Join Positively UK and ACT UP at Bloomsbury Curzon Cinema, who will be hosting a speed dating night for HIV+ people
Please note - this will take place on the ground floor at ‘Curzon Bloomsbury - The Brunswick Centre, London WC1N 1AW’
This is a celebration of LOVE, UNITY and COMMUNITY for everyone who deserves it particularly those on the frontline of hostile stigma and austerity. Come and join us and make love shine in all our lives - all supported by our fabulous ACT UP glamorous assistants - so that we confront the barriers that stop us all loving ourselves, admiring each other and thriving in our communities.
The night will open with a welcome speech from Silvia Petretti, CEO of Positively UK and Memory Sachikonye - co-author of ‘Our Stories Told by Us’ - Celebrating the African contribution to the UK HIV response
ABOUT US
ACT UP – (Aids Coalition to Unleash Power) are ‘United in Anger and committed to direct action to end the AIDS crisis, along with the broader inequalities and injustices that perpetuate it’.
‘Positively UK provides peer-led support, advocacy and information to everyone living with HIV to effectively manage any aspect of their diagnosis, care and life with HIV’
WHY?
Without sexual freedom and access to healthcare for all there is no decent Pride. So join us and celebrate how sexual freedom has been catalysed in London Town. Real change and real support came from us! It was the hundreds of people at the ‘die-in’ protests in Trafalgar Square, it was brave friends abseiling in protest into Parliament, it was the radical refusal of nurses working on AIDS wards to leave the dying alone, it was dykes donating blood, it was Queens on support phone lines throughout the night, it was clandestine meetings in the back of bookshops, it was booksellers resisting police raids, it was Whitney Houston singing at AIDS rallies in Hyde Park and so much more – all are covered in 'Queer Footprints: A Guide to Uncovering London's Fierce History'. by ACT UP activist Dan Glass, who will be smooching whoever will have him live on stage on the night.
WHAT WE WANT
ACT UP is calling for national action to confront the Conservative Government’s lethal austerity programme that combined with pharmaceutical greed and political inaction, forces HIV/AIDS education, prevention and support services to shut down. . With bigoted comments like this Government's Hostile Environment that regularly detains HIV+ migrants without access to medication - want us to turn against each other and hide away in fear - but we won’t let it happen.
LINE UP:
6pm - Doors open and welcome from ACT UP activists and glamorous assistants from across the world.
6.30 - 7pm - Queer Footprints short reading.
7-10pm - HIV Speed Dating
10pm - Join us as we cause mayhem in Soho.
Together we will vajazzle stigma, expose pharmaceutical greed and revel in the anger, sweatiness and fabulous fierceness of the global HIV+ community. So often, we are stigmatised in our society; treated as passive recipients of resources, or silenced and invisibilized altogether.
PRESS / CONTACT: Please email actuplondonhealthcareforall@gmail.com for all press enquiries, collaborations and any questions.
DRESSCODE: Dress to Impress!
ACCESSIBILITY: The venue is fully accessible. There will be ACT UP’s glamorous assistants at your service all night should you need anything.
TICKETS: Early bird £5 Unwaged £5 Waged £7.50 Solidarity £10. All profits go to the Positively UK Hardship Support Scheme - The Hardship Support Scheme provides financial support to help people living with HIV in times of crisis. Limited spaces - book your ticket here https://www.outsavvy.com/.../act-up-speed-dating-pride...
If you have issues being able to afford to attend this event EMAIL US and we will sort it. Let us know and we will add you to our list.
Paying forward/drinks tickets for people in the asylum process or those who are homeless will be available on the night.
Got a question or want to be involved? Please email us at actuplondonhealthcareforall@gmail.com