#AIDS activism

[magicfemme]

“Still loved."

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[commiepinkofag]

Dr. Gao Yaojie: Dissident doctor who exposed China's AIDS epidemic, dies at 95

Her work uncovered how businesses selling blood led to the spread of HIV in the countryside.

She was at the forefront of AIDS activism in China and traveled across the country treating patients, often at her own expense.

A gynecologist by training, she encountered her first AIDS patient in the central province of Henan in 1996.

While she was not the first Chinese doctor to expose the AIDS epidemic, it was her efforts that made the situation known to the country and beyond.

She told the Associated Press in a previous interview that she withstood government pressure and persisted in her work because “everyone has the responsibility to help their own people. As a doctor, that’s my job. So it’s worth it.”

[queerasfact]

Happy birthday Keith Haring!

Born on the 4th of May 1958 in Pennsylvania, Keith Haring was one of the best known pop artists of the 20th century. Many of his works were large-scale murals in public spaces, created for charities and public service campaigns.

Diagnosed with AIDS in 1988, he used his work as a vehicle to talk about his experience with the disease. He spread awareness, and criticsed public complacency through the motif of "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” figures. He also created the Keith Haring Foundation to preserve his work and support organisations assisting children and those with HIV/AIDS.

Keith passed away from AIDS-related complications on 16 Feb 1990 at the age of 31.

You can learn more about Keith’s life and work through The Keith Haring Foundation.

[Image descriptions: Keith, a young man in a Nike jumper, standing in front of his artwork, a black-and-white line drawing of two figures fighting before one stumbles down a set of stairs; three yellow figures, covering their eyes, ears and mouth respectively against an orange background; blue banners at the top and bottom of the work read “IGNORANCE = FEAR” and “SILENCE = DEATH. FIGHT AIDS ACT UP”.]

[rasheednewsonauthor]

Footnote #78 in “My Government Means to Kill Me” is a reminder that protestors aren’t supposed to play by the rules.

[inhousearchive]

AIDS awareness PSA featuring Hal Jordan, running in the back of DC Comics titles with a cover date of January 1994.

[fixy8ed4xys]

Marlon Riggs 1957-94 Essex Hemphill 1957-95

Tounges Untied dir. Marlon Riggs, poetry by Essex Hemphill

"If His Name Were Mandigo" poetry & reading Essex Hemphill

[bitter69uk]

Last year, Little Richard fans were spoiled with two comprehensive documentaries about The Bronze Liberace. In 2024, within months of each other, we get Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes and Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar about the late, great volatile showbiz diva. In Lost Tapes, director Nanette Burstein marries previously unheard audio of 32-year-old Taylor in conversation with journalist Richard Meryman in 1964 (for a book that never came to fruition) with newsreel footage and clips from Taylor’s films. The results are entrancing, and Taylor – whether talking candidly about her desire to be challenged as an actress, guffawing when Meryman calls her a “sex goddess”, admitting she realized immediately the marriage to Eddie Fisher was a mistake or her brushes with death - emerges as remarkably open, blunt and emotionally intelligent. By comparison, the three-part Rebel Superstar is more of a dumbed-down "idiot's guide" seemingly intended to make Taylor palatable to the TikTok generation. It’s characterized by jarringly insensitive and inappropriate music (Billie Eilish, Goldfrapp and Donna Summer. Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” is used twice!) and celebrity talking heads (executive producer Kim Kardashian, Joan Collins, Sharon Stone, Paris Jackson) either stating the obvious or talking in vapid showbiz platitudes. But to its credit, the final episode - covering Taylor's struggles with addiction and her AIDS activism – is genuinely moving.  And of course, any account of Taylor’s tempestuous life is bound to be juicy and enjoyable. Both docs are best when they let Taylor speak in her own words and both are illuminating at how the line between public and private was always blurred (for her first wedding, 18-year-old Taylor wore a replica of the gown she wore in the 1950 film Father of the Bride). Both focus on her sympathetic friendships with closeted gay and bisexual actors like Rock Hudson, James Dean and Roddy McDowall. Interestingly, Montgomery Clift barely rates a mention. Is the assumption that 2024 audiences don’t know or remember him? Pic: Taylor by Douglas Kirkland, 1961.

[llyfrenfys]

New Dissertation Chapter! Read my newest dissertation chapter just released on the Association of Celtic Students' Blog

Mis Tachwedd Hapus pawb! I am happy to announce the publication of one of my next dissertation chapters on the Association of Celtic Students blog here:

This is my fourth dissertation chapter (the third will be released on my patreon next month) and focuses on the development of Welsh-language LGBTQ+ terminology during the AIDS crisis in the United Kingdom.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions - either on here or at llyfrenfys@gmail.com.

[mrmousetolliver]

Tina Chow (1985) Polaroid by Andy Warhol

[rikaklassen]

Yesterday was Long COVID Awareness Day. Glad to see ACT UP NY (Instagram outlink) being in solidarity with Long COVID survivors.

Way too many queer folks forgot (links to a zine) about the HIV/AIDS denialism in the '80s and '90s.

If you're interested in agitprop posters designed based on old HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns (Wikimedia outlink), Anna, aka X/@_copy_of_a_copy, has a series of "ACT UP/MASK UP" posters (Google Drive outlink) along with a long list of resources. mx. papaya (Carrd outlink) created a series of "Where is your RAGE?" posters and "CDC Kills" (Google Drive outlinks). Cohost/@edania has also produced a few posters here and here.

[magicfemme]

"let love replace fear through you."

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[itsallmadonnasfault]

[actually-a-dyke]

The first safe-sex poster in response to the AIDs Epidemic, 1983

[fixy8ed4xys]

Felix Gonzales-Torres 1957-1996 gay artist and AIDS activist

1-internet photo 2-my photo of students viewing "Untitled" (Portrait of Ross in L.A.) at the Institute of Art in Chicago 3-description of work 4&5-my photo of "Untitled"(March 5th)#2 at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City 6-description of work

[nimrodimus]

archives of some pretty good books on lgbt art history (namely american. especially of interest are the sections on aids activism)

i am looking for some that are more inclusive of or explicitly about trans art history if anyone has recs ;w;