CLOSE THIS WINDOW TO RETURN TO ACT UP HOME 

ACT UP is asking that you donate money
to help us in our fight against AIDS

September 15, 2004

Urgent request for support

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

One highlight of the Republican National Convention was ACT UP's powerful
criticism of President Bush's record of failed leadership and fake compassion
on AIDS, which dominated national and international news coverage.

Continuing its long tradition of creative protest, ACT UP riveted the
public's attention, breaking through government attempts to stifle dissent
during the RNC. More than 250 articles and news broadcasts carried our
message: that Bush must stop AIDS in poor countries by dropping 100% of the
odious debts owed by poor countries to International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Just since the RNC demonstrations, the media is reporting positive signs
within the U.S. Treasury Department in favor of debt cancellation (see: "US
to Push Debt Relief for Iraq, Poor Nations," September 14, 2004, Wall Street
Journal). But support from Bush is far from locked in.

To continue our activism up to Election Day and beyond, we need your
financial help today.

On August 26th, ACT UP told the "Naked Truth" about the impact of President
Bush's AIDS policies in the first protest of the RNC. 11 activists blocked
traffic, naked, directly in front of Madison Square Garden, with "STOP AIDS,
DROP THE DEBT" stenciled on their nude bodies to demand 100% debt reduction
for poor countries devastated by AIDS. They chanted for 15 minutes, surrounded by
media, onlookers, and the police before they were arrested and dragged away.

On September 1st, ACT UP made its way past security to the main stage of
Madison Square Garden, surrounded by thousands of young Republicans, and
took their demands directly to senior White House decision makers. Activists
interrupted the speech of White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, chanting
"Bush lies, Stop AIDS, Drop the Debt Now!" holding up banners and signs with
the same message. The activists were beaten by Republicans, tackled by
Secret Service, charged with phony felony riot charges and jailed for as
long as 39 hours.

Just one week after the RNC, ACT UP disrupted President Bush's private
appearance on September 8 in the battleground state of Pennsylvania,
confronting President Bush and his supporters directly with demands for full
funding for the fight against global AIDS.

Media coverage of these protests is online at: www.actupny.org/reports/rnc_nyc.html

In a time when many activist organizations are struggling to attract new members,
ACT UP was proud that these protests included many AIDS activists who had never
participated in civil disobedience before, including a large number of young activists.

These actions come at a critical time. The consequences of President Bush's
broken AIDS promises are dire: 8,500 people are dying with HIV every day.
40 million people are living with HIV around the world, and the spiral of
sickness death and devastation continues to increase. In response to this,
the greatest catastrophe of our generation, President Bush's disastrous
record speaks for itself:

Despite his claim of U.S. generosity, President Bush refuses to spend
America's fair share fighting global AIDS -- $30 billion by 2008.  He is using
U.S. funding cater to conservatives through harmful, ineffective "abstinence-only"
HIV "prevention" programs, and as a slush fund for U.S. drug companies.

He is blocking poor countries from buying cheaper, equally reliable generic
AIDS medicines that would treat three to four times as many people as more
costly brand name versions.

Finally, he has refused to support 100% debt cancellation for at least 50 of
the world's poorest countries--despite tentative support within his own
Treasury Department for debt cancellation. Dropping the debt would free up
billions of dollars to fund HIV treatment, prevention, and care. On October
1st, the Group of 7 industrialized countries (the G7) will consider dropping
100% of poor countries' debts--but if the Bush Administration doesn't come
on board, the proposal will die. We have an unprecedented opportunity right
now to use criticism of the White House's misguided AIDS plan to win
historic policy change.

Using non-violent direct action, grassroots community mobilization and savvy
press work, we can win real changes to these and other harmful policies. ACT UP
plans to increase the number and power of our protests in the weeks
leading up to Election Day.

We need your contribution to ACT UP today in order to make our life-
saving work possible.

Money will be used for legal expenses from these protests and for organizing
future ones. Your donation will help increase the strength and power of an
AIDS activist movement dedicated to generating real results.

Please send your check or money order today to:

ACT UP 332 Bleecker Street, Suite G5 New York, NY 10014

You can also donate on-line  [below ]

All of us at ACT UP appreciate your continued support of our work.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

P.S.  If you would like to your contribution to be used only for expenses
related to legal defense for the RNC actions, please indicate this by
writing "Legal Defense Fund" on the memo line.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I can help with a donation of:  __$500  __$250  __$100  __$50  __$25 or  $_____

Name ___________________________________________________________

Street Address ____________________________________________________

City ________________________________ State ______ Zip ____________

E-mail (for periodic action alerts) _____________________________________

Phone (for special large action alerts) ________________________________

We have changed the AIDS political landscape.

Please CONTRIBUTE to our work in the fight against AIDS.

Be a part of the struggle:

Donate to ACT UP

PLEASE make checks payable to:

ACT UP New York ```

and mail to:

ACT UP
332 Bleecker Suite G5
New York, NY 10014

or use our PAYPAL link

 

   THANK YOU

  In solidarity!

  ACT UP  still  meets every Monday Night @ 8:00pm
 at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center

PLEASE JOIN US!

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever does."
_{--.Margaret Mead, world famous anthropologist
                         and dyke}

2001 Fundraising Letter Initiative


2000 Fundraising Letter Initiative


1999 Fundraising Letter Initiative


1996 Fundraising Letter Initiative


1995 Fundraising Letter Initiative


from our history archive
• 1988 Fundraising Letter Initiative by Harvey Fierstein