AEGiS-BAR: ACT UP/San Francisco court hearing finished, judge to issue decision

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2000. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

ACT UP/San Francisco court hearing finished, judge to issue decision

The Bay Area Reporter - August 10, 2000
Katie Szymanski

Gay drama took on a whole new meaning over the past few months, as the HIV/AIDS organization Project Inform fought its legal battle in San Francisco Superior Court to keep ACT UP/San Francisco members away from its staff and public gatherings. The civil hearing against ACT UP/SF brimmed with controversy, and the testimony from Project Inform and ACT UP/SF witnesses differed so greatly that even episodes of Law and Order seemed tame and easy to predict by comparison.

But alas, like all good shows, the courtroom saga has now come to an end. Attorneys for both sides are expected to submit written closing arguments this week to summarize their clients' positions, and a decision is expected within 30 days as to whether Project Inform should receive permanent restraining orders against several ACT UP/SF members.

The proceedings stemmed from the now-infamous April 17 incident whereby ACT UP/SF members stormed a public forum hosted by Project Inform and Survive AIDS about strategic treatment interruption. The group was upset that the organizations that once advocated total adherence to HIV medications were acknowledging the potential benefits of structured drug holidays. ACT UP/SF has long maintained that HIV treatment is murderous poison, and members on that fateful night allegedly threw hard pills, hit participants with cardboard signs, and shoved Project Inform's Judy Leahy, causing her to suffer a knee injury.

Both sides were less than convincing in court; Project Inform played the part of the defenseless victim while ACT UP/SF members described their tactics as "performance art," and also rejected the idea that they threw any pills, although they did admit seeing them fly through the air.

At this point it is up to San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ina Levin Gyemant to decide between two very different versions of what happened four months ago.
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