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ACT
This space is the newsletter fo r AC T UP!
Portland and is made possible by a grant
from the M cKenzie River Foundation
and Just Out
ACT UP Portland
hits two years
UP
society. Look at our plans for an on-the-street
and visible IV needle exchange program. Notice
our call for expanding the Centers for Disease
Control’s definition of AIDS - related illnesses to
include typical infections that occur in women
living with HIV, so they have equal access to
resources that men living with AIDS have. See
our participation in the call for universal health
care. We will continue the fight with drug com­
panies, with unresponsive press and government
agencies, and with homophobic and racist insti­
tutions and individuals. Why don’t you join the
fight? Help us end these AIDS-related messes
sooner; they won’t go away on their own. Take
your anger and ACT UP! Do what you can.
t’s been two years. ACT UP Portland has
been tweaking noses, generating debate
and making some changes happen for two
years now. Have we pissed you off?
Have we disrupted ‘mainstream’ life? Have we
made you stop and think? Have we got you talk­
ing about AIDS issues, about the lack of govern­
ment action or concern, about condoms? Have
we pointed out the criminal state of health care
in the U.S., the censorship by this state’s major
bout 50 AIDS activists blocked traffic for
newspaper, the hypocrisy o f certain government
a half hour on the Burnside Bridge during
officials? We damn well hope we have.
rush hour on Dec. 3, National AIDS
True, we’ve had a rough and tumble relation­
Awareness Day. The demonstration was staged
ship with you these past two years. These are
to draw attention to the fact that 1000 Oregoni­
desperate times. When we began agitating in
ans have been diagnosed with AIDS, while
December ‘88, there had been 52 AIDS-related
AIDS prevention, education and treatment serv­
deaths reported in Oregon. This state now has
ices remain grossly underfunded. Large signs
1,000 plus AIDS cases. ACT UP Portland has
demanding health care for all and stating facts
had to push beyond the boundaries of Portland’s
about women and AIDS were held in view of the
relaxed “live-and-let-livc” philosophy. You
slowly passing motorists. The police set a time
don’t live long these days by being polite. There
limit for the demonstration, after which everyone
are no apologies for stirring up this complacent
was told to move to the side of the street. Three
burg.
protestors had to be forcibly removed by police,
And w e’ve only begun. The AIDS crisis
but were not arrested.
looks to be here for a long time, thanks to
In spite of the ongoing negotiations between
society’s reluctance to act immediately; ACT UP
the lesbian and gay community and the Portland
Portland is here for the haul.
Police Department in the spirit of fostering cul­
January ushers in a new energy and focus
tural sensitivity and AIDS awareness, several
within ACT UP Portland. Internally, we have
officers present at the protest were wearing rub­
recently made a commitment to a stronger demo­
ber gloves. When asked why they needed the
cratic group process and to a greater validation of
gloves, they responded that they wanted to pro­
and attention to women and people of color con­
tect themselves from AIDS. Although they were
cerns. After two years we continue to have a
told that they could not catch AIDS from touch­
dynamic and active membership. Despite the
ing a person with AIDS, they persisted in wear­
widespread rumors of a split or breakup of ACT
ing the gloves, and made sarcastic and insulting
UP Portland, the group is actually much sounder,
remarks.
stronger and more efficient after the loud resig­
On the same day, demonstrations took place
nation o f two former members. O ur focus is
all over the nation. In Atlanta, 600 people dem­
again fully on the fight outside, not inside, the
onstrated at the Centers for Disease Control,
group.
demanding that the CDC change the definition of
ACT UP Portland is committed to addressing
AIDS to include opportunistic infections specific
and fighting the A IDS-related issues that are
to women. Members of the People with Immune
consistently overlooked and actively denied by
Disorders caucus of ACT UP chained themselves
I
Activists block
Burnside Bridge
A
together in front of the main building, where 40
people were eventually arrested. Another 49
were arrested in the office o f the head of the
HIV/AIDS division. W om en’s Health Action
M obilization (W HAM ) held a teach-in about
how women differ from men, and how AIDS
affects women differently.
No more lip
service! Take to
the streets!
ake action on the day o f Bush’s State of
the Union Address. ACT UP Portland will
join all other ACT UPs around the world
for our most ambitious demonstration in history.
The day is to be called “Day o f Desperation.”
The day is designed to bring AIDS to the fore­
front of the discussion. It is meant to show we
are desperate, we are becoming bigger and more
powerful, and we are more willing than ever to
put our bodies on the lines. W e’ll protest to
counter governm ent rhetoric that AIDS is a
manageable condition. We know AIDS is not
manageable. It is a fucking nightmare. It is get­
ting worse and there is no one in charge of this
mess. This action is meant to be a preemptive
strike at Bush. We all know that no matter what
he says in his State of the Union address, it is lip
service. At the time o f this writing the exact date
has not yet been announced, but CALL US for
more details and look for flyers near the end of
January. We will be holding a civil disobedience
workshop for those interested in participating.
ACT UP!
T
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS
General:
Phil
229-0645
Women’s Committee:
Lucy 236-7837
Merchandise:
Lori
775-4763
Direct Action Committee:
Oliver 246-2944
Agenda:
Phil 229-0645
Needle Exchange:
Lori 775-4763
Michael 281-1125
Newsletter:
Laura 775-4763
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