Gran Fury / ACT UP protest poster: Know Your Scumbags, 1989 - Keith Haring. (“scumbags” began

Gran Fury / ACT UP protest poster: Know Your Scumbags, 1989 - Keith Haring. (“scumbags” began as a c1960s slang word for a used condom)This references the infamous condom ban by the Vatican and in particular the role of then Archbishop of New York, Cardinal John O'Connor (depicted): “O'Connor opposed condom distribution as an AIDS-prevention measure, viewing it as being contrary to the Catholic Church’s teaching that contraception is immoral and its use a sin, also rejecting the argument that condoms distributed to gay men are not contraceptives. O'Connor’s response was that using an "evil act” was not justified by good intentions, and that the church should not be seen as encouraging sinful acts among others. HIV activist group ACT UP was appalled by the cardinal’s apparent opinion that it was sinful for an HIV positive person to use a condom to prevent transmission of HIV to his HIV negative partner, an opinion they believe would translate directly into more deaths. This caused many of the confrontations between the group and the cardinal.On December 10, 1989, 4,500 members of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) and Women’s Health Action and Mobilization (WHAM) held a demonstration at St. Patrick’s Cathedral to voice their opposition to the cardinal’s positions on AIDS education, the distribution of condoms in public schools, and abortion.“Similar in style and tone to his early xerox pieces, this poster is credited as inspiring Keith Haring to become a member of ACT UP (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power). Soon after, Haring created one of his most lasting and impactful works of art, “Ignorance = Fear / Silence = Death”. -- source link

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