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Essay Subject: History, delay in community reaction, ACT UP, Gay Men's Health Crisis, ideologies & strategies, leadership, dissension, fundraising, role of entertainment industry.... More...

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Paper Abstract: History, delay in community reaction, ACT UP, Gay Men's Health Crisis, ideologies & strategies, leadership, dissension, fundraising, role of entertainment industry. Paper Introduction: By the start of the 1990s, 200,000 Americans had already succumbed to the AIDS virus, and at least one million more are probably infected today. Unless a spectacular breakthrough comes soon, most of these people will be dead before the new millennium. This is the setting for the continuing battle against AIDS, a battle which has been going on for at least ten years now. Gay activist organizations, which had been little more than parade planning committees and social groups in the 1970s, became voices of rage and civil disobedience in the 1980s and 1990s. Less radical AIDS organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign Fund (HRCF) and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGTLF) continued to work behind the scenes. Fund raising groups in the private sector, such as the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR) and AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), were sponsored heavily by celebrities, including Elizabeth Taylor. Initially, however, there were two AIDS activist organizations responding to the crisis. Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. The 18-month-oldgroup enacted the suspension when members failed to reach a consensus on aproposal that would have banned "racist, sexist, biphobic, anti-Semitic,and homophobic" comments at its weekly meetings.[1 ] In a previous case of internal dissention in September of 199 , theSan Francisco chapter of ACT UP had split into two groups after an internaldebate over issues similar to those that Queer Nation encountered. In short, theallocation of resources is a complex process involving value judgements andsocial choice. "Queer Nation Goes on Hiatus in San Francisco." TheAdvocate 594 (January 1992): 24.Gallagher, John. Gay activist organizations, which had been little more thanparade planning committees and social groups in the 197 s, became voices ofrage and civil disobedience in the 198 s and 199 s. The Israeli lobby, the Jewish lobby, has over1, ."[21]Kramer credits the Gay movement with only a handful of individuals who areactually registered and licensed to lobby Washington. [9]John Gallagher, "NGRA Ends Operations," The Advocate, 18 June 1991,14. A critically acclaimed novelist, playwright, andscreenwriter, Kramer was one of the first to sound an alarm about"something that is setting off the time bomb that is causing the breakdownof immunity in certain bodies."[2] In 1981, Kramer urged caution in the New York Native, the city's gayweekly newspaper, in 1981: "While it is true that we don't know what it isspecifically, isn't it better to be cautious until various suspected causeshave been discounted, rather than be reckless?"[3] Differences of opinionwere immediate. [21]Ibid., 43. In short, if AIDS activists are going to have more political clout inthe future, they will need to acquire more monetary support from the gaycommunity, especially from those gay royalty who could give more freely.Responsible, effective, well educated leaders are needed to lobbyWashington. ACT UP was so looselyorganized that "there was no mechanism for marshalling behavior, forcriticizing people for getting out of line, for kicking people out . [5]Ibid., 75. According to Larry Kramer, ACT UP's founding father, the group fellapart after four years because of internal dissent. If money is what will affect change, these leaders andlobbyists will need to take more dollars into the corridors of power. the World." The Advocate 617 (December1992): 4 -48.