for

2324-535: The CDC's definition helped to not only drastically increase availability of federal benefits to American women, but helped uncover a more accurate number of HIV/AIDS infected women in the United States; "under the new model, the number of women with AIDS in the United States increased almost 50 percent." Members of the ACT UP Women's Caucus collectively authored a handbook for two teach-ins held prior to

2407-454: The Church's opposition to abortion . This led to the first Stop the Church protest on December 10, 1989, at St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York . Originally, the plan was just to be a "die-in" during the homily but it descended into "pandemonium." A few dozen activists interrupted Mass, chanted slogans, blew whistles, "kept up a banchee screech," chained themselves to pews, threw condoms in

2490-658: The East Coast and second only to one in San Francisco, and soon became "Ground Zero" for the AIDS-afflicted in NYC. The hospital "became synonymous" with care for AIDS patients in the 1980s, particularly poor gay men and drug users. It became one of the best hospitals in the state for AIDS care with a large research facility and dozens of doctors and nurses working on it. ACT UP protested the hospital one night in

2573-608: The Fifth International AIDS Conference in 1989 and inspired the creation of ACT UP MTL. They also confronted Montreal prisons about their high rates of HIV, which they suggested were due to condoms not being available to prisoners. ACT UP MTL was formed in March 1990. Despite discouragement by the provincial government and Minister of Health, who felt that public information about AIDS prevention would encourage homosexuality and drug use, ACT UP MTL

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2656-531: The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for a day. Media reported that it was the largest such demonstration since demonstrations against the Vietnam War. The AIDS activists shut down the large facility by blocking doors, walkways and a road as FDA workers reported to work. Police told some workers to go home rather than wade through the throng. "Hey, hey, FDA, how many people have you killed today?" chanted

2739-653: The Greenwich Village Society for Historical Preservation, the first tenants of the Center were Partnership for The Homeless, Community Health Project, Friends of the Earth , S.A.G.E., Metropolitan Community Church and the Media Network . In its first year, 60 groups met regularly at the center. By 2007, more than 300 groups called the center home. In 1985, the center became the temporary home to

2822-514: The LGBT+ community. The Library is named in honor of Pat Parker and Vito Russo , individuals who championed LGBT+ causes in their professional and personal lives. The LGBT Community Center National History Archive is a community-based archive founded in 1990. Particular subject areas include gay liberation and the early HIV/AIDS crisis in New York. The center offers programs which care for

2905-599: The Massachusetts committee that created the nation's first online registry of clinical trials for AIDS treatments, distributed information and condoms to the congregation at Cardinal Bernard Francis Law 's Confirmation Sunday services at Holy Cross Cathedral in Boston , and made aerosolized pentamidine an accessible treatment in New England." In February 1988 ACT UP Boston, in collaboration with ACT UP New York, Mass ACT OUT, and Cure Aids Now demonstrated at both

2988-535: The NHS. Prep is a pill that if taken regularly prevents HIV infection and transmission. Formed in October 1989, by Kenny Lieske, Rob Archer and Tim Hopkins. Edinburgh had the highest number of HIV cases in Europe, most cases being among drug users. Edinburgh ACT UP's first protest was on 1 December 1989, World AIDS Day  After a march along Princes Street ending in a rally where balloons were released. One black balloon

3071-635: The Social Security benefits that men with AIDS had fought hard to secure, and won, in the late 1980s." In October 1990, attorney Theresa McGovern filed suit representing 19 New Yorkers who claimed they were unfairly denied disability benefits because of the CDC's narrow definition of AIDS. At an October 2, 1990, protest to raise attention for McGovern's lawsuit, two hundred ACT UP protesters gathered in Washington and chanted "How many more have to die before you say they qualify," and carried posters to

3154-589: The UK. Three people were arrested including Kenny Lieske from Edinburgh ACT UP. In March 1990, members of ACT UP London chained themselves to the gates of Downing Street on budget day. ACT UP London's last protest was a march in Kennington on World AIDS Day (1 December 1993). This was on cuts to social security benefits for disability benefits. The group was revived by Dan Glass in 2014. The second incarnation came about to campaign for PreP to be made freely available on

