AIDS Activism
HIV/AIDS is not solely a medical issue. There are a lot of social factors at play in the history of AIDS, such as stigma, discrimination, and neglect. The initial response from the United States government and traditional medical authorities was not adequate to help those suffering from HIV/AIDS. Moreover, social stigma and discrimination had severe negative impacts on those affected by HIV/AIDS. As a result, many activist groups were formed to help those living with HIV/AIDS and to advocate for their treatment and rights. National organizations such as the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and ACTUP were formed, but smaller localized organizations were also established in Central Pennsylvania. Below are the stories of important activist organizations in Central Pennsylvania.
The South Central AIDS Assistance Network, commonly referred to as SCAAN, is an example of a grassroots AIDS organization that responded to the needs of the Central Pennsylvania community. SCAAN was founded in 1985 by concerned members of the gay community who recognized the need for an advocacy and treatment group for people affected with HIV/AIDS in the greater Harrisburg area, including Dauphin, Cumberland, and Perry counties. The three biggest goals of SCAAN as an organization were education, treatment, and anti-discrimination
To empower persons to live with HIV disease through information and support; To slow the spread of infection with HIV through community prevention education; and to advocate for nondiscriminatory practices in any area that affects people with HIV disease." -SCAAN Mission Statement
Professionalizing Support
SCAAN Board of Directors, 1992. LGBT-05, Folder 1.02
Grants from federal and state programs allowed organizations like SCAAN to hire full time salaried staff. Having a professional staff allowed for SCAAN to have a wider reach in terms of services offered and clients served. Paid staff worked in tandem with volunteers in order to achieve the goals of SCAAN. According to Peg Dierkers, "I was the first paid staff and the volunteers were very supportive and remained very supportive and involved. We wrote about medical treatment, helped people pay for their housing, attended a lot of funerals - a lot of funerals, and worked with families."
Volunteers
SCAAN Buddy Picnic, 1996. LGBT-054, Folder 1.11
SCAAN Training Retreat, Date Unknown. LGBT-05, Folder 1.18
The success of SCAAN relied heavily on volunteers. One of the duties that SCAAN volunteers took on was becoming a buddy for someone living with HIV/AIDS. Buddies would provide assistance to the person with HIV/AIDS by helping them get to their appointments, complete errands, and be a caring person in their life. Volunteers also assisted in community education efforts and office administration. Many volunteers had personal reasons that motivated them to become a volunteer. Below is a letter from a SCAAN volunteer detailing why they decided to work for SCAAN. The original copy of the letter is on the left and the transcription is on the right.
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I wanted you to understand why I volunteered. It's simple. It's in memory of my friend." -Bunny Midnight
Volunteers at the SCAAN volunteer retreat, date unknown. LGBT-054, Box 1, Folder 18
Addressing Discrimination
An excerpt from the 1995 SCAAN annual report detailing the development of the SCAAN housing program.
SCAAN continually strove to fight discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS. One way in which SCAAN worked to fight AIDS discrimination was through housing. Discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS in the realm of housing was an unfortunate reality, as some landlords would evict people on the basis that they had HIV/AIDS. People with HIV/AIDS were also at higher risk of losing income and therefore losing money for rent. SCAAN sought to create housing programs for people with HIV/AIDS, in the form of a hospice and low income housing.
Education
AIDS Education was a major SCAAN initiative. Awareness was one facet of SCAAN's education initiative. SCAAN tried to educate the general public on HIV/AIDS in order to promote understanding and empathy towards those living with HIV/AIDS. General awareness could take the form of presentations given to school students or public service announcements. Another facet of SCAAN's education initiative was outreach to people who may be at risk of HIV/AIDS infection. This type of education could take the form of sex education for communities particularly impacted by HIV/AIDS. SCAAN would reach out to LGBTQ+ communities, African American communities, incarcerated people, and people who use drugs.
Front page of a SCAAN Treatment Bulletin. These publications were made in order to educate people about HIV/ AIDS infection and treatment. 1990.
AIDS Walk
Annually, SCAAN hosted an event called AIDSWALK For a Better Life in order to raise money for SCAAN and promote awareness of HIV/AIDS. The walk took place on City Island in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It was a very successful event, with hundreds of people participating. While the amount raised from the walk varied from year to year, a record high was $95,000 raised in 1994. Below are some pictures from AIDSWALK.
