Homophobia, discrimination and AIDS Activism

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Homophobia, discrimination and AIDS Activism
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Emergence of AIDS

• AIDS emerges in US in 1981
• Associated with Gay men Gay Related Immune
  Deficiency (GRID)
• Enters in climate of political and societal
  homophobia
• In many areas eg Tennessee gay men remain
  closeted and discriminated against
• Verghese in reader
• But emerging liberalism towards sexuality in key
  cities (NY, SF)

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• Rising number of AIDS cases emerge
• By 1983 1,112 cases
• 47.3 in NY area
• friends began dying, so many friends. We were
  losing people every day. We would hear of a new
  guy who had it, or who had died or gone home to
  die. Men were losing their homes, their medical
  benefits, their jobsand then beyond this
  decimation, in their world it was as if, to the
  rest of the normal world, nothing was happening.
  Just silence, I wanted to scream out We are
  dying! We are dying! But back then we didnt yet
  have a voice.
• Reflection on emergence of HIV, in Patton 1983

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First actions

• Gay mens help organizations are first to respond
• eg GMHC 1982
• AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power!
• ACT-UP 1987
• Education
• Agitate for treatment action
• Respond to immediate needs of HIV
• Housing, health care, food
• Respond to discrimination
• State and Federal

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1987 Wall Street Protests
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Political ClimateDenial, Silence and Inaction

• Regan support base conservation, right wing
  Christian community
• Self-imposed ignorance
• Allies Republican party to take election
• Jerry Falwell, Pat Buchanan

Strong beliefs against homosexuality as
immoral Constrains Regans ability to address
topic
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• Funding cuts for prevention work
• Regan fails to mention AIDS until October 1987
• In response to expulsion from school of HIV and
  burning of childrens homes
• Asked to confirm everyday contact is safe
• we just dont know. I can understand both sides
  of the argument

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The AIDS Memorial Quilt Project
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• 1987
• Memorializes life lost to AIDS
• Strong political and personal message to nation

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Homework Website research on AIDS activism

• Detailed on course website
• Due Friday 13th
• Good review for exam ?
• 2 pages typed maximum (1.5 spaced)
• 1. When and where did the Gay Men's Health Crisis
  (GMHC) and ACT-UP begin? What were the key
  reasons for this and who were the leading
  members?
• 2. What were the different goals of each of these
  organizations?
• 3. Write a paragraph on Wall Street Protests and
  AIDS Quilt.
• 4. Look over the ACT-UP Oral History project.
  Write a paragraph on one that is most interesting
  to you.