APRIL 8, 1994

GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE

17

COMMUNITY GROUPS

What ACT UP has meant to me

We made it through the first year before having to note the passing of one of our own. Joe Bogar, the first member of ACT UP Cleveland to die, left us on March 25. "Wherever you are, quit spilling coffee, Joe!"

ACT UP Cleveland celebrated its first anniversary March 13. Several of our group's members set down their thoughts about ACT UP's work and what the year has been like:

Finally, there is a group of people in Cleveland who are willing to take risks and piss a few people off in the face of a crisis that is being alternately ignored and given lip-service, not only by the government and business powers, but by much (too much) of the communities AIDS is affecting. I stand in anger for the friends I've lost to AIDS, and for the friends I have who are dying while the media portrays people "living with AIDS." And I know that there's precious little that stands between me and death. Am I just another fag who's angry about dying? No. I'm one of the members of ACT UP/Cleveland who doesn't happen to have AIDS or HIV. My involvement stems from my anger at the manipulations of information and misinformation about AIDS. It stems from having educated myself about a disease I was indoctrinated to be terrified of. With that education has come the realization that the misinformation is being used to control and oppress gays, blacks, Latinos, and women. More blacks have died of AIDS in Cleveland, and more blacks have HIV/AIDS in Cleveland, but the media still presents it as a gay white male disease. AIDS is the leading cause of death of women age 24-35 in New York; more than half of whom are black, less than a

fourth are white (the balance being Latina and other non-white minorities). But AIDS is being portrayed as a gay white male disease. (Until ACT UP's intervention, a woman could die of AIDS without qualifying for assistance because AIDS was defined by gay white male symptoms.) The media slant has people believing ACT UP has a gay white male agenda. This is not true. ACT UP is fighting for all people with AIDS and all people at risk of getting AIDS. In light of the

It's speaking to people about what I believe. It's everything I wanted to be when I grew up. Truly karma. It comes from within.

Jan Cline

ACT UP has empowered me greatly. They are the only people I can joke with about dying. They hold my hand and yell at

ACT UP

THE AIDS COALITION TO UNLEASH POWER

CLEVELAND

growing consensus that HIV is not the cause of AIDS, but rather another symptom of immune deficiency, ACT UP is really fighting for all people; with a solid, unshifting focus on AIDS. Rather than cite reasons for my involvement, though, I would challenge others: Why aren't you involved? It's time to ACT UP! Fight Back! Urge your Congressional representatives to support the AIDS Cure Act! Fight AIDS!

Alan Washington

ACT UP is karma. In July I left my job to volunteer at the Free Clinic. Not really knowing why it felt right to do that, nor where I would work. Within two days I was working as a waiter downtown. I wanted to do something else. I stopped in at ACT UP for a Monday meeting, not knowing why I was even interested in ACT UP. I was interested after the meeting, so I came back the next day and started reading. I'm also new the gay educator for HIT, so there's even more to read. But it's not all reading.

me to eat. I understand now how little the doctors know-it's frightening. But with ACT UP, I feel like I'm doing something.

ACT UP makes changes.

They're like my family now.

Zak

ACT UP is where you go to feel like someone is doing something to stop the nightmare that you're living with, whether it be writing letters, making phone calls, screaming in the streets, or chaining yourself to buildings. ACT UP is not standing idly by watching your friends, family, and lovers be murdered by apathy and greed. ACT UP is direct action to find a cure. ACT UP is our greatest hope.

Wendy

I started attending ACT UP meetings for two reasons: I believe it is important to keep informed about AIDS, and I believe that it is important that the government do more than it has been doing. I've always liked ACT UP's theatrical style as well. I have found the information disseminated at meetings helpful in giving me a basis for under-

standing aspects of the disease as well as insight into the politics of the epidemic. For lack of time, I've been less successful at finding ways to be of use. I've come to admire the commitment and spirit of the core group that has made ACT UP Cleveland so successful this year. I've also been touched by their warmth and kindness.

B. Daniels

After fighting this battle for 13 years, I can still feel that I'm making a difference thanks to ACT UP. My inspiration to continue fighting was and has been Brian K. Hitzel (now deceased) and Joe Carroccio (without his financial support and dedication we could not be here). And most of all to Paul (you know how much we appreciate everything you have done for us). Being in ACT UP makes me feel alive and useful.

I

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