1980/89 AIDS activism: a medical breakthrough
Daniel Tisch, Chairman of Argyle PR
JUDGE'S COMMENT
"The campaign for AIDS research and treatment changed the way drugs were identified and tested, shifted perceptions of LGBTQ+ issues, and created a model for patient advocacy that endures today.
As the AIDS epidemic spread to 10 million people, LGBTQ+ activists, led by the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP), created a social protest movement with a larger purpose: advocacy to make AIDS research and treatment a public health priority.
The movement activated people living with HIV and AIDS – and the broader LGBTQ+ community –- replacing shame and fear with self-affirmation, engagement and involvement. It channelled protest into advocacy that targeted the specific barriers to treatment and cure – from government policy to clinical trials.
Over time, it evolved into a diversified “inside-outside” strategy. Civil disobedience – from street theatre to disruptions of government and corporate meetings – drove public attention, and forced leaders and decision-makers to partner with the more “mainstream” activists to drive outcomes.
The campaign’s impact was profound: It changed the way drugs were identified and tested – shifting from testing a small number of people over a long time to a huge number of people over a short time. It drove research and treatment not just for AIDS, but also AIDS-related infections causing death. The success of therapies led to HIV/AIDS moving from a deadly epidemic to a chronic, life-threatening but manageable illness.
The AIDS movement’s enduring legacy was a change in global society’s conception of LGBTQ+ issues: by addressing the social construction of illness, the campaign reduced the stigma of HIV/AIDS. Equally important, it created a new model for patient advocacy in health research and care that endures today."
Public Relations Work
Objectives: Raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic and its impact on both the LGBTQ+ community and the rest of the population. Make AIDS research and treatment a public health priority.
Target Audience: General public, health professionals, and policymakers.
Key messages: AIDS is a global health crisis that affects everyone. People living with HIV/AIDS have a right to respect and quality care. This is only possible if we unite to make AIDS research and treatment a public health priority.
Strategies and Tactics: The campaign’s main actor was the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP). Important use of civil disobedience and public demonstrations to attract media attentions as ACT UP’s confrontationality was part of its identity as a campaigning group. The feeling they sought to convey was anger with all the actors that were doing nothing or too little.
Tools and Channels: Protest acts mostly focused on grouping activists around specific establishments, such as public administrations, churches, or private companies. Particular attention was paid to locations where media coverage would be easier to obtain. Education on AIDS and calls for activism were channelled through a large network of regional and community-centric organisations. Distribution of printed advice or calls to activism were also very common.
Implementation: Protest acts included successfully shutting down the headquarters of the US F.D.A. (Food and Drug Administration), a controversial takeover of a church, and a demonstration in front of the National Institute of Health.
Results: Forced the FDA to approve new drugs, forced pharmaceutical companies to lower the price of the essential AZT drug, brought public awareness to the issue, secured increased funding both in the public and private sector of AIDS research and treatments.
Sources
NPR
Nation Library of Medicine
JSTOR
ACTUP
Wikiwand