ACT UP Philadelphia - news

ACT UP is going to Pittsburgh on September 22nd to tell the G20 to fight AIDS

admin — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:46:08 -0400

Funeral Procession and March: Tell the G-20 to Fight AIDS Tuesday, Sept 22nd @ 2pm Free buses from Philadelphia! 215-386-1981 or email actupp@critpath.org

ACT UP Goes to Visit Specter

val — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:42:11 -0400

AIDS ACTIVISTS DEMAND A PUBLIC OPTION TO ADDRESS HEALTH CARE DISPARITIES, AND DISPUTE THE TACTICS OF TOWN HALL DISRUPTORS ACT UP Philadelphia, the AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power, calls on Senator Arlen Specter to ensure the passage of health care reform that includes a 'public option' with coverage for all Americans, including those living with HIV/AIDS and all those at risk of infection. ACT UP will be visiting Sen. Specter's Philadelphia office on Friday, August 27, and again the following week, to encourage him to defend the most vulnerable members of our society. "Health care reform is a chance to end all racial, economic, gender, and sexual-orientation-based disparities in accessing medical care" said Erica Goldberg, ACT UP member. "Without a 'public option', I fear that reform will exclude people living with HIV/AIDS.”

We Have a Blog!

admin — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:20:28 -0400

Check it out - follow it - comment on it - love it! Courageous: ACT UP Philly's blog at http://www.actupphilly.blogspot.com

New Website Created!

admin — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:58:14 -0400

Check out the new website for our November 20th action! http://www.100daystofightaids.org/

ACT UP at International AIDS Conference in Mexico City!

admin — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:19:16 -0400

Follow the activities of our friends as ACT UP represents during the International AIDS Conference! It is happening in Mexico City August 3-8, 2008. Activists and our friends are blogging in English here: http://www.aids2008.com and en espanol aqui: http://sida2008.blogia.com/. AND, Paypal donations will go toward covering their expenses.

In Memoriam: Barry Busch, AIDS Warrior

admin — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:14:51 -0400

In Memoriam: Barry Busch, AIDS Warrior

Barry Busch, an activist living with HIV who fought fiercely and tirelessly for justice, died Wednesday July 11, 2007 in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Barry believed passionately in the importance of challenging this country to deliver on its obligations at a local, national and international level. This passion was part of everything he did, from organizing people with HIV and their allies to fight for access to medical marijuana in Pennsylvania, to fighting the names-based reporting of people with HIV, to demanding justice for people with HIV living in sub Saharan Africa. Barry was well known among organizations working in the U.S. to increase access to marijuana for medical use, launching the American Spirit campaign to win legislation to permit medical use of marijuana in Pennsylvania.

Project TEACH's Funding Restored!

val — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 03:28:44 -0500

CITY'S RYAN WHITE PLANNING COUNCIL RESTORES FUNDING FOR PROJECT TEACH Photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/riekhavoc/sets/72157594578001937/ ACT UP commends the Planning Council for voting to restore funding to the grant category which funds Project TEACH to last year's levels. AIDS is a crisis in communities of color, and Project TEACH effectively works with people of color to educate people living with HIV/AIDS and their families about the disease. The diverse crowd of 150 people we brought to the meeting today were instrumental in getting a new resolution passed.

Defend Project TEACH

val — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 10:47:30 -0500

Philadelphia- Two weeks ago, the city's Ryan White Planning Council voted to cut funding for Project TEACH, one of the Philadelphia's most respected HIV programs. Project TEACH has taught thousands of HIV+ African Americans and other people with HIV in Philadelphia how to stay healthy and help others get live-saving information. Because HIV is a growing crisis amongst African Americans and other People of Color, on Thursday, March 8^th at 2pm, over 100 members of ACT UP Philadelphia will storm the meeting of the Philadelphia HIV Planning Council, and demand that funding for Project TEACH be fully restored.

