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AIDS Activism Ephemera Collection

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: DTF
Date: 12 Mar 2024

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.

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.

Arrangement of the Collection

The collection is arranged alphabetically.

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.

Subject Headings

Persons

James, John S., 1941-
Kramer, Larry, 1935-2020.

Corporate Bodies

ACT UP Los Angeles (Organization)
ACT UP New York (Organization)
ACT UP San Francisco (Organization)
AIDS Health Project.
AIDS Project Los Angeles.
Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations.
Gay Men's Health Crisis, Inc.
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (U.S.)
Pacific Center for Human Growth.
STOP AIDS Project.
San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
Silence = Death Project.

Subjects

AIDS (Disease) -- Alternative treatment.
AIDS (Disease) -- Chemotherapy.
AIDS (Disease) -- Law and legislation. -- United States.
AIDS (Disease) -- Patients -- Counseling of.
AIDS (Disease) -- Patients.
AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects. -- United States.
AIDS (Disease) -- United States. -- Prevention.
AIDS (Disease) and the arts.
AIDS (Disease) in women.
AIDS activists.
AIDS phobia.
LGBT activism.
Public health campaigns.

Genres and Forms

Booklets.
Brochures.
Bumper stickers.
Buttons (information artifacts)
Calendars (documents)
Fliers (printed matter)
Handbills.
Newsletters.
Pamphlets.
Posters.
Reports.
Stickers.
Zines.

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.

Table of Contents

Educational materials

Organizational materials

Political action materials

Promotional materials

Inventory