----------------------- [1]Randy Shilts, Conduct Unbecoming: Lesbians and Gays in the U.S.Military, Viet Nam to the Persian Gulf (New York: St. Amid all the differences in ideology and leadership, AIDS activismhas produced results. The consequence ofinaction was death; thus, ACT UP's slogan, "Silence equals death" was born. New York's Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) and AIDS Coalition toUnleash Power (ACT UP) were formed by gays as a reaction to an indifferentsociety. The group decided that Kramer's confronta tional style would make him an unsuitabl e president of the group, even though he had taken a leading role in its organizat ion. He then cites some startling statistics in light ofgays' lack of apparent leadership and lobbying power: "The automobileindustry has several thousand (lobbyists). AIDS activists have had an effect on changing the pace at which themedical and scientific research communities have responded to the AIDSplague, but not on the basic political process. "Even if money did not directlytranslocate from a column entitled 'diabetes research' to one entitled'AIDS research,' the overall health care research pie remained essentiallyfixed; money spent on AIDS was money not spent on something else."[18]Similarly, manpower hours used in expediting drug trials and grant reviewswere not in limitless supply; it may be reasonably argued that theirdeployment in the cause of AIDS slowed work in other areas. It is notable that GMHC was born in early 1982, at a meeting in Larry Kramer's Fifth Avenue apartment . Typically underfunded, the group onlyoperated on $4 , per year, and Woods stole a $2,2 of that.[13] Eventhough this is one example, it illustrates the necessity of accountablebookkeeping in all organizations, from the smallest to the largest. AIDS advocates began to be more humble in their approach to the moneygiving establishment halfway through the first decade of virus: The metamorphosis in the second half of the 198 s was the recognition by AIDS advocates that funding is a political process. [3]Ibid., 3. Feiden, Against the Odds: The Story ofAIDS Drug Development, Politics and Profits (New York: Harper CollinsPublishers, 1992), 3. The gears of bureaucracystill grind slowly. Martin's Press, 1991.Zachary, Bohdan. "We have started to act like a traditional minority group," Levi said. It can be said, however, that AIDS activists havefocused attention on a plague that many would like to ignore. By 1987, as HIV testing alerted tens ofthousands that their lives were on the line, this changed dramatically,mobilizing staid figures like Leonard Matlovich (a purple heart soldier whowas expelled from the military and has since died of AIDS), who wouldpreviously never have considered breaking the law."[1] ACT UP was born on March 1 , 1987, in the basement of the Lesbian andGay Community Services Center (LGCSC) on 13th Street in Greenwich Village.Larry Kramer, the Angry Man of the AIDS movement, and its most vocalcontributor and detractor, was asked to speak at the last minute on thatfirst meeting. David Geffen, the record industry mogul, and Elizabeth Taylor,were also withdrawing their support.[14] On June 3, 1993, an AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) benefit headlinedby a Calvin Klein fashion show, became "another of the spectacular pull-out-all-the-stops expenses-be-damned this-is-show-business kind of affairs thathave become the hallmark of AIDS fundraising, especially in LosAngeles."[15] Roger McFarlane, executive director of Broadway Cares/EquityFights AIDS, and one of the cofounders of GMHC, stated that "A couplehundred grand from Calvin Klein is an obscene joke." According toMcFarlane, in the past, many of Klein's own people were being cared for byGMHC, and yet he was bitterly ungenerous, vicious, and unresponsive whenasked to donate. Primarily a law firm,but instrumental in numerous court battles against AIDS-baseddiscrimination, the organization had been staggering since 1989, when itwas rocked by intense media criticism of executive director Jean O'Leary,and by bitter high-level infighting that lead to O'Leary's and threeothers' resignations.[9] The San Francisco chapter of direct-action gay rights group QueerNation suspended operations in March of 1992 after steep drops inmembership and infighting over gender and racial issues. [17]Ibid., 82. Yet in the same breath, they fret over the dangers of publicly disclosing the expense, risk, and moral dilemmas of the practice. But most of Kramer's fury was directed at the political leadership of New York and Washington. There were also claimsthat employees were not being adequately protected from tuberculosis,common among people with AIDS. These charity extravaganzas are seemingly becoming moreimportant than the message, especially when one considers that for everydollar APLA received, 4 cents was left after event costs were accountedfor; only 34 cents will actually go to services for people with AIDS afterdeducting APLA salaries, rent, etc. Additionally, employeeshad no faith in the agency's grievance procedure. New York: