Page 9 - Act Up News Today

The defiant group of AIDS activists was itself riven by discord. What can the movement’s legacy, of both ferocity and fragility, teach us?

Queer to the Left was active from the late 90s through 2005. courtesy Therese Quinn Heading into the 21st century, queer activism was at a crossroads. While the AIDS epidemic was far from over for the millions of people who lacked access to adequate health care and could not afford expensive antiretroviral therapy—which cost thousands of dollars a year even wit...

>> why? >> well, i think because its a gay cancer. >> reporter: larry kramer was a founder of "act up," a group that used raucous tactics to mandate faster development of drugs. among the early researchers looking for both a cause and a cure was dr. anthony fauci. >> the plan is to put into clinical trials individuals who have full-blown aids. >> reporter: but when the first drug, a.z.t., was approved in 1987, the demonstrations got louder because the drug cost so much. >> your dosage is probabl...

Increasing influence on aids policies. the weekly meetings of the new york chapter attract hundreds, and the loosely-knit organization counts 10,000 members nationwide, mostly young, mostly gay. >> lets do a big demonstration there and keep it there. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: the atmosphere at the meetings and at the groups headquarters is characterized by enthusiasm and belligerence toward established institutions. playwright larry kramer started act up to accelerate the aids drug ap...

Those moments, i think it can be helpful to know what that particular person has been through before. in terms of understanding what kind of effect it might have on them for them to be unfairly attacked and pilloried in public life. it helps to know where theyve been, to know whether theyve got what it takes to stand up to some of the unfair treatment that sometimes comes with being in the public eye. this was "nightly news," "nbc nightly news," may 21, 1990. >> this was a major day of protests ...

A hard time from them, in an ongoing way. three days after that protest at nih, at his office, the lead aids researcher at nih had been scheduled to give a talk in new york city about treatment options for people with hiv. heres where that scene is described in the books, against the arts by peter arnaud. they say quote, the audience was packed with act up members. the researcher quit, i enjoyed so much the visit of some of you a few days ago. then he fielded questions from the crowd. the mood w...

In the past, scientists have strongly resisted such pressure. act up thanks to the scientists can be made to listen. robert bell, nbc news, bethesda. >> that was may 1990. bethesda, maryland, at the campus of the national institutes of health. that was really something. hundreds of people got arrested. you saw people getting clubbed there by police. some of that footage. it was part of that protest people with aids wrapped themselves up in red tape. as they marched on the nih building, as if the...

In getting the food and drug administration to loosen regulations for new drugs for aids. now the activists are trying to force scientists to work faster to develop and test new treatments. in the past scientists have strongly resisted such pressure. act up thinks the scientists can be made to listen. robert bazell, nbc news, bethesda. >> that was may 1990. bethesda, maryland, at the campus of the national institutes of health. and that was really something, hundreds of people got arrested. you ...

That happen, which earned him respect from the activists who he was helping into the corridors of power. it didnt stop him from getting a hard time from them, though, in an ongoing way. three days after that protest at nih, at his office, the lead aids researcher at nih had been scheduled to give a talk in new york city about treatment options for people with hiv. here is how that scene is described in the book "against the odds" by peter arno. it says, quote, the audience was packed with act up...

Activist group, act up, with a voice over said both helped organize that protests at nih. and was also serving on a formal advisory committee at nih. a formal advisory committee at an nih while trying to test and approved new drug. that happened, activists were brought on to those advisory groups, because the top aids researcher at nih made that happen. and that he met with activists, he cracked open the egg h to force that big scientific government agency to put actual people with aids on these...