ACT-UP Golden Gate records

Collection

Identifier: MSS-98-47

Staff Only

MSS 98-47 ACT-UP Golden Gate records Calisphere items

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Scope and Content of Collection

This collection consists of various materials collected by volunteers and activists associated with ACT-UP Golden Gate, with a large number of records from Edward Zold. At large, the materials in this collection cover ACT-UP Golden Gate’s administrative information and practices, their collection action participation in the form of conferences and working groups, HIV/AIDS services and press, and the activism and civil disobedience organized by ACT-UP.

The materials in this collection prior to 1993 primarily concerns ACT-UP's actions and responses to the 6th International AIDS Conference which was held in San Francisco in June of 1990. There are also some materials on the 5th and 7th International AIDS conferences, as well as both ATAC (AIDS Treatment Activist Conference) and ATAC² (2nd AIDS Treatment Activist Conference) from 1990 and 1991, and the 13th and 14th AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) meetings December 1991 and April 1992. There are a few additional materials related to other ACT-UP Organizations, such as chapters in Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston.

Materials in this collection dated between 1993-1995 consist of documentation from working groups and task forces, civil disobedience preparation and execution, correspondence with government officials, lobbying efforts, and ACT-UP's opposition to organizations harming the HIV/AIDS community. Much of this activism surrounded health policy and health budgets that ignored the threat and impact of HIV/AIDS. Materials pertaining to the efforts supporting the Reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act in 1995 can also be found in this collection. Correspondence between ACT-UP representatives, often Edward Zold, and the HIV/AIDS division of the CDC and other government officials showcase the lobbying efforts and community action being taken to save those with HIV/AIDS.

ACT-UP Golden Gate’s civil disobedience efforts are well documented and include evidence of sign-ups, training, and collection of legal information for those risking arrest. Flyers, bulletins, community briefings, press, and incident reports are found throughout the collection. Notably, records detailing ACT-UP Golden Gate’s actions following the blatant discrimination from a KSFO radio host are included alongside an audio tape pertaining to the incident. There are also records pertaining to ACT-UP Golden Gate’s opposition to Kaiser Permanente, Genetech, the CDC, and the California Medical Association following their discriminatory practices or policies against the HIV/AIDS community.

Dates

Creation: 1986-1995

Access

The UCSF Archives and Special Collections policy places access restrictions on material with privacy issues for a specific time period from the date of creation. Access to records that contain personal and confidential information about an individual or individuals is restricted for 75 years from date of creation or until the death of the individual mentioned in the records, whichever is longer. Access to medical records is restricted for 100 years from the latest date of the materials in those files. Restrictions are noted at the series level. This collection will be reviewed for sensitive content upon request. Contact the UCSF Archivist for information on access to these files.

Publication Rights

Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of the University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing, and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Biographical / Historical

The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT-UP) New York was formed in March 1987. ACT-UP San Francisco was formed a year later. ACT-UP Golden Gate separated from ACT-UP San Francisco after a contentious meeting on September 14, 1990. The focus of the new group was on treatment, research, education, and prevention issues. An all volunteer organization, much of the work was done by committees, and weekly meetings were held to discuss proposed demonstrations, educational campaigns, meeting with corporate or governmental officials, and endorsements of other organizations actions. The organization considers all of Northern California within its service area, but is primarily focused on San Francisco and its immediate environs. In 2000 or 2001 the organization changed its name to Survive AIDS.

The ACT UP/Golden Gate Statement of Purpose from a c. 1991 newcomer's packet reads: "ACT UP/GOLDEN GATE is a diverse, non-partisan group of individuals, united in anger and committed to direct action to end the AIDS crisis. We are engaged in a battle to reform the research and treatment of HIV and its associated opportunistic diseases, intensify HIV education and prevention efforts, and revolutionize the health care delivery system in this country. The HIV pandemic crosses all racial, sexual, age, cultural and class boundaries and we are committed to involving all affected communities in this fight. THE FIGHT AGAINST THE HIV PANDEMIC IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY."

Extent

1.67 Linear Feet (4 Boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

ACT-UP Golden Gate was an activist and volunteer organization committed to direct action to end the AIDS crisis. The materials in this collection were gathered by those associated with ACT-UP Golden Gate, with a large amount pertaining to Edward Zold, an activist and spokesperson with ACT-UP Golden Gate. This collection covers ACT-UP Golden Gate’s administrative information and practices, their collective action participation in the form of conferences and working groups, HIV/AIDS services and press, and the activism and civil disobedience organized by ACT-UP.

The materials in this collection prior to 1993 primarily concern ACT-UP's involvement with the International AIDS Conferences, AIDS Treatment Activist Conferences (ATAC), and other collective action efforts. Materials in this collection dated between 1993-1995 primarily consist of documentation from working groups and task forces, civil disobedience preparation and execution, correspondence with government officials, lobbying efforts, and ACT-UP's opposition to organizations harming the HIV/AIDS community. Much of this activism surrounded health policy and health budgets that ignored the threat and impact of HIV/AIDS. Flyers, bulletins, community briefings, press, and incident reports are also found throughout the collection in addition to an audio tape regarding the KSFO Radio discrimination incident in 1995.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into four series:

I. ACT-UP Administrative Information, 1986-1995

II. Collective Action, 1989-1995

III. HIV/AIDS Programs and Press, 1987-1995

IV. ACT-UP Activism, 1992-1995

Series II-IV are each divided into Sub-Series and organized by subject matter.

The 1998 accession (Box 1) and 2023 accession (Boxes 2-4) are kept physically separate but are still organized by series.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The first accrual of the ACT-UP Golden Gate Records was gifted to the UCSF Archives and Special Collections by ACT-UP Golden Gate in 1998. They were surveyed and collected by then AIDS Project Archivist Bill Walker. The formal deed of gift was signed in April 2000.

The second and final accrual of the ACT-UP Golden Gate Records was transferred by Kelsi Evans, an archivist at the GLBT Historical Society, in 2023.

Accruals

No future additions are expected.

Related Collections

MSS 2000-06 Nancy (Shaw) Stoller Papers

MSS 2000-32 AIDS History Project Audio/Video Collection

MSS 98-49 AIDS Community-Based Organization Records Collections

Processing Information

Processed by H. Herrick in March 2026 after the second accession, MSS 2023-13, and the entire collection was reprocessed. The first accession, MSS 98-47, was minimally processed by J. Bazar in December 2005.