Handwritten letter on lined yellow paper, stapled: "My name is Jesus Reyes and I've just been arrested by the INS. Now they want to deport me because I have AIDS. I came to this rally today because as a gay man and as a person with AIDS I wanted to support this struggle against death, this struggle for life. I didn't expect to find the immigration police here, but here they were. Now they're certain to send me back to Mexico where all that waits for me is an early death. Since I've come to this country in 1981 I worked very hard. For the first couple of years I worked two jobs where I still live, in the Mission. I've always tryed to send back as much money as I could to my family in Mexico, things are so bad there they're almost [...]"
Attribution:
Courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society Jorge Cortiñas Papers
Sepia colored flyer "Bienvenidos a Ellis Island 1990: 1892-1990 Cien Años de Inmigración, Cien Años de Hipocresia. Para los extranjeros VIH positivos no existe el derecho a la vida a la libertad, a la felicidad, tampoco existe el derecho a la salud publica para extranjeros con el SIDA. También se le niega entrada a las lesbianas y homosexuales. El derecho a la libertad de palabra es negado a los extranjeros. No existe el derecho a procedimiento legal para extranjeros. Bienvenidos a los Estados Unidos. Protesta 9 de Septiembre en Battery Park 212-989-1114"
Attribution:
Courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society Jorge Cortiñas Papers
Main exhibit image of protesters picketing, Barbara Gittings carries a sign, "Sexual Preference is Irrelevant to Federal Employment." Photo by Kay Lahusen.
Black and white flyer to protest the 1994 California Proposition 187. "A resistir la 187 protestemos en el día internacional de los derechos humanos / Resist 187 demonstrate on International Human Rights Day. Sábado 10 de diciembre / Saturday December 10. 11 am Asemblea 24 y Mission (SF) / Rally 24th & Mission. 12:00 mediodía marcha al City Hall / march to City Hall"
Attribution:
San Francisco LGBT General Subjects Ephemera Collection, courtesy of the GLBT Historical Society
Black and white flyer with image of the United States flag with barbed wire as the stripes, and fifty headshots of Jesse Helms as the stars. The headline reads, "¡PROTESTA! CONTRA LA MIGRA" with an ACT UP! FIGHT BACK! circle logo and date, "MARTES 19 de JUNIO, 4 DE LA TARDE, SANSOME Y MARKET". The subtext reads, "MARCHA A LAS OFICINAS DE LA MIGRA. ALTO CON LA PRUEBA MANDATORIA DEL VIH (SIDA). FIN A LAS RESTRICIONES INMIGRATORIAS CONTRA LAS PERSONAS CON SIDA/VIH. NO A LA DEPORTACION DE LAS PERSONAS CON SIDA/VIH.
Attribution:
From the Jorge Cortiñas Papers, courtesy of The GLBT Historical Society