Finding aid to the Judy Sisneros ACT UP/Los Angeles records,1987-1995 Coll2016-008
Claire Forsyth
ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, University of Southern California
© 2016
909 West Adams Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90007
askone@usc.edu
Contributing Institution:
ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, University of Southern California
Title: Judy Sisneros ACT UP/Los Angeles records
Creator:
Sisneros, Judy, 1954-
Identifier/Call Number: Coll2016-008
Physical Description:
3.7 Linear Feet
3 boxes.
Date (inclusive): 1987-1995
Abstract: ACT UP/Los Angeles administrative records, promotional materials, ephemera, and subject files, 1985-1995, of ACT UP/Los Angeles
member Judy Sisneros. Includes documentation of Sisneros' committee work and activities in the ACT UP network. Sisneros is
an activist, photographer, and curator based in Los Angeles.
Language of Material:
English
.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged alphabetically.
Biographical / Historical
Judy Sisneros is an activist, photographer, and curator based in Los Angeles. She was a member of ACT UP/Los Angeles and was
active on the Women's Committee, Prisoners with AIDS Committee, and Agitating/Legal Committee, among other work. Active from
1987 to 1995, ACT UP/Los Angeles defined itself as "a grass-roots, democratic, militant, direct-action organization dedicated
to creating positive changes around AIDS in federal and local government, the media, and medical industries through non-violent
public protests." ACT UP worked to broaden the Center for Disease Control definition of AIDS to include opportunistic infections
specfic to HIV-positive women, to bring women into clinical drug trials, and to draw visibility to the increasing numbers
of women with HIV/AIDS.
Sisneros later became a member of Queer Nation in Los Angeles and was involved in AB101 protests and the Hollywood Homophobia
Committee. Sisneros was even arrested at a Queer Nation protest at the 1992 Academy Awards, protesting the negative representation
and invisibility of LGBT people in films.
Sisneros was part of a national network of ACT UP women's caucus members that organized the National Dyke March at the 1993
March on Washington. In 1994, she co-founded the Los Angeles Dyke March and continued participating in the organizing committee
until 1997. In 2005, she became a member of Tongues, the latina lesbian arts organization, and participated with the group
in the 2006 Marcha Lesbica in Mexico City.
Sources:
"Memes." Les Figues Press. http://lesfigues.com/memes/ (accessed May 10, 2016).
Signorile, Michelangeo. Queer in America. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 2003. pg311-12.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the ONE Archivist. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at USC Libraries as the owner of the physical
items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Deed of gift, Judy Sisneros, March 2016.
Preferred Citation
[Box/folder #, or item name] Judy Sisneros ACT UP/Los Angeles Records, Coll2016-008, ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives,
USC Libraries, University of Southern California.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Claire Forsyth, 2016.
Scope and Contents
ACT UP/Los Angeles administrative records, promotional materials, ephemera, and subject files, 1985-1995, of Judy Sisneros.
The records documents Sisneros' involvement with the Women's Committee, Prisoners with AIDS Committee, Agitating/Legal Committee,
and ACT UP Network, as well as with ACT UP/Los Angeles fundraisers, campaigns, meetings, communications, direct actions, and
"zaps," among other activities.
Separated Materials
Separated to the ONE Archives pamphlet and periodical collections:
Fat Farm by Max Airborne (Oakland, California)
Fat Girl: A zine for fat dykes and the women who want them - Volumes 1-7
Infected Faggot Perspectives - issues 1-15 [Sep 1991-1995
Separated to the ONE Archives T-shirt collection:
"WE'RE ACT UP. FUCK YOU!" Grey T-shirt with black stenciled text on front.
"1994 AIDS ACTIVIST CONFERENCE PHILADELPHIA" Black T-shirt with white text, grey circle in the background with a microscope
or similar medical instrument in the foreground.
"WOMEN ACT UP! LOS ANGELES" Black T-shirt with grey text. Women symbol with pink triangle inset in the circle.
White T-shirt with black text. "LIFE" (over image of "Lamentation" by Giotto in yellow). Text below: "150000 U.S. AIDS deaths:
one every seven minutes worldwide. "LIBERTY" (over image of "The Rape of the Sabine Women" by Giambologna in turquoise) Text
below: " A woman is raped in the U.S. every eight minutes." "HAPPINESS" (over image of the Three Graces in Sandro Botticelli's
"Primavera" in pink) Text below: "42 lesbians and gays are bashed each hour. ACT UP LOS ANGELES" (logo).
White T-shirt. "SAY IT!!" white text on black rectangle. "WOMEN GET AIDS" black text. "ACT UP" white text on black triangle.
Text below: "AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power." On right T-shirt sleeve "ACT UP GOLDEN GATE" black text.
Black T-shirt. Outline of inverted triangle in bright pink underneath text. "MARCH ON WASHINGTON LA in DC 1993" white text.