3237-478: The action. "In January 1988, [ACT UP/Boston] held its first protest at the Boston offices of the Department of Health and Human Services, regarding delays and red tape surrounding approval of AIDS treatment drugs. ACT UP/Boston's agenda included demands for a compassionate and comprehensive national policy on AIDS; a national emergency AIDS project; intensified drug testing, research, and treatment efforts; and

3320-642: The affinity ACT group TAG (Treatment Action Guerillas). While the police were called, no one was arrested, and the group was allowed to take the condom down, though they did receive a parking ticket. The event was dramatized, with fictionalized characters, in a 2019 episode of the FX television series POSE . In October 1992 and October 1996, during displays of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and just before presidential elections, ACT UP activists held two Ashes Actions. Inspired by

3403-488: The air, waved their fists, and lay down in the aisles to stage a "die-in." While O'Connor went on with mass, activists stood up and announced why they were protesting. One protester, "in a gesture large enough for all to see," desecrated the Eucharist by spitting it out of his mouth, crumbling it into pieces, and dropping them to the floor. One hundred and eleven protesters were arrested, including 43 inside

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3486-562: The article. On the latter, two women, Chris Norwood and Denise Ribble took the stage after the host, Richard Bey , cut Norwood off during an exchange about whether heterosexual women are at risk from AIDS. Following their participation in the Cosmopolitan protest, ACT UP's Women's Caucus targeted the Center for Disease Control for its narrow definition of what constituted HIV/AIDS. While causes of HIV transmission, like unprotected vaginal or anal sex, were similar among both men and women,

3569-561: The building. These groups range from political activist organizations to social clubs. The center also frequently hosts speeches, performances, workshops, and commercially sponsored information sessions. Programs produced by the center include Center Wellness, an Adult Services Department working with people with AIDS, struggling with substance abuse issues, mental health challenges and much more; Youth Services, an activities-based program for LGBT youth; Center Cultural Programs, presenting established and emerging artists, writers, and activists to

3652-437: The center. At one point in the early 1990s, the center was hosting regular meetings for more than three hundred groups. In 2015, the center completed a $ 9.2 million renovation, which included numerous improvements to the space, acoustics, and lighting. Art from the 1989 The Center Show is prominently showcased throughout the newly renovated space. Every week, 6,000 people visit the center, and more than 300 groups meet in

3735-473: The center. The center's Mental Health and Social Services division also sponsors support groups focused on coming out , transgender rights , bereavement , and other topics of concern to the LGBT community. The center provides support for individuals and their families. Some of the services and programming of the center include building families, strengthening families, connecting families, family therapy certification, and family resources. The center provides

3818-561: The ceremony. They also threw condoms at people as they left the ordination and were forced to stay back behind police and police barricades. One man was arrested. The demonstration was condemned by Leonard P. Zakim , among others. ACT UP Los Angeles (ACT UP/LA) was founded December 4, 1987, and continued holding demonstrations until the early 2000s. During their run they tackled healthcare access, political issues related to LGBTQ civil rights, and supported national ACT UP campaigns. Some of their more local work focused on policy regarding

3901-471: The charges were later dropped. Members felt the incident interfered with the groups's ability to initiate reforms in conservative Vancouver . The AIDS crisis in Montreal was very pronounced and is often underrepresented in discussion about the pandemic. ACT UP worked to end the AIDS pandemic and to combat the extreme homophobia that gay men faced as a result of stigma and stereotypes. ACT UP NYC protested

3984-418: The church. Some who refused to move had to be carried out of the church on stretchers. The protests were widely condemned by public and church officials, members of the public, the mainstream media, and some in the gay community. In the 1980s, as the gay population of Greenwich Village and New York began succumbing to the AIDS virus, Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center established the first AIDS Ward on

4067-448: The community; Center Families, the center's family project. Bureau of General Services—Queer Division is a bookstore and event space located on the second floor of the center. The Center Library is a lending library started in 1991. It has been closed to the public since March 2020, with plans to reopen October 2024. The Library has sponsored monthly reading groups and been a producer and/or collaborator for literary events of interest to

4150-506: The crowd, estimated by protest organizers at between 1,100 and 1,500. The protesters hoisted a black banner that read "Federal Death Administration." Police officers, wearing surgical gloves and helmets, started rounding up the hundreds of demonstrators and herding them into buses shortly after 8:30 a.m. Some protesters blocked the buses from leaving for 20 minutes. Authorities arrested at least 120 protesters, and demonstration leaders said they were aiming for 300 arrests by day's end. Among

