by James Riccio, Class of 2022, Finance and Art History
Cornell AIDS Action was spearheaded by Sharon J. Dittman, the Sexuality and AIDS educator on Cornell’s campus from 1987 to 1990. The purpose of Cornell AIDS Action (1990-1992) was to spread awareness of the deadly disease which became widespread during the mid-to-late 1980s, especially amongst the LGBTQ+ community. Cornell AIDS Action also sought to educate Cornell students on safer sex practices through its workshops, including the use of flashcards and skits. The script below for one skit details a conversation between two students: one is unsure about having sex due to AIDS; the other reassures them that they should but diminishes the impact of the AIDS epidemic, “I think you’re blowing this AIDS thing out of proportion. Just relax and have a great weekend.” Skits such as this helped students understand the gravity of the situation at hand and offered reassurance through preventive measures against AIDS.
Cornell AIDS Action initially came to fruition due to the lack of support offered by Cornell University during the early years of the disease. Students like George Ayala, who graduated in 1986 at the height of the AIDS epidemic, criticized the university for the lack of support they offered in the Cornell Daily Sun through his article titled “Making AIDS a Priority.” He expressed the need for meaningful and effective responses to combat the AIDS epidemic, on not only Cornell’s campus but the United States as a whole. Thanks to the early efforts by students such as George Ayala and other LGBTQ+ groups on Cornell’s campus, Sharon J. Dittman was hired and helped students understand AIDS to not only combat the deadly disease but to combat the homophobia that became rampant due to the stigma that the AIDS epidemic created towards the LGBTQ+ community.
Even though Cornell was initially criticized for its inaction, it eventually paved the way for the education of its students on safer sex practices and homophobia to help its students understand and prevent the disease on a meaningful level. Not only did Cornell AIDS action work towards bringing awareness to this deadly disease and educating students on preventative measures, but it also sought to break the stigma AIDS created towards the LGBTQ+ community. As expressed through the flashcard titled “homophobia,” fear and hatred towards the LGBTQ+ community increased due to the AIDS epidemic because it was perceived to be a gay disease.
Sources:
Cornell AIDS Action records, #51-1-2746. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
George Ayala, “Making AIDS a Priority,” Cornell Daily Sun, May 5, 1986.