Harper CollinsPublishers, 1992.Bull, Chris. Like ACT UP,it was a pioneer among gay activist AIDS organizations. As Randy Shilts reported in Conduct Unbecoming, anexhaustive study of gays in the military, "When they demonstrated aboutAIDS, however, the protests tended to be sentimental, candle-lit affairswith anguished pleas for help. All in all, the charity events are amixed blessing, because more cost efficient ways to raise money exist. Employees were seeking tounionize the 11-year-old center because "management was unfair, and did notreward employees with basic considerations such as a fair promotion policyand just grievance procedure." Organizers cited the forced resignation ofa popular manager as one example of management's indifference.[12] In Hawaii, William Woods, a Honolulu AIDS activist, and head of theHawaii AIDS Task Group (HATG), was forced to resign because he had beenstealing funds. This is the setting for the continuingbattle against AIDS, a battle which has been going on for at least tenyears now. If my speech tonightdoesn't scare the shit out of you, we're in real trouble. [6]Ibid., 75. The National Rifle Associationhas in excess of 25 . [2]Peter S. One ofthe ACT UP groups now confines itself primarily to AIDS issues, while theother also engages in direct action on broader social issues, such asracism and sexism.[11] Issues of personal powerlessness and working conditions threatened toclose down GMHC in September of 1993. Martin's Press, 1991), 58. . Wachter, The Fragile Coalition: Scientists, Activists,and AIDS (New York: St. Against the Odds: The Story of AIDSDrug Development, Politics, and Profits. Although the causative virus was still two years away from discovery, and the precise mode of transmission had not been elucidated, Kramer was convinced that promiscuity was involved in the spread of the illness. He makes a very good point when he notes that it's appalling that"there is no gay organization that people join in droves like every Jewbelongs to the B'nai B'rith or the UJA (United Jewish Appeal)."[2 ] Kramer blames the relative failure of AIDS activism on lack ofrepresentation in Washington--25 million gays are represented in Washingtonby virtually no one. [19]Victor Zonana, "Kramer vs. Activists havechallenged discriminatory AIDS practices against minorities and women,children, and prisoners in housing employment, insurance, and health care.Sadly, however, ACT UP had folded by the end of 1992. [22]Arno, 82.----------------------- 1 14 Nevertheless, his efforts to goad GMHC into political activism were unsuccessful; the New York group opted to focus its energy on fund raising and education of at-risk populations. [16]Ibid., 46. Wachter offers this assessment of the state ofAIDS activism in the late 198 s and early 9 s: "the AIDS community beganto confront a question born of its success: Was AIDS getting more than itsfair share?" He goes on to note that federal spending for AIDS reached$1.6 billion in 199 , a period in which only $1.5 billion was spent oncancer, and $1 billion for heart disease. By the start of the 199 s, 2 , Americans had already succumbed tothe AIDS virus, and at least one million more are probably infected today.Unless a spectacular breakthrough comes soon, most of these people will bedead before the new millennium. [8]Ibid., 59. In the past, most gay organizations ran on small budgets, barelysurviving through private contributions and governmental handouts. HATG acted as a forum through which state AIDSorganizations exchanged information. However, according to Kramer, it remains the ineffectualstepchild of activism. "What AIDS has done is teach gays that government has a positive contribution to make." Five years later, Levi would look back in pride: "Long after AIDS is gone, we will have changed how research is done in this country."[17] Perhaps Levi was referring to the fact that research is allocated asa scarce resource, and pieces of the health care pie must be shared withall those in need. I founded ACT UP and watched them change the world."[8] Leadership challenges have posed a persistent threat to the longevityof a preponderance of AIDS activist organizations. The Fragile Coalition: Scientists, Activists, andAIDS. One of the longest lastingones, the second-richest gay group in the nation, National Gay RightsAdvocates (NGRA), closed its doors in May of 1992. Anyone could voteafter attending two sessions--but since no one took attendance, it wasimpossible to know whether that restriction was respected.