- In full:
- AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power
- Date:
- 1987 - present
- Areas Of Involvement:
- AIDS
- gay rights movement
- activism
- Related People:
- Marsha P. Johnson
ACT UP
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What is ACT UP?
ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) is an international organization founded in 1987 in response to government inaction during the AIDS epidemic. It employs nonviolent civil disobedience to raise awareness, fight misinformation, and advocate for those living with HIV/AIDS.
Driven by the slow pace of AIDS research and drug approvals, ACT UP gained attention through demonstrations. The group protested against Burroughs-Wellcome, the makers of azidothymidine (AZT), for the high cost of the drug. ACT UP also targeted the FDA for its slow approval of experimental treatments. By the early 21st century, ACT UP had expanded globally to end the AIDS crisis worldwide.
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Why was ACT UP created?
ACT UP, or AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, was founded in March 1987 in response to the U.S. government's perceived inaction regarding the growing AIDS epidemic. By 1987, AIDS had caused nearly 60,000 deaths worldwide, with over 40,000 HIV-positive cases in the U.S. alone.
ACT UP aimed to address the crisis through civil disobedience and nonviolent protests, drawing attention to critical issues. The organization sought to find an AIDS cure while providing accurate information and raising awareness through education. ACT UP played a role in reversing misconceptions about AIDS and addressing inadequacies in the U.S. government's treatment of people with AIDS.
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What does the name ACT UP stand for?
ACT UP stands for AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power. Founded in March 1987 in Manhattan, New York, the international organization formed in response to the U.S. government's perceived inaction regarding the growing number of deaths from HIV infection and AIDS. ACT UP aimed to address the AIDS crisis through daily acts of civil disobedience and nonviolent protest, using vocal and visual demonstrations to focus attention on critical issues. ACT UP chapters exist around the world.
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How did ACT UP help people with HIV and AIDS?
ACT UP, founded in 1987, combatted the AIDS epidemic through education, radical activism, and nonviolent protest. The organization challenged misinformation and stereotypes, such as the false claims that women couldn't contract AIDS from heterosexual men or that it could be transmitted via public spaces. ACT UP's demonstrations and open forums helped reverse these misconceptions, drawing attention to the U.S. government's inadequate response to people with AIDS. ACT UP also protested policies that discriminated against individuals with AIDS, such as Northwest Orient Airlines' ban on HIV-positive passengers, leading to policy reversals through lawsuits and public pressure.
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What types of actions or protests is ACT UP known for?
ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) is known for its radical, nonviolent protests and civil disobedience to fight the AIDS epidemic.
Founded in 1987, the international organization employed vocal and visual demonstrations to focus attention on critical issues regarding the AIDS crisis. ACT UP staged protests against misinformation on AIDS and discriminatory practices, such as Northwest Orient Airlines barring people with AIDS from flights.
The organization also led large demonstrations against AIDS-related discrimination, including a blockade of Wall Street to protest the high cost of the HIV drug AZT. ACT UP activists targeted the FDA and even occupied St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City to protest the Roman Catholic Church’s stance on homosexuality and prophylactics.
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How has ACT UP influenced health and human rights around the world?
ACT UP, founded in 1987, is an international organization that addresses the AIDS epidemic through education, radical nonviolent protest, and advocacy for a cure.
Driven by perceived governmental inaction and prejudice, ACT UP employed civil disobedience to highlight critical issues. Their efforts included protests against misinformation and discrimination, such as the Northwest Orient Airlines policy against people with AIDS. ACT UP pressured entities like the FDA and drug companies, leading to a price reduction for the HIV drug AZT.
By the early 21st century, ACT UP had over 70 chapters globally and broadened its focus to ending the worldwide AIDS crisis. The organization's activism significantly changed perceptions of the AIDS crisis and amplified the gay rights movement.
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ACT UP, international organization founded in the United States in 1987 to bring attention to the AIDS epidemic. It was the first group officially created to do so. ACT UP has dozens of chapters in the United States and around the world whose purpose is to find a cure for AIDS, while at the same time providing accurate information, help, and awareness about the disease by means of education and radical, nonviolent protest.
The organization was founded in March 1987 at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center in Manhattan, New York, in response to what was seen as the U.S. government’s lack of action on the growing number of deaths from HIV infection and AIDS. By 1987 AIDS had killed almost 60,000 people worldwide, and more than 40,000 were HIV-positive in the United States alone. The numbers were considered staggering, and the gay community—as the first and, for a time, only demographic noticeably affected—was at the centre of the crisis. Under the administration of President Ronald Reagan, funding for AIDS-infected patients, research for a cure, and research for drugs to slow down the disease were slow. Some attributed the delay to the antigay prejudice of many Americans that they also saw reflected in the Reagan administration; thus, many in the gay community felt that it was their responsibility to exert pressure regarding these issues.
The mission of ACT UP was to carry out daily acts of civil disobedience and nonviolent protest, using vocal and visual demonstrations, in order to focus attention on critical issues regarding the AIDS crisis. One of their first victories came in June 1987, when activists protested at the New York City offices of Northwest Orient Airlines because the airline barred people with AIDS from its flights. The group brought two lawsuits against the airline, and the policy was reversed. By 1988 the group had gained credibility in the new field of AIDS activism. They led protests against news articles, films, and news reports that provided misinformation on AIDS, such as that women could not get AIDS from heterosexual men and that AIDS could be passed through public bathrooms, pools, and drinking fountains. Through constant public protests, open forums, and information sharing, ACT UP was able to help reverse these misconceptions and stereotypes and bring attention to the inadequacies of the U.S. government’s treatment of people with AIDS.
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On January 22 and 23, 1991, in New York City, ACT UP led the largest protest to that time against AIDS-related discrimination. Declaring a “Day of Desperation,” protesters led mass marches and delivered coffins to city, state, and federal offices that the group held responsible for perpetuating the AIDS epidemic. Many demonstrators were arrested and, as they and their fellow activists would continue to be throughout the years, subjected to police brutality, as well as antigay verbal and physical harassment. By the early 21st century ACT UP had more than 70 chapters around the world and had expanded its vision to include an end to the worldwide AIDS crisis. It has been argued that their efforts radically changed the way the world saw the AIDS crisis and the power of the gay rights movement.