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Look at what you've helped accomplish so far... In 2006 ACT UP Austin stomped back into the Texas HIV arena with a vengeance! Rising from the ashes of Austin activist history, we quickly reestablished ourselves as a powerful force to be reckoned with, nearly tripling in membership over the past year. The year’s highlights included procuring a technical assistance “Prevention Justice Partnership” with the New York based Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP), launching a major campaign fighting for the rights of Texas prisoners to protect their sexual health, meetings with policy makers and public officials, and two major actions that generated a flurry of media buzz about condom accessibility in prisons. Just in case you missed any of it, in 2006 ACT UP Austin: • Galvanized 50 organizations to sign on to recommendations to the Texas Sunset Commission urging a response to the HIV epidemic in Texas prisons, including providing access to condoms in conjunction with HIV/STD prevention programming, a guarantee that no inmate will receive disciplinary action for possession of condoms, and that all inmates upon their release receive prevention materials. • Met with Sunset staffers and provided the commission a slew of research and data supporting these recommendations • Engaged the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) ombudsman in phone conversations regarding policies that deny prisoners the ability to protect their sexual health and the health of others • Sent a letter to TDCJ requesting clarification/rationale behind their draconian policies and demanding a timely response, which they failed to provide. • Demonstrated at the TDCJ Austin office buildings, and presented TDCJ with an award for their continued “commitment to ensuring the spread of HIV in Texas prisons”, generating local, national, and international media coverage that immediately elicited a response from TDCJ, who apparently neither appreciated their award, nor the bad press that came with it! • Met with TDCJ chief of staff and a security administrator, and reached an agreement that TDCJ would provide information regarding condom prohibition by an agreed upon deadline. Once again, they failed. • Jammed TDCJ phone lines with a phone and fax zap demanding the information they had promised. Within 45 minutes, we received multiple confused communications from TDCJ offering to cooperate. • Met with legislative aides from the offices of Senator Rodney Ellis and Representative Garnet Coleman to discuss legislation that would require TDCJ to change their policies relating to the sexual health of prisoners. • Partnered with community allies and spoke truth to power when we testified at the Sunset Commission’s public hearings. • Commanded the attention of the entire Sunset Commission with a funeral procession during their meeting, complete with black veils, banners and a chorus of Taps played on kazoo. This action sent a strong message to the Sunset Commission that their failure to hold TDCJ accountable was unacceptable. Their decision to ignore our prison HIV prevention recommendations was met, in true ACT UP style. • Inspired HB 1068, which Representative Coleman introduced in February 2007-- the bill contains most of ACT UP Austin's original demands. So where do we go from here?!? Much of that is up to you! Join us at a General Membership meeting at 6:15 PM the first Thursday of each month. We have a new meeting location, Treasure City Thrift Store, located just west of 12th and Chicon. If you haven’t stopped by yet, check them out. Treasure City is an all volunteer run thrift store and the proceeds benefit local community activist projects, including ACT UP Austin. Coming Soon!: We’re planning a fundraiser party in May to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of ACT UP. Details are on the way! In case you missed it, you can check out coverage of us acting up here: http://www.KXAN.com/Global/story.asp?s=5284345 http://www.kvue.com/news/local/stories/081406kvuecondoms-gv.aca04f4.html http://www.590klbj.com/news/Story.aspx?ID=55611 http://www.houstonpress.com/Issues/2006-09-21/news/feature.html http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=39973 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er07id3jBUU And as always, our website- www.actupaustin.org Get Involved! Take Action! ACT UP! FIGHT BACK! FIGHT AIDS!
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