Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:
Title:	AIDS Activism Ephemera Collection
Inclusive Dates:	1970-2005
Quantity:	4.5 linear ft.
Abstract:	Printed material documenting AIDS activism in the 1980s and 1990s.
Language:	English, Spanish, and French.
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

In 1981, doctors in San Fransico, Los Angeles, and New York began to report an number of cases of gay men infected with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and Kaposi’s sarcoma, rare diseases associated with a compromised or surpressed immune system. These diseases were symptoms of what is now known as Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a condition that develops from untreated Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The virus is transmitted primarily through unprotected sexual contact, as well as through blood transfusions, sharing needles, and mother-to-child during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Since the virus was new to the medical community, treatment was not yet available, meaning that it was often fatal. Additionally, the lack of medical understanding at the time meant that methods of transmission were not well known, resulting in a high rate of infection and in fear and ostracization of those who were infected. Due to this stigmatization, as well as the public's perception of HIV/AIDS as a "gay plague," people living with HIV/AIDS often kept their status secret, and many of those who chose to live publicly with the disease faced discrimination, including loss of social status, health insurance, and/or employment.

As the virus spread rapidly in the early-to-mid 1980s, people and communities affected by HIV/AIDS felt that the medical community was doing little to find treatment, and that the federal government was responding to their demands for recognition and better resources with indifference. The federal budget at the time allocated little to AIDS research, and it was not until 1985 that President Reagan publicly mentioned the AIDS crisis, by which point there had been upwards of 15,500 cases of AIDS reported, and over 12,500 deaths.

In reaction, several AIDS activism groups emerged, the most prominent being the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP). Initially formed by a group of gay men and led by AIDS activist Larry Kramer in New York City, ACT UP was a political direct-action group that utilized disruptive tactics to force recognition and solutions from local and federal governments, public health agencies, and the medical community. ACT UP staged protests at Wall Street, as well as the offices of the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, and pharmaceutical companies, deploying tactics such as handcuffing themselves to desks or staging sit-ins.

AIDS activism was largely successful, with legislation and treatments starting to appear in 1987. In 1997, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first substantial decline in AIDS deaths in the United States. Today, through treatment, HIV/AIDS is a chronic but manageable infection.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The AIDS Activism Ephemera Collection contains educational materials, organizational materials, political action materials, and promotional materials related to North American AIDS activism and education.

Educational materials contains brochures, booklets, papers, and other printed materials designed to inform the public on HIV/AIDS topics such as prevention, treatment, social and mental health support options, and legal protections.

Organizational materials primarily consists of newsletters and other periodical publications by AIDS-related organizations. Some of the groups represented include ACT UP, Gay Men's Health Crisis, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, and STOP AIDS Project.

Political action materials contains open letters, event fliers, pins, bumper stickers, protest posters, and writings relating to AIDS and LGBT rights activism.

Promotional materials contains event posters and fliers for conferences, workshops, parties, performances, exhibits, and other gatherings. The series also includes a small number of fundraising material.

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Arrangement of the Collection

The collection is arranged alphabetically.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advance notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from Special Collections Research Center and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Genres and Forms

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

AIDS Activism Ephemera Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Purchases, 2023-2024. Six political protest posters transferred from American Radicalism Ephemera Collection.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: DTF
Date: 12 Mar 2024
Revision history: Collection fully processed - 3 Apr 2024 (SAB); Four posters added to the collection - 14 May 2024 (DTF)

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Inventory

	Educational materials
Box 1		AIDS fact books and pamphlets 1983-1987, 1993-1996, 2005, undated (3 folders)
Box 1		AIDSLaw manual 1991 (4 folders)
Box 1		Friends and family of people with HIV/AIDS 1988, undated
Box 1		Related diseases and infections 1970, 1994, undated
		Reports
Box 1			AIDS in San Francisco 1988 (2 folders)
Box 1			AIDS: the social impact 1986
Box 1			Answers about AIDS 1987
Box 1			HIV/AIDS and the youth 1991, 1998
Box 1		Safe drug use 1985, 1993
Map-Case		Safe sex posters 1995, undated
Box 1		Safe sex practices 1984-2004, undated (2 folders)
Box 2		Social and mental health support groups 1983-1985, 1990-1993, undated (2 folders)
Box 2		Testing for HIV/AIDS 1992-1993, undated
		Treatment
Box 2			Clinical guide to supportive and palliative care for HIV/AIDS 2003 (3 folders)
Box 2			Guide to L.I.F.E. reader 2000 (7 folders)
Box 3			Herbal therapies 2005
Box 2			HIV therapy drug booklets 1996, 1998-1999, 2004, undated (2 folders)
Box 3			Information for service providers 1983, 1992-1993, undated
Box 3			Medical support services 1984-1985, 1992, undated
Box 3			Papers and articles 1989 - an assortment of informational and academic publications provided by a health resource center following a diagnosis
Box 3		Women and AIDS 1984, 1986, 1991

