It Wasn't As If Conspiracy Theories Began with the Internet
Marcel Mac Duchamp, from the Irish branch of the family, seen here with the complete back-issues of 'The Village Voice' 1955 to 1986, arrived in Manhattan in 1986, pre-internet, pre-mobiles, pre-influencers, pre-trigger warnings.
However did we communicate with each other?
We read, we researched, we evaluated and we demonstrated.
We even tried to make art about what was happening.
We Acted-Up.
We supported each other, through life, demonstrating, and death.
In the late 1980s, New York City's Village Voice addressed HIV conspiracy theories and AIDS-related fears, particularly those circulating in the gay and African-American communities. While the Village Voice worked to counteract misinformation, another NYC gay paper, the New York Native, became a prominent source for promoting HIV conspiracy theories. The broader historical context includes government inaction, early scientific uncertainty, and disinformation campaigns, which all fueled distrust.
The Village Voice's coverage and stance:
•Active opposition to misinformation: The Village Voice and its writers like Richard Goldstein often confronted the misinformation head-on. A key aspect of their coverage was refuting dangerous rumors about how HIV could be transmitted and documenting the personal toll of the crisis.
•Political and social commentary: The paper used political and social commentary to critique the inadequate and homophobic response of the Reagan administration and explore the crisis from the perspective of the gay community. For many, the government's initial apathy and slow reaction to the growing epidemic contributed to deep-seated distrust.
•Amplifying activism: The Village Voice also covered the crucial work of activist groups like ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), which was founded in New York in 1987. ACT UP's militant actions often targeted the government and pharmaceutical companies for their slow response and high drug prices.
Contrasting coverage in the New York Native:
While the Village Voice focused on activist and social issues, another NYC gay paper, the New York Native, took a different and destructive path.
•Promoting dangerous theories: In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Native shifted away from reporting on community issues to prominently featuring the fringe ideas of AIDS denialist Peter Duesberg.
•Denialist content: Duesberg's theories, which claimed that recreational drugs and not HIV caused AIDS, were featured extensively in the Native, spreading baseless information that undermined public health efforts.
•Negative impact: By publicizing these harmful conspiracies, the New York Native contributed to confusion and suspicion within the gay community, potentially leading some people to avoid necessary medical treatment.
Key HIV conspiracy theories in NYC
The conspiracies circulating in late 1980s New York had several major components:
•Government-engineered virus: One of the most persistent theories was that the virus was created by the U.S. government, possibly the CIA, to wipe out gay men and African-Americans. A 1990 New York Times/CBS poll found that a significant number of Black New Yorkers believed this was true or might be true, reflecting a long history of medical racism and exploitation.
•Contaminated hepatitis-B vaccine: Some theories claimed the government intentionally injected gay men with HIV during hepatitis-B experiments conducted in NYC, San Francisco, and Los Angeles in the 1970s.
•KGB disinformation: The KGB actively engaged in a disinformation campaign during the Cold War to promote the false claim that the U.S. military created HIV at Fort Detrick as a biological weapon. This propaganda was intentionally spread through sympathetic international news outlets and later found its way into local publications, particularly those serving the affected communities.
The air was still rife with conspiracy, and Fauci was the enemy, though this would change radically when he, influenced by Act-Up, became our champion.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Duesberg
and
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Native
It Wasn't As If Conspiracy Theories Began with the Internet
Marcel Mac Duchamp, from the Irish branch of the family, seen here with the complete back-issues of 'The Village Voice' 1955 to 1986, arrived in Manhattan in 1986, pre-internet, pre-mobiles, pre-influencers, pre-trigger warnings.
However did we communicate with each other?
We read, we researched, we evaluated and we demonstrated.
We even tried to make art about what was happening.
We Acted-Up.
We supported each other, through life, demonstrating, and death.
In the late 1980s, New York City's Village Voice addressed HIV conspiracy theories and AIDS-related fears, particularly those circulating in the gay and African-American communities. While the Village Voice worked to counteract misinformation, another NYC gay paper, the New York Native, became a prominent source for promoting HIV conspiracy theories. The broader historical context includes government inaction, early scientific uncertainty, and disinformation campaigns, which all fueled distrust.
The Village Voice's coverage and stance:
•Active opposition to misinformation: The Village Voice and its writers like Richard Goldstein often confronted the misinformation head-on. A key aspect of their coverage was refuting dangerous rumors about how HIV could be transmitted and documenting the personal toll of the crisis.
•Political and social commentary: The paper used political and social commentary to critique the inadequate and homophobic response of the Reagan administration and explore the crisis from the perspective of the gay community. For many, the government's initial apathy and slow reaction to the growing epidemic contributed to deep-seated distrust.
•Amplifying activism: The Village Voice also covered the crucial work of activist groups like ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), which was founded in New York in 1987. ACT UP's militant actions often targeted the government and pharmaceutical companies for their slow response and high drug prices.
Contrasting coverage in the New York Native:
While the Village Voice focused on activist and social issues, another NYC gay paper, the New York Native, took a different and destructive path.
•Promoting dangerous theories: In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Native shifted away from reporting on community issues to prominently featuring the fringe ideas of AIDS denialist Peter Duesberg.
•Denialist content: Duesberg's theories, which claimed that recreational drugs and not HIV caused AIDS, were featured extensively in the Native, spreading baseless information that undermined public health efforts.
•Negative impact: By publicizing these harmful conspiracies, the New York Native contributed to confusion and suspicion within the gay community, potentially leading some people to avoid necessary medical treatment.
Key HIV conspiracy theories in NYC
The conspiracies circulating in late 1980s New York had several major components:
•Government-engineered virus: One of the most persistent theories was that the virus was created by the U.S. government, possibly the CIA, to wipe out gay men and African-Americans. A 1990 New York Times/CBS poll found that a significant number of Black New Yorkers believed this was true or might be true, reflecting a long history of medical racism and exploitation.
•Contaminated hepatitis-B vaccine: Some theories claimed the government intentionally injected gay men with HIV during hepatitis-B experiments conducted in NYC, San Francisco, and Los Angeles in the 1970s.
•KGB disinformation: The KGB actively engaged in a disinformation campaign during the Cold War to promote the false claim that the U.S. military created HIV at Fort Detrick as a biological weapon. This propaganda was intentionally spread through sympathetic international news outlets and later found its way into local publications, particularly those serving the affected communities.
The air was still rife with conspiracy, and Fauci was the enemy, though this would change radically when he, influenced by Act-Up, became our champion.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Duesberg
and
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Native