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Power to the People: A Reminder of Our History and Strength
by Alex Grandstaff

The 23rd Annual AIDS Walk Houston is on March 11, and now is a great time to remember how far we’ve come and the people who have brought us here.

ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) was founded in 1987 to prevent the silencing of people with AIDS and stop the denial of treatment—a horrifically common practice at the time. This documentary is filled with footage of the tremendous planning and organization that went into protests like “Seize Control of the FDA” and “Day of Desperation.”

This video promotes United in Anger’s Kickstarter project, a fundraiser meant to raise the $15,000 needed to cover production costs. If they don’t reach their goal by March 28, ten years of work on this documentary won’t see the light of day.

The existence of this kind of documentary is vital to remind everyone of the impact of the AIDS crisis and educate those too young to have experienced its impact first-hand. ACT-UP rallied people across all demographics of race, gender, sexuality, age, ethnicity, education, and class around one goal—fighting AIDS—and United in Anger documents how they did it. United in Anger is more than a piece of history—it’s a testament to the power that people have when they stop dividing themselves and stand up as a group.

Right now, when same-sex couples are refused their rights, when transgender people face open bigotry from legislatures, when LGBT kids face unchecked bullying across the nation, when women struggle for autonomy over their bodies, when class struggle is roiling to a head around us, and we are all shouting to be heard, we need this reminder of our power as a people.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2107969693/united-in-anger-a-history-of-act-up

Got a favorite LGBT video you’d like to share with OutSmart readers? E-mail the details to [email protected].

 

 

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