ACT UP is an organization that works with many members of the LGBT community to fight for unethical issues in our country such as the HIV/AIDS Crisis. The LGBT community, as well as other groups in the community, feel as if there is not enough being done to help prevent and cure the horrendous disease known as AIDS. Millions of people around the world are dying every year and according to them, the government is not doing enough to help.
Sacred space can be interpreted as a place of importance to people whether it be because of religious reasons or general places that the community values and deems sacred. The use of these places to riot and fight for various causes can be seen as very controversial in today’s society. For example, many individuals feel that although the protestors might be fighting for an important cause, rioting in a sacred place is disrespectful and can actually escalate the issue in a negative way.
Throughout the years of ACT UP, they have definitely taken advantage of the importance of sacred spaces in their protests. For example, one of their most famous protests was at St. Patricks Cathedral where more than 4,500 members of ACT UP entered the Cathedral and acted very disrespectfully towards the people of the Church that were praying. Many of them were shouting and laying on the floor, doing anything to draw attention to themselves and what they are fighting for. Ultimately, I do not think that this was the right way to go about solving the issue. The St. Patricks Cathedral was not the best choice because it is a place of utmost respect and worship and as I previously mentioned, many of the protestors were being very disrespectful during the prayers. In addition, going to a place that has many people that heavily disagree with you will not help the issue; the people of the Church are very much against homosexuality due to the Bible and it would be nearly impossible to change their minds. Although I do believe that their choice of sacred space did stir the pot in the media and overall community, I believe that there are far better places that would benefit their cause in the fight for more AIDS treatments and research.
Moreover, one place that was very effective in my opinion was the White House. Thousands of people went right up to the gate of the White House Lawn and disposed of the ashes of their loved ones who perished due to the lack of government actions. This was a much more effective protest because although the White House is considered a sacred space, it has more people that are on the fence about the issue and would consider the change. In addition, the ashes proved to show physical damage that has been done in society rather than just explaining theoretical casualties or plain numbers.
All in all, I believe that sacred spaces can be either positive or negative depending on the situation at hand. These types of spaces have been used by activists since the beginning of protesting and it is important to understand when it is effective versus when it goes overboard and ruins not only the willingness of people to cooperate but also the message that the protestors try to convey.
RR (Rom)