4233-421: The decision by organizing an online petition ; whereas Lucas hailed the decision in an interview with The Jerusalem Post . In May 2011, the center announced that it would allow the group Queers Against Israeli Apartheid to meet in their building. The Center defended the move, stating that it "provides space for a variety of LGBT voices in our community to engage in conversations on a range of topics." At

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4316-425: The development of new HIV therapies. The group produced an influential policy report on government investment in basic science, which recommended increasing funding to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and reorganizing the national AIDS research effort. Following approval of several effective antiretroviral drugs in 1995, Treatment Action Group pressed government and industry to conduct research to understand

4399-402: The disease, and his staunch attempts to block federal funding for, and education about, HIV and AIDS had significantly increased the death toll. Some of the harmful legislation he enacted is still in place. The condom was inflated and the message on it read: "A CONDOM TO PREVENT UNSAFE POLITICS. HELMS IS DEADLIER THAN A VIRUS." The event was captured live on the news. This was the first action of

4482-713: The end it created a stronger force against discrimination of HIV+ people in Los Angeles. Some of the work that the WC did was distribute statistical information about women who are HIV+, the lack of appropriate screening and health care access, information about safer sex practices (in English and Spanish), as well as acts of action to push for better. Lauren Leary was an integral in the organization because her work revolved around gathering existing research about HIV and AIDS in women and men and current treatment options. An ACT UP national collective of women came together to create

4565-541: The group as: "an independent AIDS research and policy think tank fighting for better treatment, a vaccine, and a cure for AIDS." TAG works to ensure that all people with HIV receive life saving treatment, care, and information. We are science-based treatment activists working to expand and accelerate vital research and effective community engagement with research and policy institutions. TAG catalyzes open collective action by all affected communities, scientists, and policymakers to end AIDS. TAG's September 1991 demonstration at

4648-440: The health and needs of the LGBT community. These programs include substance use treatments for adults and youths, recovery support, recovery resources, insurance enrollment, HIV & AIDS support, TGNC ( trans and gender non-conforming ) support, internships and professional training, and counseling and mental health . Numerous Alcoholics Anonymous , Narcotics Anonymous , and other twelve-step recovery groups meet at

4731-539: The home of Senator Jesse Helms was documented in Robert Hilferty 's film I Wrapped a Giant Condom Over Jesse Helms' House . The relationship between TAG and ACT UP is also discussed in the 2012 documentary How to Survive a Plague . ACT UP AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power ( ACT UP ) is an international, grassroots political group working to end the AIDS pandemic . The group works to improve

4814-553: The lives of people with AIDS through direct action , medical research, treatment and advocacy, and working to change legislation and public policies. ACT UP was formed on March 12, 1987, at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center in New York City . Co-founder Larry Kramer was asked to speak as part of a rotating speaker series, and his well-attended speech focused on action to fight AIDS. Kramer spoke out against

4897-517: The long-term effects of the new drugs. In 2002, TAG began raising awareness of the impact that tuberculosis (TB) was having on people with HIV in the developing world. In 2007, the organization received a $ 4.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to foster increased international advocacy on TB/HIV research and treatment. In 2020, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) stated that that price Cepheid Inc charged for its Xpert Xpress tests

4980-545: The migration of HIV-positive people into the U.S., pushing for AIDS clinical trials, promoting needle exchange programs for intravenous drug users, and surveying speaking out against discrimination by health care and insurance providers. They were effective in distributing their research on Antiviral Therapy (AZT), local and international actions, and updates on the different caucuses through their ACT UP/LA newsletter. The newsletter also served as both an educational outreach and fundraising tool. Memorable actions by ACT UP/LA are

5063-490: The organization eventually dissolved around 1991, following their State of the Province protest. They stated their dissolution was not due to a lack of commitment from members, but rather a lack of expertise and negative press stemming from arrests, which led to other organizations distancing themselves from ACT UP. One of the arrested members, John Kozachenko, was accused of vehicle damage, though he asserted his innocence and

