The Stage
1980s: AIDS Crisis Emerges (cont’d)
1988: The War Conference
In response to “a national administration hostile to the cause of lesbian and gay rights and cruelly indifferent to the catastrophe of AIDS,” thirty-four activists from various organizations planned a conference to bring gay and lesbian leaders together to strategize. Together, they launched an annual day to encourage people to come out (National Coming Out Day) and an annual skills-building conference (NGLTF’s Creating Change conference). Other important products of this collaboration were greater communication between groups to coordinate mailgram campaigns, and a national media campaign to fight the right.
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Michael Shower. Invitation to the War Conference. Dec. 15, 1987. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Records. [Zoom] View/download a PDF of this item |
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“A Call to Conference...A Call to Action,” Dec. 15, 1987. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Records. [Zoom] View/download a PDF of this item |
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“Final Statement of The War Conference,” Feb. 28, 1988. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Records. [Zoom] View/download a PDF of this item |