The Stonewall National Museum, Archives, & Library is calling for a new era of activism, inspired by the ACT-UP movement of the 1980s. The National LGBTQ Museum is mobilizing communities to counter what it calls a direct attack on Constitutional rights and freedoms. Robert Kesten, President of the Stonewall Museum, declared in a statement,
“Today we face a different threat, but one that is far greater than any virus, it is the government’s outright attack on our Constitutional rights and freedoms, ignoring the rule of law, rewriting history, and violating the covenant between American citizens and our government.”
ACT-UP was formed in response to the AIDS crisis, forcing the U.S. government to take action as thousands died. Kesten says that the same energy is needed today to resist efforts to roll back queer rights. He calls on queer organizations, civil rights groups, labor unions, and individuals to stand together. The museum urges protests and even a nationwide economic shutdown, stating, “No planes in the skies, no trains, no cars or trucks on the roads.” The rallying cry remains: SILENCE = DEATH. The declaration of an “Act-Up” approach to what is occurring in America against the LGBTQ community is a clear frustration with what our traditional LGBTQ advocacy organizations have delivered so far in 2025. Acti-up was the LGBTQ community’s last stand for awareness of the Aids crisis to America’s hearts and minds. For more information, supporters can contact stonewall-museum.org
