Afternoon Section (FA22) ·

How We Personalize the Political

Aviva Jotzke

Looking at the humanity based queer politics of AIDS activists in the 1980’s and 1990’s, what lessons can be taken for current reproductive justice movements? When human bodies and human lives are on the line, we are called to be intentional about where we root our movements. AIDS activists utilized connection, grief, pleasure, and care in their work, personalizing the political and fortifying the movement.

 

Poster with 3 couples kissing; one heterosexual, one gay and one lesbian. Above the couples, it reads "Kissing doesn't kill: greed and indifference do" and below the couples it reads "Corporate greed, government inaction, and public indifference make AIDS a political crisis."

“Kissing Doesn’t Kill” by Gran Fury (1989)

Black and white poster advertising the Ashes Action, organized by ACT UP in 1992.

Ashes Action Poster by ACT UP (1992)

AIDS activists and mourners throwing ashes onto the White House lawn at the ACT UP Ashes Action.

Demonstrators and Mourners at ACT UP’s Ashes Action (1992)

Segment in the magazie On Our Backs titled "AIDS Between Women: First Case Recorded"

Segment from the magazine On Our Backs

Two images of lesbians having sex from the magazine On Our Backs

Images from the magazine On Our Backs

Further Reading:

Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good by Adrienne Maree Brown (2019) – book

“Solidarity not Charity: Mutual Aid for Mobilization and Survival” by Dean Spade (2020) – essay

It Was Vulgar and It Was Beautiful: How AIDS Activists Used Art to Fight a Pandemic by Jack Lowery (2022) – book

 

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