Connie Norman
Artist Unknown
Digital Reproduction of photocopy original, 1996
Los Angeles, California
34015

"I often tell people that I am an ex-drag queen, ex-hooker, ex-IV drug user, ex-high risk youth, and current postoperative transsexual woman who is HIV-positive." – Connie Norman

Born in Texas, Norman fled to Hollywood at the age of 14.  Having recovered from drug addiction, Norman underwent therapy and then a sex-change operation in 1976.  She began her political life as an AIDS and Queer activist with the Los Angeles chapter of ACT UP.  In 1991 she transformed the media landscape by becoming the first openly queer host of a commercial talk radio show.  “The Connie Norman Show” aired daily on XEK-AM where she was able to share her views on LGBTQ and human rights issues. In 1993 Norman became the first transgender Director of Public Policy at AIDS Service Center in Pasadena, a California non-profit agency.  Norman’s reach was broad, as she also co-hosted an LGBTQ Cable TV program and was a newspaper columnist for a San Diego publication.  Because of her unyielding activism, she was honored with awards from various groups including the City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, California State Senate and California Assembly.  ACT UP/LA never gave an award or honor to anyone except Norman.  Just before her passing they made official her self-proclaimed status as “AIDS Diva”.  Her ashes were scattered on the lawn of the Clinton White House as part of the national ACT UP "Ashes Action" on October 13, 1996. Her legacy is sustained by Christopher Street West who established the Connie Norman Award to honor an individual or organization for outstanding achievement in fostering racial, ethnic, religious, and gender unity within the LGBT community. 

Prisoners with AIDS Have the Right to Live
ACT UP
Offset, circa 1991
California
34010

ACT UP/LA demonstrated at Frontera Women's Prison in November, 1990, demanding an infectious-diseases doctor and access to proper medications for HIV positive inmates.  Because those demands were not met, ACT UP/LA went to Sacramento in May, 1991, to support prisoners with HIV/AIDS.  The action involved civil disobedience.  Shortly thereafter, an infectious-diseases doctor was assigned to Frontera.  In June, 1992, and October, 1993, ACT UP/LA returned to Sacramento  to demand improvements in the care of prisoners with HIV/AIDS.  The October 1993, visit to the offices of the California Department of Corrections resulted in the arrest of one ACT UP/LA member.

Mark Kostopoulos
Artist Unknown
Digital reproduction of photocopy original, 1992
Los Angeles, California
34011
           
The iconic photo of Mark Kostopoulos was taken by Chuck Stallard, a member of ACT UP LA, when Mark was arrested at the FDA action in Rockland MD on 8/11/88. The posters were used in Mark’s political funeral which was a loud and angry torch lit march down Santa Monica Blvd. to San Vicente. The posters of Mark were also used that year (1992) in the Pride march. All ACTUP members marched in silence holding the poster of Mark. 

Mark Kostopoulos was born in Augusta, Maine in 1954.  He grew up in the Midwest and came to California to complete his undergraduate studies at San Francisco State University.  Kostopoulos is widely remembered and celebrated as one of the founders of ACT UP/LA (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) who brought the organization to Southern California in 1987, not long after the first chapter opened in New York.  During the 1970s and 1980s he was also active among other progressive groups including the Revolutionary Socialist League and the Lavender Left.  He fought for adequate health care for all Angelinos stricken with HIV/AIDS, and in the 1990s defended abortion clinics. His day employment was with the United States Postal Service, but he passionately devoted all of his free time to these causes.  He also pioneered the networking of AIDS activist organizations as well as the grassroots movement for universal healthcare. Complications from AIDS Related Complex did not lessen his drive or deter his commitment to these causes.  In June of 1992, however, he finally succumbed to the disease. This was written of Kostopoulos in 1997: "For those who receive their care at 5P21 (the L.A. County AIDS clinic), not one single day should pass that you do not publicly speak the name Mark Kostopoulos in pride. You benefit from his courageous fights."

Keep Our Families Together!
Melanie Cervantes
Taller Tupac Amaru
Offset, 2008
Oakland, California
31447

Lesbian, Gay, and Queer families are impacted not only by racially discriminatory immigration laws but by heterosexist reunification laws that keep bi-national partners and their children from being together. This print honors those struggling families who are victims of these policies.

This is one of a 5 part poster series produced for the historic conference convened by TIGRA (Transnational Institute for Grassroots Research and Action) that took place in May 2008 in Mexico City.  It brought together over 300 migrant leaders from the United States, Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America to form a global association of remitters and their families.

Free the New Jersey 4!
Bay Area NJ4 Solidarity Committee
Offset, 2008
California
34050

On August 18, 2006, seven young African American lesbians traveled to New York City’s West Village from their homes in Newark, New Jersey for a night out. When walking down the street, a male bystander assaulted them with sexist and homophobic comments. The women tried to defend themselves, and a fight broke out.
 
Despite their acts of self defense, the women were arrested as the assumed aggressors and charged with gang assault in the second degree. Three of the women took plea bargains and the other four, Renata Hill(24), Venice Brown(19), Patreese Johnson(20), Terrain Dandridge(20) received  sentences ranging from 3.5 to 11 years on June 14th, 2007. These women became known as the New Jersey 4.
 
Since that date, two women are free and two women remain in prison. Terrain Dandridge got out of prison, after appealing her case, on June 23rd, 2008. Venice Brown was released on February 3rd, 2009.  Renata Hill was released on April 21, 2010. Patreese Johnson is currently at the Albion State Correctional Facility until 2015. You can send your love and support by writing to:
 
Patreese Johnson
07-G-0635
Albion State Correctional Facility
3595 State School Road
Albion, NY 14411-9399

ABOLITION

Women and Children Get AIDS Too
ACT UP Chicago
Offset, early 1990s
Chicago, Illinois
33926

Stop Police Brutality Against Women of Color and Trans People of Color
INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence
Digital print, 2005
Redmond, Washington
33968