25 Years of AIDS Activism

25 Years of AIDS Activism

San Francisco — The weekend of June 19–21, 2015, will bring an exceptional gathering of veterans of AIDS activism to San Francisco to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sixth International AIDS Conference, which took place in the city at the end of June 1990. A series of events open to the public will commemorate, debate and dissect how AIDS activism changed the agenda of the conference and shaped broader responses to the HIV/AIDS pandemic:

• June 19: What’s Your Damage? An evening of art, performance and dialogue addressing how queers and activists who struggled through the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s are surviving, dealing with or getting by in a present that is haunted and informed by that past. Time: 8:30–10:00 p.m. Location: Magnet, 4122 18th St., San Francisco.
• June 20: How AIDS Activists Crashed the AIDS Conference and Changed the Agenda. A living-history panel featuring participants remembering a week of dramatic protests, the issues they addressed and the responses of police, conference goers and San Francisco residents. Time: 4:30–7:00 p.m. Location: San Francisco LGBT Center, 1800 Market St., San Francisco.
• June 21: When Our Comrades Fell: An ACT UP Memorial. A ceremony of remembrance honoring ACT UP members lost to the epidemic and to other causes. The event will feature music, poetry, photographs, and personal tributes to activists by activists. Time: 12:30–3:30 p.m. Location: The Women’s Building in San Francisco, 3543 18th St., San Francisco.

About the 1990 Conference and AIDS Activism. By 1990 San Francisco was an epicenter of both the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the activism spawned by the disease. News that in June 1990 the city would host the Sixth International AIDS Conference—a prestigious biennial gathering of researchers, policymakers, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical firms and others—galvanized AIDS activists. The conference marked a high point of protest against government inaction, discrimination, fear-mongering and corporate profiteering as deaths from the epidemic continued unabated. ACT UP San Francisco, a forceful AIDS militant group of the era, took the lead in organizing a week of demonstrations that drew international attention and that helped shift the agenda for responses to the epidemic.

About the Anniversary Events. A group of veteran AIDS activists is organizing the anniversary weekend. Everyone who took part in the 1990 protests—and everyone interested in learning more about their history and impact—is invited to attend. All events are free admission.

More information: Write to actupreunion25@gmail.com or visit the ACT UP Reunion Facebook group:www.facebook.com/groups/acfupreunion2014sf.

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