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5146-517: The owners of Cepeid made profits of $ 3 billion in 2019. They requested the same price reduction for all the tests using the same technique, including COVID-19 , HIV , TB, and hepatitis C , as the costs are similar regardless of the disease (the tests convert the RNA of the RNA virus into DNA, then tests for the presence of some DNA sequences). This request started the "Time for $ 5" campaign. On June 20, 2024, MSF announced its Access To Medicines campaign

5229-597: The people who led ACT UP's push for a bill (AB101) to protect workers from being fired because of their sexuality, California governor Pete Wilson 's veto of which led to the AB101 Veto Riot . ACT UP/LA and its associated Women's Caucus put on a “Week of Outrage” in conjunction with the national organization, which consisted of demonstrations, a teach-in, safe-sex vending event. The Women's Caucus (WC) of ACT UP/LA served an important collaboration between men and women who were being affected by HIV and AIDS. WC within

5312-570: The price of AZT to $ 6,400 per patient per year. ACT UP held their next action at the New York City General Post Office on the night of April 15, 1987, to an audience of people filing last minute tax returns. This event also marked the beginning of the conflation of ACT UP with the Silence=Death Project , which created a poster consisting of a right side up pink triangle (an upside-down pink triangle

5395-600: The protestors was artist David Wojnarowicz , then HIV/AIDS positive, wearing painted jean jacket that read: "If I die of AIDS—forget burial—just drop my body on the steps of the F.D.A."— a nascent meme. At this action, and via their campaigning in general, activists demonstrated their thorough knowledge of the FDA drug approval process. ACT UP presented precise demands for changes that would make experimental drugs available more quickly, and more fairly. "The success of SEIZE CONTROL OF THE FDA can perhaps best be measured by what ensued in

5478-731: The protests and demonstrations in county-based locations such as the USC county hospital, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. ACT UP/LA and about fifteen other organizations formed an "Alternative Budget Coalition," rented the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors' meeting room, and held a mock hearing on the county's $ 10+ billion budget, saying it spent too little on fighting AIDS. Prominent activists in this period included Connie Norman , one of

5561-476: The rally with the tagline "Women Don't Get AIDS/ They Just Die From It." The CDC's initial reaction to calls of the revising the AIDS definition included setting the threshold of AIDS for both men and women at a T cell count of under 200. However, McGovern dismissed this suggestion. "Lots of women who show up at hospitals don't get T cells taken. No one knows they have HIV. I knew how many of our clients were dying of AIDS and not counted." Rather, McGovern, along with

5644-422: The state of the Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC), which he perceived as politically impotent. Kramer had co-founded the GMHC but had resigned from its board of directors in 1983. According to Douglas Crimp , Kramer posed a question to the audience: "Do we want to start a new organization devoted to political action?" The answer was "a resounding yes." Approximately 300 people met two days later to form ACT UP. At

5727-424: The station's enormous main room. These actions were part of a coordinated protest called "Day of Desperation." In December 1991, ACT UP's Seattle chapter distributed over 500 safer-sex packets outside Seattle high schools. The packets contained a pamphlet titled "How to Fuck Safely," which was photographically illustrated and included two men performing fellatio. The Washington state legislature subsequently passed

5810-478: The symptoms of the virus varied greatly. As historian Jennifer Brier noted, "for men, full-blown AIDS often caused Kaposi's sarcoma , while women experienced bacterial pneumonia, pelvic inflammatory disease, and cervical cancer." Since the CDC's definition did not account for such symptoms as a result of AIDS, American women in the 1980s were often diagnosed with AIDS Related Complex (or ARC) or HIV. "In this process," Brier explained, "these women effectively were denied

5893-441: The year following the action. Government agencies dealing with AIDS, particularly the FDA and NIH, began to listen to us, to include us in decision-making, even to ask for our input." ACT UP disagreed with Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor on the Roman Catholic Archdiocese 's public stand against safe sex education in New York City Public Schools, condom distribution, the Cardinal's public condemnation of homosexuality, as well as

5976-608: The “Women's Treatment and Research Agenda” in 1991. Peter Staley and other activists affiliated with ACT-UP wrapped the Arlington, Virginia home of Senator Jesse Helms in a 15-foot condom on September 5, 1991. The protest condemned the Helms AIDS Amendments , which continued to block funding for education, as well as his ongoing opposition to People With AIDS , including numerous homophobic falsehoods about HIV and AIDS. Helms had actively passed laws stigmatizing