Walk For A Better Life, 1994. LGBT-054 Box 1, Folder 01
Walk Program, 1992. LGBT-054, Box 1, Folder 3
Staff at the Walk for a Better Life, 1993. LGBT-054, Box 1, Folder 04
Walk for a Better Life, 1992. LGBT-054, Box 1, Folder 03
Caring a la Carte
Another popular fundraiser hosted by SCAAN was Caring a la Carte. SCAAN collaborated restaurants in Central PA region such as the California Cafe in Carlisle and the St. Moritz in Harrisburg. Participating restaurants agreed to donate 25% of bills to SCAAN. In return, SCAAN promoted their businesses and encouraged people to go out to the restaurants. It was an event that was very successful in terms of fundraising for SCAAN and it simultaneously promoted local business in the Central Pennsylvania area.
The End of SCAAN
The announcement that SCAAN would close its doors came on Thursday, October 3, 1996. The closure came as a result
Creative Activism
Program for one of Lily White & Company's earliest shows: The Gaities of 1982 or It's No Fiasco. Image courtesy of the Dickinson College Archives and Special Collections.
Activism can happen in unexpected ways. The arts and culture can be used to fight for social justice, inform people about important issues, and in the case of Lily White & Company, raise much needed funds to support people suffering from HIV/AIDS.
Lily White & Company was a drag and theater troupe devoted to raising money for local AIDS organizations such as SCAAN and York House Hospice. Lily White & Co was founded in 1980 and first began putting on shows in the very early years of the AIDS epidemic. They performed in various bars, hotels, and venues throughout the Central PA area.
Lily White & Company was a positive force in Central Pennsylvania in more ways than one. The group put on performances that celebrated LGBTQ+ culture and life during a time when the community was facing immense devastation due to HIV/AIDS and discrimination. They then used these performances to help people suffering from AIDS by raising money and boosting morale.
Lily White & Company was a drag and theater troupe devoted to raising money for local AIDS organizations such as SCAAN and York House Hospice. Lily White & Co was founded in 1980 and first began putting on shows in the very early years of the AIDS epidemic. They performed in various bars, hotels, and venues throughout the Central PA area.
Lily White & Company was a positive force in Central Pennsylvania in more ways than one. The group put on performances that celebrated LGBTQ+ culture and life during a time when the community was facing immense devastation due to HIV/AIDS and discrimination. They then used these performances to help people suffering from AIDS by raising money and boosting morale.
Image courtesy of the Dickinson College Archives and Special Collection
The purpose of this organization is to produce events that typify the gay culture and, by production of such events, raise funds for AIDS patient relief and gay and lesbian civic organizations." - Lily White and Company Statement of Purpose
Collaboration & Community
The work of Lily White & Company exemplifies cooperation and collaboration amongst AIDS organizations in central PA. The South Central AIDS Assistance Network (SCAAN) and York House Hospice were close partners of Lily White & Company. Volunteers from SCAAN would sometimes be present at Lily White performances in order to assist in duties like ticket sales. Below is an excerpt of a letter from SCAAN to Lily White highlighting collaboration:
Through donations from people such as yourselves, the South Central AIDS Assistance Network is able to continue providing support to persons with AIDS and the significant people in their lives. " QUOTE SOURCE?
Lily White & Company performance of the Normal Heart. Image courtesy of the Dickinson College Archives and Special Collections.
Various Lily White & Company publications.
Lily White & Company performance.
Legacy
Throughout its years of operation, Lily White & Company put on many theatrical performances such as Broadway Angel, Lisbon Traviataat, The Normal Heart, Something Old Something New, Hystery of the World According to Lily, Leather and Lamé, among others. Lily White & Company put on performances at local venues such as the Stallions Club, Paper Moon Restaurant, and the Harrisburg Hotel. Lily White & Company raised thousands of dollars for AIDS organizations from the early 1980s until the late 1990s.
Below is a photo gallery containing images of various sources related to Lily White & Company. Click on the first picture to begin viewing the gallery and to see a description of each image.
Below is a photo gallery containing images of various sources related to Lily White & Company. Click on the first picture to begin viewing the gallery and to see a description of each image.
The task of fundraising, especially for HIV+ individuals and gay and lesbian organizations, is not easy. The gratitude expressed by the recipients of our goodwill as well as our audiences, however, should be enough to convince us that we serve a purpose and that mission is a great one." -Eric Selvey, Lily White President's Report
