“‘…THE EXTENT OF AIDS AMONG TEENAGERS IS GOING TO BE THE NEXT CRISIS…&rsqu
“‘…THE EXTENT OF AIDS AMONG TEENAGERS IS GOING TO BE THE NEXT CRISIS…’ – The New York Times – CARDINAL O’CONNOR WON’T TEACH SAFE SEX. – STOP THE CHURCH – MASSIVE PROTEST•SUNDAY•DECEMBER 10,” ACT UP flyer, New York City, December 10, 1989. c/o @actupnyc.On December 10, 1989, twenty-seven years ago today, AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power (ACT UP) staged a massive protest in and around New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The “STOP THE CHURCH” action arguably was ACT UP’s most controversial—both among ACT UP members and the public-at-large—and therefore its most successful in terms of coverage.That Sunday morning, over 7,000 people gathered outside the historic church to protest Archbishop John Cardinal O’Connor’s hardline stance against freedom of choice and the use of condoms. As one activist put it, “at a time when more than 40,000 Americans had already died of [HIV/AIDS], the Catholic Church’s opposition to condoms and AIDS education was condemning tens of thousands more to the same fate.”While chaos continued outside, a few dozen ACT UP members entered the cathedral before the 11 AM mass began. The church and its parishioners (including Mayor Ed Koch) were prepared for disruption; there were even police officers waiting inside for any “trouble.”As soon as O’Connor started the service, ACT UP members stood and began to read a statement about the group’s opposition to church policy; in response, parishioners began praying. At that point, other ACT UP members lay down in the aisles, while assisting priests attempted to hand them a statement from the church. One ACT UP member, Michael Petrelis, jumped on to a pew, blew a whistle, and began shouting, “You’re killing us,” before being drowned out by the church organ. Footage from inside the church can be seen in the documentaries “How to Survive a Plague” and “Stop the Church.”Police eventually removed the activists from the cathedral.The action, which drew international condemnation and nearly split ACT UP down the center, ultimately catapulted the group—and its guerrilla activism—into the public consciousness. #lgbthistory #HavePrideInHistory #ActUp #FightBack #FightAIDS (at St. Patrick’s Cathedral) -- source link
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