ACT UP LONDON March Newsletter 2016

ACT UP London is a diverse, non-partisan group of individuals united in anger and

committed to action to end the HIV pandemic. We are part of the global ACT UP
network. All details at www.actuplondon.wordpress.com and @
actuplondonfighttilltheend@gmail.com

Ritzy AIDStravaganza (ACT UP LONDON) Exhibition, Social and Party

https://www.facebook.com/events/474308906086176/
18 March at 19:0021:00 - Ritzy Bar Brixton
ACT UP LONDON are honoured to be part of of 'N.I.A Presents:#Feelings' on March 18th
2016. From 7-9pm there will be the closing party of our week long 'AIDStravaganza - love and
rebellion' exhibition at the Ritzy. 'AIDStravaganza' exhibition marks the starting point of a new
generation of artists, whose ingenuity, originality and connection to the ongoing HIV movement
will spur on the current and future generation of activists until there is an HIV cure available to
all.
Everyone is welcome. Whether you are new or old to issues of HIV it is now more important
than ever. ACT UP London is a diverse group of individuals united in anger and committed to
direct action to end the HIV pandemic. Cuts to services, rising transmission levels, and the
common mistaken belief that HIV was resolved in the 1980s results in what we call this current
phase of the epidemic the 'HIV Second Silence'.
ACT UP! FIGHT BACK! FIGHT AIDS!

ACT UP LONDON MARCH UPDATE

weeoiiiiiiiiiiii
Queer Beings come forth!!!
Its been a B*witching a month! Say you will, say you wont, say youll do what I dont, say
youre true, say to me ACT UP, FIGHT BACK FIGHT AIDS!
It may be chilly out right now but that hasnt stopped ACT UP London dancing about outdoors
and stripping down to spandex!
February saw ACT UP return in full swing reimagining the classic cult 90s show Gladiators!
Eight giants from the archipelago of stigma took over The Glory to goad the crowd into a
frenzy of absolute CHAOS!!! We saw Kid Yid and Eustace the UKIP Eunuch slide up against
each other in Glitterish Oil Wrestling, Doctor Buttplug romp around in the mud scrounging for
his daily PrEP.and Willendorphia summon cuddly dildos to her aid using just her mind.

Our showbiz shenanigans are all about you, us, and your nan having fun. We aim to bust
stigma, celebrate our bodies and have a good ol laugh along the way. Our goal is to bring the
hard hitting facts with a bucket load of humour!
Thats why when ACT UP discovered that Chariots Roman Spa, one of East Londons best
loved gay saunas was under threat, we descended in all our glory. Property developers have
plans to tear down this Shoreditch sauna and erect luxury hotels! We teamed together with the
Radical Fairies and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to do something special!
East London is a beloved home to the queer community and we are tired of having our spaces
snatched from us our response was to curse the descendants of these property developers
to be queer for 13 generations with potions created of glitter and jizz only for us to be queer
is a blessing so this was really just a blessing on this space, to make it sacred!

Woah! That seems a lot doesnt it?! Wed love to see you at everything, but dont worry if you
cant well keep you in the loop. Get involved, bring us your brains, your je ne sais quoi, and
your love and lets work together to make something beautiful and bring about change in this
wide world.
Now on to where you can get involved.. and we sure would love to have you involved! ACT UP
is a coalition, a melting pot of creative response and resistance to the injustices that maintains
HIV as a global epidemic 30 years after its outbreak. We need smart thinkers, crafty hands,
overflowing hearts and untapped rage to engage in direct action, community engagement, art
projects and article writing.
ACT UP LONDON supported Peckham Pride
Peckhams FIRST EVER Pride march was for everyone with and without citizenship, papers or
no papers. We REFUSE to accept stigma or discrimination over the colour of our passports,
the colour of our skin, our gender, our sexuality or our ability. LGSMigrants and Movement for
Justice organised Peckham Pride to put the politics of resistance back into Pride.

ACT UP LONDON Support Larry Kramer - in Love and Anger

A massive props to Tom Glitter McGlitterson Rasmussen for this amazing piece on the recent
Larry Kramer / ACT UP film 'Larry Kramer in Love and Anger' produced by the amazing Jean
Carlomusto and organised by the fantastic Belga Burley, Joe Bond and all at Human Rights
Watch film festival. https://i-d.vice.com/en_au/article/larry-kramer-in-love-and-anger

ACT UP LONDON Block at Shut Down Yarlswood

ACT UP LONDON supported Shut Down Yarlswood in protest against these womens illegal
detention, their neglected health rights, and the xenophobic, HIVphobic culture which
Yarlswood Detention Centre is perpetuating.

F**K 4 PHARMA: GET INVOLVED!

Despite overwhelming evidence PrEP is still not available on the NHS. People living with Hep
C are still being denied access to the medicines that could cure them. At the heart of both
these injustices is the immoral price-gouging by Big Pharma. This situation is unacceptable.
Whats the plan?
A stylistically British artistic occupation is going to take place, demanding that love and human
rights triumph over corporate greed, our bodies are central to our right to protest! We cant say
too much more about the plan, so come along to hear more!!
Next meeting - Wednesday March 23rd - Venue tbc. Email
actuplondonfighttilltheend@gmail.com to get involved.
'Fight AIDS, Not Migrants' Campaign Meeting - Fleshing out the Bones
https://www.facebook.com/events/1550808168582019/
17 March at 19:00 - ROOM G01 OF THE VERNON SQUARE CAMPUS, SOAS. NEAREST
TUBE, KINGS CROSS ST PANCRAS.

After a dynamic, powerful first meeting, we have the beginnings of a skeleton to shape this
campaign; we have discussed forbidden emotions, entitlement, mass engagement, and we still
have a long way to go before 'Fight AIDS, Not Migrants' takes shape. We need your help!
ACT UP London is proudly united in anger to launch 'Fight AIDS, Not Migrants', a revival of
ACT UP New York's 1991 campaign aimed at diverting the government's attention onto the
first AIDS crisis. In London 2016, we find our country at war with itself, and with populations
the world over whose lives we are systematically tearing apart for our own government's own
selfish gains.
ACT UP LONDON Campaigns
(1) Criminalisation of homosexuality - targeting the 75 countries which still criminalize
homosexuality, highlighting the link between stigma surrounding the LGBTQI community and
increased HIV transmission levels.
(2) Pharmaceutical Greed - putting body shaming at the forefront of the struggle to overcome
the pharmaceutical stronghold on our health.
(3) ACT UP Women organising a March of the Invisible, highlighting the ignorance
surrounding women and HIV and demanding the cuts to domestic violence services are
stopped
(4) Fight AIDS Not Migrants - confronting xenophobic border and imprisonment policies
which criminalise people living with HIV whilst making sweeping cuts from healthcare services
which save lives
(5) Challenging the austerity cuts to HIV services and fighting for PrEP - organising so
that it is available free for those who need.
ACT UP LONDON Organise! General Meetings
29th March at 18:0020:00 - 'Positively UK' - 345 City Road London EC1V 1LR
ACT UP LONDON Open Gathering - ACT UP! FIGHT BACK! FIGHT AIDS!
Positively UK (6pm for newcomers). - 'Positively UK' - 345 City Road London EC1V 1LR
- (nearest tube - Angel) - All details at www.actuplondon.wordpress.com and @
actuplondonfighttilltheend@gmail.com