	Organizational materials
Box 3		ACT UP 1988-1995, 2002, undated
Oversize 1		ACT UP 1991-1992
Box 3		Aggressive AIDS Prevention Inc. 1999
Box 3		AIDS Emergency Fund 1990
Box 3		AIDS Foundation 1984
Box 3		AIDS Legal Referral Panel 1993-1994, 1996-2000
Box 3		AIDS Project Los Angeles 1984, 1990-1991
Box 3		AIDS Service Provider Network 1989
Box 3		AIDS Treatment News 1986-2000 (4 folders)
Box 4		Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations 1988-1989, 1995 (2 folders)
Box 4		California Association of AIDS Agencies 1988
Box 4		Circle of Love and Healing 1991
Box 4		Colorado AIDS Project undated
Box 4		Diseased Pariah News 1991-1995 (2 folders)
Box 4		ELLIPSE Peninsula Aids Services 1988-1989
Box 4		European AIDS Treatment Group 1999-2000
Box 4		GAPA Community HIV Project 1993, 1995
Oversize 1		Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center, Los Angeles 1991-1992
Oversize 1		Gay and Lesbian Resource Center, Santa Barbara 1986
Box 4		Gay Men's Health Crisis 1983-1984, 1989, 1992-1997, undated (6 folders)
Box 5		HIV Information Network 1994
Box 5		Keep Hope Alive 1996-1999
Box 5		Las Vegas Bugle 1997
Box 5		Living Well Group 1994-1997
Box 5		Los Angeles Men's Study 1994-1995, 1997
Box 5		Monterey County AIDS Project 1997-1998
Box 5		Multicultural Inquiry and Research on AIDS 1988
Box 5		National AIDS Network 1987-1989
Box 5		National Gay Rights Advocates 1987-1988, undated
Box 5		National Gay Task Force 1975-1983 (2 folders)
Box 5		Pacific Center for Human Growth 1986-1987, undated
Box 5		Project Inform 1988-1989, 1992
Box 5		PWAlive 1988-1989
Box 5		Refuse and Resist 1987
Box 5		San Francisco AIDS Foundation 1991, 1993, 1995-1996 (2 folders)
Oversize 1		San Francisco AIDS Foundation 1995-1999
Box 5		STOP AIDS Project 1997
Box 5		Test Positive Aware Network 1993-1995
Box 5		Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches 1988-1989
Box 5		US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health 2000-2003 (2 folders)
Box 5		Visual Aid 1993-1997, 1999-2000
Box 6		World Health CME 1998-1999

	Political action materials
Box 6		Amnesty International demonstration 1998-1999 - materials addressing institutionalized homophobia within Amnesty International's policies
Box 6		Anti-Reaganism undated
Box 6		Calls to vote 1990, undated - includes pins, bumper stickers, and fliers relating to votes on propositions and politicians
Box 6		Engagement with representatives 1984, 1987, 1994-1995, undated
Box 6		Event fliers 1994, undated
Oversize 1		Pride hand fan 1994 - wood and paper hand fan from a Pride event with text on the reverse urging people to contact their government representatives
Oversize 1		Protest posters undated - posters featuring political messages regarding issues surrounding AIDS awareness, boycotts, and homophobia
Map-Case		Protest posters undated - posters featuring political messages regarding issues surrounding AIDS awareness, boycotts, and homophobia, including two posters from the Silence = Death Project
Box 6		Writings 1995, 2004

	Promotional materials
Box 6		Conferences and workshops 1985, 1989, 1996, undated
Oversize 1		Conferences and workshops 1985, 1999
		Fundraising
Box 6			Entertainment Industry Foundation circa 1997 - poster
Box 6			Frontline 1988 - calendar
Box 6			Santa Cruz AIDS Project 1995 - calendar
Box 6			Polk Gulch Saloon 1993 - calendar
Box 6		Parties 1983, 1987, 1992, 1994, undated
Box 6		Performances and exhibits 1986, 1988-1990
Map-Case		Performances and exhibits undated
Box 6		San Francisco events listings 1988-1989
Box 6		Miscellaneous gatherings 1988, 1994, 1996

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