Separated to the ONE Archives periodical collection (labels of topics listed in parentheses)
ACT UP Los Angeles newsletter: October 1988, September 1989, November/December 1988, March/April 1992, Fall 1992, November/December
1990, January February 1991, June/July 1991, June/July/August 1992, October/November 1990, December 1989/January 1990.
ACT UP Reports: Fall/Winter 1990 (women and AIDS activism), 1991.
ACTUP San Francisco: December/January, volume 2, number 5 (women and AIDS cover story).
Bay Area Reporter: December 26, 1991.
Gay Community News: December 9-15, 1990 (expanding AIDS definition).
The Lesbian News: volume 15, number 12, July 1990 (women and AIDS activism); volume 16, number 4, November 1990 (prisons and
AIDS).
Update: August 29, 1990 (Miller beer boycott); January 15, 1992 (expanding AIDS definition).
Vanguard: May 18, 1990 (women topics); August 24, 1990 (women topics); October 5, 1990 (AIDS Walk, et al.); December 14, 1990
(expanding AIDS definition); March 8, 1991 (women topics); April 19, 1991 (march for LAPD reform, et al.); May 17, 1991 (prisons
and AIDS); August 7, 1992 (women topics).
Related Materials
ACT UP/Los Angeles Records, Coll2011-010, ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, Los Angeles, California.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
AIDS (Disease) -- Law and legislation -- California
AIDS (Disease) -- Patients -- Medical care
AIDS activists -- California -- Los Angeles
International Conference on AIDS
Lesbian activists
Safe sex in AIDS prevention
Women political activists
Box 1, Folder 1-2
ACT NOW / ACT UP Network
1990-1995
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 3
Action to expand AIDS definition
1990-1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 4
Administrative records and history
1988-1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 5
Agendas and notes
1988-1994
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 6
Agitating/Legal Committee
1991-1993
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 7
AIDS articles and glossaries
1987-1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 8
AIDS Cure Project
1994
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 9
AIDSphobia in Hollywood action
1990-1993
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 10
American Airlines boycott
1993
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 11
Anti Art Censorship Coalition
1990
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 12
Art Committee
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 13
ASOs and CBOs
1990-1994
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 14
Center for Disease Control definition campaign
1990
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 15
Chants
circa 1990
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 16
Clean Needles Now
1987-1994
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 17
Condom distribution
1990-1994
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 18
Denver 3
1993-1994
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 19
Finances and fundraising
1991-1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 20
Fliers and other promotional materials
circa 1990-1994
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 21
Gay Games
1990
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 22
Harm reduction
1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 23
HIV and Youth Working Group
circa 1990
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 24
In memoriam members
1990-1994
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 25
Insurance issues
1991
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 26-28
International AIDS Conferences VI, VII, VIII
1990-1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 3, Folder 2
International AIDS Conference VI action, photograph
1990
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
"Richard Iosti (black turtleneck): ACT UP LA 1990 VI International AIDS conference San Francisco"
Box 1, Folder 29
Jewish Defense League Los Angeles conflict
1993
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 30
Labels and lists
circa 1990
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 31
Los Angeles Police Department
1991
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 32
Media coverage
1990-1994
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 33
Member statements
1990-1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 34
Miller Beer boycott
1990
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 35
Names reporting and anonymous testing
1991-1994
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 36
National Dyke March Coalition
1993
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 37
People of Color Caucus
circa 1991
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 38
People with AIDS housing policy
circa 1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 39
People with Immune System Disorders (PISD) Committee
1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 40
Prisoners and AIDS
1990-1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 41
Pro Choice Coalition
1991
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 42
Public policy
1990-1994
Language of Material: English.
Box 3, Folder 1
Posters and sashes
circa 1990-1994
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
Includes a yellow sash with black text reading: "Women don't get AIDS. They just die from it"; a poster on newsprint with
black text: "150 000 DEAD FROM AIDS, STOP THIS MONSTER!" over an image of George Bush Sr.; and a limited edition signed poster
with a purple and yellow halftone image of protest overlayed with black and red text "ACT UP BENEFIT" above a black silhouette
smashing "AIDS" with a guitar and the text "L7 Ethyl Meatplow, The Exotic Drums of Linda La Sabre, Vera Cava, August 22 1991."
Box 1, Folder 43
Red Hot and Blue Project
1991
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 44
Red Ribbon Campaign
1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 45
Religious right v. ACT UP
1990-1993
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 46
Republican National Convention
1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 47
Retreat
1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 48
Safe sex
1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 49
SB982 v. ACT UP/LA
1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 50
Stickers
circa 1990-1994
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 51
TIARA newsletter
1991-1992
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 52-53
Treatment and Data Committee
1990-1994
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 54
Universal healthcare action
1993
Language of Material: English.
Box 1, Folder 55
Universal healthcare campaign
1991-1993
Language of Material: English.
Box 2, Folder 1
Week of Outrage
1990
Language of Material: English.
Box 2, Folder 2
West Hollywood community news
1992-1993
Language of Material: English.
Box 2, Folder 3-6
Women and AIDS
1989-1994
Language of Material: English.