6059-480: Was almost completely ignored by the media because of a large fire in Washington, D.C., on the same day. On January 22, 1991, during Operation Desert Storm , ACT UP activist John Weir and two other activists entered the studio of the CBS Evening News at the beginning of the broadcast. They shouted "AIDS is news. Fight AIDS, not Arabs!" and Weir stepped in front of the camera before the control room cut to

6142-528: Was constructed. The creation of ACT UP Halifax is credited to Dan Hart, an activist and leader of the queer movement in Halifax in the 1980s who even hosted many of ACT UP's events in his own home. While this branch of ACT UP is less known in comparison to the larger cities in the United States and Canada , it has made some notable actions during its time. On December 1st , 1990 a protest march

6225-521: Was held on Barrington Street . What made this march different was the attendance of Pedro the Donkey, brought by the protestors to be used as a disruption method during the protest. Pedro held true to his purpose and refused to move when protesters were asked to vacate the street. This allowed Halifax's ACT UP group to peacefully protest while staying within the confines of the law. Formed in January 1989, by Rob Archer and Rae Trewartha, ACT UP [London]

6308-451: Was not affordable in countries where people live on less than two dollars a day. They estimated that the cost to Cepheid of providing the test is as low as US$ 3, and called the offered US$ 19.80, price profiteering , asking that Cepheid make a more moderate profit by selling the tests for US$ 5 each. TAG seconded this request, saying that the development of the tests, and their purchase and global deployment, has been done with public funds, while

6391-497: Was published in Spanish in 1993 titled La Mujer, el SIDA, y el Activismo. Members of the original Women and AIDS Handbook Group included Amy (Jamie) Bauer, Heidi Dorow, Ellen Neipris, Ann Northrop , Sydney Pokorney, Karen Ramspacher, Maxine Wolfe , and Brian Zabcik. On October 11, 1988, ACT UP had one of its most successful demonstrations (both in terms of size and in terms of national media coverage) when it successfully shut down

6474-564: Was released for each person who had died in Scotland, and one white balloon for each person alive living with AIDS. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Services Center The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (formerly Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center ), commonly called The Center , is a nonprofit organization serving the lesbian , gay , bisexual and transgender ( LGBTQ ) population of New York City and nearby communities. The center

6557-449: Was responsible for translating English AIDS prevention resources into French and creating their own informational flyers that were accessible to Quebec's Francophone population. The chapter was also responsible for several demonstrations in a Montreal city park to raise awareness about those living with AIDS and those lost to HIV/AIDS complications. In 1994, the park was officially named Le Parc de l’Espoir and an AIDS memorial monument

6640-502: Was significant in that it was the first time the women in ACT UP organized separately from the main body of the group. Additionally, filming the action itself, the preparation and the aftermath were all consciously planned and resulted in a video short directed by Jean Carlomusto and Maria Maggenti , titled, "Doctor, Liars, and Women: AIDS Activists Say No To Cosmo." The action consisted of approximately 150 activists protesting in front of

6723-433: Was the first ACT UP chapter in Europe. Its first action was at Wellcome's annual shareholder meeting, the parent company of Burroughs Wellcome, the makers of AZT , the first treatment that targeted HIV directly. This was quickly followed by a protest at Pentonville Prison, where condoms were floated over the walls. The next action was to highlight employment discrimination. It was at Texaco's UK headquarters.  It

6806-404: Was the first of a serious of protests against Texaco. They later targeted YHA employment discrimination. The next action blocked traffic at Elephant and Castle, South London's busiest road junction. It called on the government to end the 6 month delay for social security benefits for newly diagnosed people living with AIDS, and to improve the rate. A follow up in October, saw the first arrests in

6889-472: Was used to mark gays in Nazi concentration camps ) on a black background with the text "SILENCE = DEATH." Douglas Crimp said this demonstration showed the "media savvy" of ACT UP because the television media "routinely do stories about down-to-the-wire tax return filers." As such, ACT UP was virtually guaranteed media coverage. In January 1988, Cosmopolitan magazine published an article by Robert E. Gould ,

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