[4] The angryrhetoric and hostile tactics used by ACT UP were, in part, influenced byKramer's confrontational style. "Kramer vs. . Kramer, a man who seldom hesitates to speakhis mind, has criticized GMHC for devoting insufficient energy to politicallobbying and advocacy--the New York group was always more focused onpatient services--and pleaded for stronger leadership.[6] He stated thatall power is the willingness to accept responsibility. It is politically respectable, in contrast to the harsh, in-your-face tactics of ACT UP, and thus far more palatable to potentialbenefactors. Control of the floorwas assigned to a "facilitator" who changed regularly. "In the Name of Charity." The Advocate 635 (August1993): 43.Osborne, Duncan. In the early years, resources were scarce and internal struggleswere often bitter, but today, more than a decade after its start, GMHC ismore thoroughly funded, thanks mainly to celebrity fund raisers and privatecontributions. If what you'rehearing doesn't rouse you to anger, fury, rage, and action, gay men willhave no future here on earth. Paul Popham was selected as the group's president , as described by Randy Shilts in his And the Band Played On. In alater example will see how the pieces of charity pie are divided after alarge AIDS benefit. [13]John Gallagher, "Misuse of Funds at AIDS Group Shakes Hawaii," TheAdvocate, 11 February 1992, 19. Even so, AIDS advocates were quick to point out thatAIDS resources often "did not come at the expense of other health careneeds." Wachter, himself a physician committed to the AIDS cause,considers the above statement to be naive. [4]Ibid., 75. We will also assess theirpolitical impact on policy making from a current perspective. Kraft sums up the dilemma as follows: Groups that monitor charities say that AIDS groups are far more dependent on big-name event fund-raising than groups that raise money to combat other diseases, and almost without exception, officials of AIDS service organizations admit that event fund-raising is out of control. Kramer would later say, "I helped found GMHC and watched them turn into a sad organization of sissies. the World," The Advocate, 15 December1992, 44. [14]Bohdan Zachary, "AmFar Under Siege," The Advocate, 21 April 1992,44. At the start of 1992, business was anything but usual at the AmericanFoundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR), the world's most successful private-sector AIDS research foundation. Conduct Unbecoming: Lesbians and Gays in theMilitary, Viet Nam to the Persian Gulf. The amount ofradicalism employed by the group is only a small contributing factor whenone looks at the bigger picture: most gay groups of any sort havecomparatively short life spans due to causes ranging from internal frictioncaused by ineffective leadership, lack of coherent focus, differingconcepts of "political correctness," and theft. How long does it take before you get angryand fight back?"[5] The other main gay political organization, New York's GMHC, was moretherapeutic than political. The group deserves creditfor reducing the time it takes an AIDS drug to get FDA approval from twelveto two years. Are AIDS organizations nowfinancially strong, but still in dire need of substantial leadership? Even as early as 1981, in a speech givenbefore the fledgling group, Kramer gave his grim prognosis: "At the ratewe are going, you could be dead in less than five years (Kramer himself hasnow been positively diagnosed with the AIDS virus). Hefaults most gays with not supporting gay groups, and is especially harsh ongay royalty--the David Geffens and the Barry Dillers--who could give farmore than they do. By making such disclosures, they say, they would shoot themselves in the foot.[16] The entertainment industry's generous support of AIDS charitiesnotwithstanding, the system of funding is an inherently political process.In addition, much of the political movement on AIDS has come from advocacygroups treading more conventional paths than ACT UP. His very name was anathema among the crowd they needed to reach if they were to raise substanti al funds.