The AIDS crisis exposed devastating gaps in public health leadership, medical access, and government accountability, forcing a generation of activists to demand action when silence was costing lives. In this video, we break down the history and impact of ACT UP—the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power—and how its bold, direct-action protests reshaped the relationship between activism, medicine, and media.

From the origins of the “Silence = Death” movement in 1987 to nationwide demonstrations targeting pharmaceutical companies and federal agencies, ACT UP helped accelerate life-saving HIV/AIDS treatments and pushed marginalized communities into policy conversations that once excluded them.

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Listen to the full podcast episode: https://www.ajadedgay.com/51-act-up-silence-death/

Read more on the topic in my blog: https://www.ajadedgay.com/blog/act-up-the-radical-fight-for-hivaids-awareness-and-lgbtq-rights/

Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ajadedgay

Sources:
How AIDS Remained an Unspoken—But Deadly—Epidemic for Years: https://www.history.com/news/aids-epidemic-ronald-reagan

ACT UP Accomplishments: https://actupny.com/actions/

ACT UP - About: https://actupny.com/contact/

How ACT UP Changed America: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/06/14/how-act-up-changed-america

AIDS Drug's Price to be Cut 20%: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1987/12/15/aids-drugs-price-to-be-cut-20/fad89c91-e46b-4159-b4d0-9b01b10cf8cc/

ACT UP Demonstrations on Wall Street: https://www.nyclgbtsites.org/site/act-up-demonstration-at-the-new-york-stock-exchange/

ACT UP Historical Archive: https://actupny.org/YELL/stopchurch99.html

Meet the Gay Priest Who Served AIDS Patients with Mass, Prayers and Art: https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2019/12/20/meet-gay-priest-who-served-aids-patients-mass-prayers-and-art

ACT UP: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ACT_UP

ACT UP, HIV/AIDS, and the Fight for Healthcare: https://www.mcny.org/story/act-hivaids-and-fight-healthcare

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