Page 22 - Act Up News Today

Viewed as pariahs, lepers because of their h.i.v. virus to stand up and say im not a leper. i have a virus. i deserve to live just as much as you do. >> act ups success not only defied authority, but creating revolutionary results was the fact that we didnt simply get angry and shout in the streets. we did change the way the media talked about aids. we demanded the right to be able to live and we fought like hell for action to happen to save our lives. >> coming up, a journalist puts his life in...

Programs. >> people are having a difficult time. >> i remember most the noise. we were so loud. >> so its hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of people inside grabbed central. it was an incredible thing to see. >> seeing the banners hang over the train schedule and the banners floating on the ceiling gave me a sense of pride like we really did it. >> day of desperation attracts attention to the cause, but the urgency of act ups mission continues to grow.

Adairing stunt that will be seen by millions. as the media focused on the beginning of the gulf war, act up, using fake id badges, tries to sneak into a number of news organizations planning to disrupt their live broadcasts. they succeed at cbs. >> were going to take -- were going to break for commercial. >> we knew that the cameras were going to cut off as soon as they could, so we didnt know whether we were going to get one word out, two words out or a whole sentence. so we came up with fight ...

The washington mall in front of all the museums. >> as thousands view the quilt, a giant memorial to those who have died, act up believes that a stronger message needs to be delivered. ♪ >> we wanted to bring the remains of our loved ones who had died of aids to the white house. we decided that we would get drums and march in a funeral procession and try to urge people to leave the quilt and join us. >> tony arena is there with his video camera. >> i just made sure when they started to march, ...

World who should understand the vulnerability of being a minority being somebody that maybe others dont understand or relate to the vulnerability about work and jobs and your own -- be able to live your life as you see fit, its the gay community. >> exactly. >> for them to turn -- this is for, as i say to every other gay person out there, especially young people. for you to turn into what we have been fighting against for generations, my activism began with act up which was agay group dealing wi...

Begins the night before with a daring stunt that will be seen by millions. as the media focus on the beginning of the gulf war, actup, using fake i.d. badges, tries to sneak into a number of news organizations. planning to disrupt their live broadcasts. they succeed at cbs. >> good evening. were going to take a break for a commercial just now. >> we knew that cameras were going to cut off as soon as they could. so we didnt know whether we were going to get one word out, two words out, or a whole...

Insurance. everything. city government was also absent. ed cotchs administration was not talking about aids publicly. >> actup is born in 1987, emerging from the powerlessness that many affected by the disease are feeling. >> actups original photo was also its formula. anger into action. our grief, after a while, became anger. we took that anger and frustration and we focused it. >> a key part of actups strategy is to use the media to spread its message. >> actup was very, very savvy. we had peo...

These ashes are the person i love the most. this is whats left. >> actup continues to perform acts of civil disobedience for the next few years, but in the mid 1990s, the group splits apart due to internal disagreements. in the end, the coalition is considered groundbreaking for the attention it brings to aids. >> we got the drug company and the federal government to develop treatments that were extending lives and stopping the immediate carnage. >> by 1996, a drug cocktail is introduced that br...

Make their way home. reporting live from grand central terminal -- >> tony arena is a former videographer for actup. >> what i remember the most was the noise. i mean, we were so loud. >> so its hundreds and hundreds if not a thousand people inside grand central. it was an incredible thing to see. >> seeing the banners hanging over the train schedule and the banners floating on the ceiling gave me a sense of pride, you know, like, we really did it. >> day of desperation attracts attention to the...

As you do. >> actups success at not only defying authority, but creating revolutionary results, was the fact that we didnt simply get angry and shout in the streets. >> we did change the way the media talked about aids. we demanded the right to be able to live. and we fought like hell for action to happen to save our lives. coming up, a journalist puts his life in jeopardy to report from one of the most dangerous places on earth. when "caught on camera: defiance" continues. i told my dentist a...