[7] Differing ideologies and strategy drove a wedge between Kramer andGMHC, and pitted Kramer's ACT UP against the governmental status quo.Wachter recounts Kramer's insistence that personal behavior was behind thespread of the deadly virus, a very politically incorrect view at the time: Kramer and the rest of the GMHC organization soon divided over strategy. He implored the group to warn gay men of the dangers of what would later be called unsafe sex. Theentertainment industry stepped forward, however, and AIDS organizationshave become dependent on them. BibliographyArno, Peter S., and Karyn L. [2 ]Zonana, 46. It has hounded the producer of AZT, one of the most expensivedrugs ever released, into twice lowering its price. Some members of the gay community, preferring to shoot themessenger, labeled Kramer an alarmist, fearmonger, and homophobe. [7]Robert M. "Misuse of Funds at AIDS Group Shakes Hawaii." TheAdvocate 596 (February 1992): 19.Kraft, Ronald Mark. itwas democratic to a fault."[19] According to Kramer, AIDS activist organizations need powerfulleadership, meaning leaders with real power, and financial clout. To date, ACT UP alone has been responsible forfifteen available treatments for AIDS patients. "NGRA Ends Operations." The Advocate 579 (June 1991):14.Gallagher, John. Executive Director Robert Brown hadresigned the previous fall, amid charges of homophobia, sexism, and anti-Semitism. For the first six years of the AIDS epidemic, the gay community hadbeen a surprisingly passive population on the political front. Its function wasto provide public health education, social support, and counselingservices. ACT UP's ground rules required the organization to function without aboard of directors, paid staff, or elected leader. ACT UPwas generally accepted as Kramer's organization, and thus responsive to hiswarnings, but the group had no official leader. ACT UP has provided housing for homeless people with AIDS.It has distributed 1 , clean needles a week in New York and SanFrancisco. Most oftheir energy was spent in establishing support services for AIDS patients,which made sense, since if gays did not perform such tasks themselves, noone else would. MartinDelaney, an AIDS activist responsible for getting experimental drugs intothe hands of dying patients, proclaimed that "people with life-threateningillness have rights that supersede those of society to control theirbehavior."[22] That proclamation continues to be a rallying point for manyin the activist movement. [12]Duncan Osborne, "State of the Union," The Advocate, 21 September1993, 32. GMHC, the largest and perhaps most widely known community-based AIDSorganization, was also born around the same time as ACT UP. [11]Ibid., 24. [1 ]Chris Bull, "Queer Nation Goes on Hiatus in San Francisco," TheAdvocate, 14 January 1992, 24. "State of the Union." The Advocate 638 (September1993): 32.Shilts, Randy. Less radical AIDSorganizations such as the Human Rights Campaign Fund (HRCF) and theNational Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGTLF) continued to work behind thescenes. Martin's Press,1993), 574. Arno and Karyn L. [15]Ronald Mark Kraft, "In the Name of Charity," The Advocate, 1 August 1993, 43. Jeff Levi, then executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, noted the transformation as early as 1985. These AIDS organizations, their ideologies, differing views,finances, and leadership, will be examined. Building security was also lax, leading toan average of one to two thefts per week. The combination ofspirited protests by activist groups like the AIDS Action Council and theNational Gay and Lesbian Task Force resulted in an unprecedented governmentresponse to the epidemic. "AmFar Under Siege." The Advocate 6 1 (April 1992):44.Zonana, Victor. New York: St. Martin's Press,1993.Wachter, Robert M. New York: St. [18]Ibid., 84. Employees at the agency foundthemselves divided over the issue of unionization. Fund raising groups in the private sector, such as the AmericanFoundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR) and AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA),were sponsored heavily by celebrities, including Elizabeth Taylor.Initially, however, there were two AIDS activist organizations respondingto the crisis. He had quickly moved past denial into anger--anger over what he perceived as government's indifference to the deaths of large numbers of gay men. He claims that gay activists will only build ameaningful power structure when gay organizations are staffed by the bestfull-time professionals, both lobbyists and executive directors, that moneycan buy. Feiden. Nowthat AIDS has been deemed a politically correct cause (homosexuality mightbe another matter), celebrities are staging benefits in record numbers.Money is being raised in unprecedented amounts, but is it being channeledto the right AIDS organizations, or is much of it ending up in the pocketsof administrators and middle managers? 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