12 March 1987
ACT UP Founded in New York
Activism Health
Following a speech by playwright Larry Kramer, approximately 300 people gathered at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center in New York to form ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). Their first major demonstration on Wall Street demanded greater access to experimental AIDS drugs. ACT UP's confrontational tactics transformed AIDS activism and influenced protest movements worldwide.
Impact & Significance
ACT UP's direct action model revolutionised health activism, forcing governments and pharmaceutical companies to accelerate drug development and access.
Reference Record
- Date
- 12 March 1987
- Era
- 1970-1989
- Sources
- 2
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Topic Guides
HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ Activism HIV/AIDS shaped LGBTQ+ history through loss, stigma, public health campaigning, community organising, treatment activism, and major advances in prevention and care. HIV/AIDS Public Health and Memory The HIV/AIDS crisis reshaped public health through surveillance, treatment activism, drug approval, memorial culture and global awareness days.
Questions This Event Helps Answer
Q How did HIV/AIDS shape LGBTQ+ history? HIV/AIDS shaped LGBTQ+ history through bereavement, stigma, public health campaigning, community care, treatment activism, and major medical advances. Q How did HIV/AIDS change public health and activism? HIV/AIDS changed public health by forcing faster surveillance, treatment approval, community-led prevention, visible memorialisation and international awareness.
