HIV / AIDS
History and Response
In 1981, AIDS was first diagnosed in the United States as a rare lung cancer that also weakened the immune system.
Opportunistic infections had existed before that, making it difficult to pinpoint exactly what caused the sickness.
In 1983, a French doctor named Dr. Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and her coworkers discovered a retrovirus that would later be recognized as the cause of AIDS.
In 1986, the retrovirus that causes AIDS was named “Human Immunodeficiency Virus”, or HIV.
French scientists, Jean-Claude Chermann, Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, and Luc Montaginer, three of the discoverers of HIV
Unfortunately, the history of those with HIV/AIDS is filled with stigma.
One of the first names for AIDS was GRID, or Gay-Related Immune Deficiency. The press coined the term “gay cancer”, targeting the queer community.
Children such as Ryan White, who acquired HIV due to hemophilia treatment, were refused permission to attend school. Those who were HIV positive were barred from entering the country until 2010.
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Another element was the fact that people with AIDS were often mocked and turned into a joke.
During a 1982 press briefing, President Reagan’s press secretary, Larry Speakes, called on conservative journalist Lester Kinsolving. Kinsolving used the term “gay plague”, which led to laughter all around. Instead of providing answers, Speakes replied with “I don’t have it”, causing more laughter.
Photos of headlines covering the HIV/AIDS epidemic
Nationwide Political Responses
How was the epidemic handled by politicians?
Due to the lack of urgency and action by United States presidential administrations, thousands of Americans suffered.
Attempts were made by representatives to allocate funding, but these movements died on the floor. The first dedicated funding programs were not approved by Congress until 1983. Even then, they had to be coupled with Toxic Shock Syndrome and Legionnaire’s Disease through a Public Health Emergency Trust Fund, to be accepted by congressional opponents.​
Ronald Reagan
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Maintained a 5-year silence
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Administration silenced any official who properly attempted to address the epidemic​
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First speech in 1987
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Presidential Commission on AIDS
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With Reagonimcs, many public health programs suffered, leading to inadequate care
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He also saw the epidemic as a “moral issue”, meaning Americans who strayed from traditional values were punished
George H.W. Bush
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Seen as a mixed bag when handling the HIV/AIDS epidemic
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Americans with Disabilities Act
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Protected people with HIV from discrimination​
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Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act
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Funding for HIV treatment​
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Only spoke once, urging people to be kinder
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Criticized ACT UP, calling them counterproductive
ACT UP
What is ACT UP?
ACT UP, or the AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power, is an organization dedicated to the fight to end AIDS through the means of direct action. It was formed in the 1980s as a response to public and political negligence of the ongoing crisis.​
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ACT UP still exists today with their primary focus remaining on advocating for people with HIV/AIDS.
What is direct action?
Direct action means addressing an issue through physical means, without looking to someone else for power.
Direct action was the primary method of ACT UP during the 1980s. The purpose is to disrupt business, seize leadership, and most importantly, gain attention.
Methods include strikes, boycotts, and blockades.
ACT UP used a few signature tactics of their own, including “Die Ins”. At these “Die Ins”, people will lie down in a public space, simulating the number of individuals who have died of AIDS. To up the visual factor, people brought coffins and fake blood.
Photo of ACT UP co-founder, activist, and playwright, Larry Kramer
Photo of an ACT UP "die in" at the FDA
What made ACT UP stand out?
ACT UP threw social norms aside and let emotions fuel their movement. They were loud, in-your-face, and presented the harsh truth of reality. Not only did they show the positive emotions, but they also showcased their fear and anger. They shared love for their queer siblings, expressed anger at the lack of attention by politicians, fear of stigmatization, and pride in their movements as an organization to fight AIDS.
They worked to alter the perspective from internal shame about homosexuality to shaming the government for its negligent response to AIDS. They valued self-respect above shame and self-doubt.
They fought the notion of “sex equals death”. They instead focused on the inaction, stating that the silence was the true cause of death (“Silence Equals Death”). This slogan paired with an upwards facing fuchsia triangle became the trademark symbol for ACT UP.
Photo of an ACT UP demonstration
Keith Haring, "Silence = Death" painting, 1989
Reactions to ACT UP
People who were part of ACT UP saw it as a fresh way to express their emotions on the issue. They found pride in amplifying voices while lifting up the community. LGBTQ+ members found that their internal homophobia was significantly lowered due to ACT UP’s views on self-respect and pride. The redirection of shame healed many of the LGBTQ+ members, as they had been living in an echo chamber for years.
Some queer people didn’t like how boisterous ACT UP’s methods were and sought to distance themselves from the organization.