National LGBTQ+ Museum Mobilizes New, Nationwide ACT-UP Movement to Fight U.S. Government's Life-Threatening, Unconstitutional Attacks

This is a press release from EDGE partner Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library
by Robert Kesten

In the late 1970s and 1980s young men were dying of a mysterious illness. Largely the world remained silent. As it became clear what this illness was, the government of the United States and the President of the United States remained silent, while hundreds of thousands of Americans died.

Today we face a different threat, but one that is far greater than any virus, it is the government's outright attack on our Constitutional rights and freedoms, ignoring the rule of law, rewriting history, and violating the covenant between American citizens and our government.

To address this crisis, we need to be as bold as our adversaries who do not believe we have it in us to challenge their lawlessness. So, today, as ACT-UP did a generation ago, we call for the establishment of a new National ACT-UP Movement that goes beyond its original mandate and challenges us to take on today's life-threatening actions by our government. All are welcome to join if you believe in a government of, by, and for the people and if you believe in the US Constitution.

ACT-UP was organized to save lives and force a recalcitrant government into action. It made it impossible for Americans to avoid or ignore the AIDS Crisis, and it energized and activated communities across the nation to march, protest, and fight for what was right.

In the Stonewall National Museum, Archives, & Library we have documents and testimonials on the successes of ACT-UP and the related organizations that took on the AIDS Crisis. The LGBTQ+ community knows how to activate, knows how to fight for survival and protect hard earned equality.

Our history is our path forward and today we call on our fellow Queer organizations, institutions that stand up for marginalized communities, religious and social organizations, NAACP, AARP, NOW, labor unions, and individuals to join with us and ACT-UP. We know Silence=Death cannot be an option for people of color, women, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community or any other group that is feeling the dragon's breath on the back of their neck.

Together we can right this vessel and again move towards that mountain top memorialized by Martin Luther King, Jr. There is an America in that promised land of the future and nothing can stop us from our destiny of being a free and just people living in a free and just land.

We join in calling for street protests and we encourage all who can to support a general shutdown of the economy, no planes in the skies, no trains, no cars or trucks on the roads. The government can call for tariffs and we can shut them down. We still believe in America's promise; we believe in self-government, and we proudly wave our flag.

For more information and to STAND UP FOR OUR PEOPLE AND OUR NATION, to ensure that there will be no SILENCE until there is liberty and justice for all, reach out to [email protected].

SILENCE=DEATH