Nov 29, 2006, 11:30 am, Broad and Walnut: Hey New Democrats, STEP UP!

val — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:09:48 -0500

On the eve of World AIDS Day, rally at local Democrats' office for full funding to fight AIDS at home and abroad. Join ACT UP Philadelphia inÂ asking Casey, Fattah, and others inÂ the new Democratic majority to step up and stand up to Bush for people with HIV.We demand:Â

$2.6 billion for the Ryan White CARE Act, the life-line for people living with AIDS in the US. The CARE Act has been largely flat-funded since President Bush came into office, even as the number of HIV infections has continued to climb.
$8 billion to train, retain and sustain enough healthcare workers in Africa to achieve universal access. Without a significant new investments in the health workforce in Africa,current investments such as the Presidentâ€™s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief will not succeed.Â

At this yearâ€™s G8 Summit and again a the UN in June, the United States committed to support universal access to care, prevention and treatment for all in need by 2010. So far, the U.S. has not launched or proposed any new programs to meet this goal. â€œThe new Democratic majority has an opportunity to do what Republicans have not: keep their word and honor the U.S. commitment to achieve universal access to AIDS treatment by 2010,â€ said ACT UP spokesperson Jose DeMarco.

[AU_ALERT] United Nations Generel Assembly Special Assembly on HIV/AIDS fundraising request

admin — Wed, 17 May 2006 11:41:02 -0400

Dear Friends,

On behalf of ACT UP Philadelphia, I am writing to request emergency support for direct actions around the upcoming United Nations General Assembly Special Session on AIDS report back (UNGASS) in the amount of $500.00. Five years ago, the United Nations had this rare, high level, multi-nation conference to plan how to curb the AIDS pandemic. Member governments laid out goals to reduce the rate of HIV and to increase access to AIDS related treatment. As you can imagine, few of those governments, including the United States have reached their outlined goals. Worse yet, our government has exported itâ€™s harmful form of HIV prevention which ignores scientific based actions and relies on ideology driven abstinence only prevention methods. In addition, rather then making nationwide progress, our government has more and more people living with AIDS dying while on waiting lists for the insurance program that covers the astronomical cost associated with treating AIDS. So rather than expanding access to healthcare, we are moving backwards and other countries are following suit.

In 2001, when UNGASS came to NYC, there was a multi-national media blitz and stories about the struggle to fight AIDS was on the cover of every paper. Many groups were asked to weigh in. Many were unprepared. ACT UP Philadelphia is organizing 500 Philadelphians and others living with HIV/AIDS to seize the moment and tell the world just whatâ€™s its like to be living HIV+ people domestically and globally that are not receiving treatment and medication. We are organizing and mobilizing our power base. Many of who are living with HIV/AIDS or at risk for HIV.

By bringing people living with HIV/AIDS to this historic meeting and action, people will be able to empower themselves to be political and speak truth to power. It is a rare opportunity that people with HIV/AIDS can hold world leaders and our own government responsible for doing far too little too late, while their have been 15 million dead from aids, and 25 million new infections since the last UNGASS meeting five years ago.

Specifically, ACT UP Philadelphia is requesting support for a large scale march and direct action on May 31st, the opening day of this historic event. This march is being planned by a large coalition, including ACT UP Philadelphia, ACT UP NY, ACT UP Philadelphia, African Services Committee, Gay Menâ€™s Health Crisis, Positive Health Project, VOCAL-NY Users Union and scores of other grassroots organizations.

Funding will be used to cover the cost of transportation to the march, sound, stage equipment, propaganda, and outreach materials, Our total estimated budget for the mobilization of over 8,000 people is $25,000. We are receiving support from each of the coalition member organizations and are seeking support from North Star Fund, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Nathan Cummings Foundation and Bread & Roses Fund.

Our buses cost $1100.00 each that includes a lunch for protesters and a small tip for the bus driver. Any support that you can lend would be deeply appreciated.

As always, ACT UP Philadelphia leaders are available to speak with you in greater detail about this proposal.

Thank you for your time and support. My contact information is at the bottom of this message.

Jose de Marco