Highlights from the Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection

HIV/AIDS Through a Local Lens

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is an incurable disease that attacks the immune system, and if left untreated, can then result in AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Though the virus remains with the individual for life, HIV can be managed with medical care and precautions can be taken to protect against the spread of HIV/AIDS During the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, there was little scientific understanding of the virus and thus became highly stigmatized, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. HIV/AIDS was intrinsically linked to gay men, even though cases were also prevalent in heterosexual and female individuals. Through advances in science and technology, there are now medications, like PrEP, that can be taken orally to help prevent HIV and many affected individuals go on to live healthy and full lives [10]

As the examples here suggest, the LGBTQ History of Monterey Collection reveals a complex local response to HIV/AIDS. Community members and local organizations banded together to advocate, support, and commemorate individuals and communities affected by HIV/AIDS in the Monterey and surrounding Counties. Periodicals shared news and information--about HIV, education and prevention efforts, and organizations working to support and advocate for people living with HIV or AIDS.

Monterey County AIDS Project (MCAP)

MCAP was created in 1985 and was the source of many community outreach programs and often worked in tandem with highly frequented social spaces, including bars and clubs like Franco’s Norma Jean and the After Dark. MCAP was known for their outreach programs “Man-to-Man” and “Woman-to-Woman”, and they also held youth centered social events like “playing safely” [3]. MCAP’s outreach programs often faced many hardships, especially “Man-to-Man”, due to lack of community attendance and high turnover rate with their staff. Although they often advertised many volunteer opportunities within The Paper, MCAP found that their best line of defense of preventing HIV/AIDS was to set up a table at the After Dark and hand out condoms to patrons at the nightclub [4].Funding for MCAP relied on community events and benefits, like “Feast for AIDS” [6], where proceeds helped fund community outreach programs and other social services

Monterey County’s The Paper made its debut in June of 1994. Initially funded by Monterey County’s AIDS Project, it served as an outreach tool for LGBTQ residents on the Monterey Peninsula and in Santa Cruz county. Though the newspaper circulated current and community events, it also showcased and highlighted HIV/ AIDS information. The Paper often tackled HIV/AIDS issues and provided compelling articles as a means to educate Monterey and the surrounding areas. For example, The Paper reported that though Monterey County had several social outreach programs and educational services, the county had incredibly low turnout rates for HIV testing [2]. Monterey County saw a sharp decrease in testing among men in particular. According to the Monterey County Health Department, in 1995 45 gay men and 123 bisexual men were tested, whereas in 1996 57 gay men and only 80 bisexual men received HIV testing [2]. The Paper often highlighted HIV testing sites within Monterey County and continued to push for community outreach in response to the devastatingly low testing numbers [9] Like The Paper, other publications offered information about HIV/AIDS. For example, as one of the documents below illustrates, Demeter, a feminist publication from Monterey Country in the collection, included articles about AIDS and women.

John XXIII AIDS Ministry

John XXIII AIDS Ministry was founded in June, 1988 by Father Alan Syslo and Michael Pollock [7]. The Ministry offered social services and community outreach programs, and similarly to MCAP, worked with other local organizations and social spaces. John XXIII provided housing, meals, medical support [8], rent assistance, utility assistance [7], and provided other resources to those affected by HIV/AIDS. The ministry’s services and outreach spanned from Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, and San Bernardino counties [7]. Within those counties, support groups were also held for men and women living with HIV/AIDS, for their partners, and for their mothers and families [1]. John XXIII AIDS Ministry was a lifeline for the LGBTQ community and has stayed true to their mission statement to provide “unconditional love, respect and compassion for your fellow human being” [7]

Remembering and Commemorating

On December 1, 1994 Coleen Haworth organized Monterey County’s first World AIDS Day gathering. This momentous occasion drew not only folks living with HIV/AIDS, but also friends, families, and both local and state politicians. Around 5 p.m. that evening, the crowd formed a circle while looping a red AIDS ribbon through their joined hands. Together, they sang “Amazing Grace” while news and press coverage looked on. With the help of many donors, a banner flew on Alvarado Street in Monterey reading “World AIDS Day”. That historical day brought together diverse communities to show their support and uplift those affected by HIV/ AIDS [3]. Activism also came in the form of a national rotating installment titled the NAMES Quilt Project. Hartnell College hosted segments of the quilt in Salinas, humanizing the HIV/AIDS epidemic by memorializing those who had lost their battle to the heartbreaking disease. Monterey County cultivated powerful activism and communal foundations for not only HIV/AIDS, but also the LGBTQ community.

Image sources:

Monterey County AIDS Project advertisement, The Paper, Volume 2, Number 1, June-July, 1995. Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, California State University, Monterey Bay Archives and Special Collections, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/7/.

John XXII AIDS Ministry at Bar-B-Q in Salinas, California, ca 1990s. John XXIII AIDS Ministry Photos, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, California State University, Monterey Bay Archives and Special Collections.

World AIDS Day Commemoration in Seaside, California, ca 1990s. John XXIII AIDS Ministry Photos, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, California State University, Monterey Bay Archives and Special Collections.

References

[10] “About HIV”. CDC: Center for Disease and Control.https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/about/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/whatishiv.html. Accessed May 30, 2024.

[1] The Paper, Volume 1., Number 1 , June 1994, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, California State University, Monterey Bay Archives and Special Collection, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/16/. .

[2] The Paper, Volume 4, Number 3, September/October 1997, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, California State University, Monterey Bay Archives and Special Collection, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/17/.

[3] The Paper, Volume 1, Number 4, December/January 1994, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, California State University, Monterey Bay Archives and Special Collection, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/4/.

[4] The Paper, Volume 1, Number 5, February/March 1995, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, California State University, Monterey Bay Archives and Special Collection, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/5/.

[5] The Paper, Volume 2, Number 1, August 1995, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, California State University, Monterey Bay Archives and Special Collection, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/7/.

[6] The Paper, Volume 2, Number 4, January/February 1996, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, California State University, Monterey Bay Archives and Special Collection, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/10/.

[7] The Paper Volume 2, Number 2, August 1995, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, California State University, Monterey Bay Archives and Special Collection, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/8/.

[8] The Paper, Volume 1, Number 2, July 1994, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, California State University, Monterey Bay Archives and Special Collection, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/1/.

[9] The Paper, Volume 3, Number 1, July/August 1996, Monterey County LGBTQ History Collection, California State University, Monterey Bay Archives and Special Collection, https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/thepaper/12/.