MEDIA ADVISORY
For June 25, 2017
New York City

CONTACT
Kyle Dacuyan | kyledacuyan (at) gmail.com
(703) 380-4023

ACT UP NEW YORK TO LEAD NYC PRIDE PARADE WITH RESISTANCE CONTINGENT

Now in its 30th year, the groundbreaking AIDS advocacy group ACT UP will join a contingent of resistance organizations leading this year’s NYC Pride Parade.

WHO: ACT UP NY

WHAT: Resistance Contingent at NYC Pride

DATE: Sun June 25

TIME: Gather at 10AM. March at 12:00pm

WHERE: Gather at 41st Street between Park and Madison Ave.

FB EVENT: https://www.facebook.com/events/1841156252879012

NEW YORK—On June 25, members of ACT UP will march in the lead section of the NYC Pride Parade with a contingent honoring the place of civil disobedience, visible action, and resistance in the LGBTQ community. Other organizations in the resistance contingent include Rise + Resist, United Thru Action, and Gays Against Guns.

ACT UP’s participation in the Parade will call back to the group’s history of provocative, creative gestures, props, and action. Members will be bearing five coffins down the parade route to symbolize critical AIDS-related services and programs under direct threat from the Trump Administration. These include: Medicaid, PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), Ryan White CARE Act, Affordable Care Act, and Sex Education.

“The budget cuts under the proposed Republican healthcare plan aka “Trumpcare” will slash funding for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act which people living with HIV rely on for healthcare,” said Michael Venturiello, ACT UP member.  “We must do everything in our power to stop the Republican healthcare or “deathcare” plan from causing tens of millions of Americans to lose their health insurance.”

Earlier this year, Heritage of Pride faced pressure to acknowledge the increased necessity for the kinds of bold, disruptive tactics pioneered by ACT UP and other resistance groups.

The unprecedented presence of ACT UP in a leading section of the parade comes just one week after the resignation of six members from the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, in a letter describing that President Trump “simply does not care” about HIV/AIDS policy and services.

“AIDS activists will have no faith in Donald Trump until he and his administration start basing their HIV/AIDS and healthcare policies on science-based facts from health experts and not on a hate-filled agenda put forth by alt-right bigots,” said another ACT UP member, Kiitan Doherty.

ACT UP’s placement in the parade sends a clear message: the need for reinvigorated attention to AIDS advocacy is dire – and the urgency of ACT UP’s visionary work continues to inspire allied movements.

Members of the press seeking more information on ACT UP’s participation in NYC Pride should contact Kyle Dacuyan (kyledacuyan@gmail.com).

About ACT UP

Founded in 1987, ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), is a diverse, non-partisan group of individuals united in anger and committed to direct action to end the AIDS crisis. ACT UP currently meets every Monday night at 7PM ET via Zoom. Notes: you will be asked to contribute your first & last name and email address to access online meetings, and KN-95 masks are required for ACT UP NY in person meetings/actions/gatherings. All individuals are welcome!

Support ACT UP NY & Palestinian people fleeing Gaza

For every SILENCE = DEATH watermelon item sale, proceeds will be split in half between ACT UP NY and direct medical aid to Palestinian people fleeing Gaza.