AIDS Services of Austin (ASA) is a non-profit

AIDS service organization AIDS service organizations are community-based organizations that provide support for people affected by HIV/AIDS. This article focuses on HIV/AIDS service organizations in the United States only. There is a huge variety of these organizations in o ...

that addresses HIV and

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

Central Texas Central Texas is a region in the U.S. state of Texas surrounding Austin and roughly bordered by San Saba to Bryan and San Marcos to Hillsboro. Central Texas overlaps with and includes part of the Texas Hill Country and corresponds to a ph ...

. Founded in 1987, ASA is the region's oldest and largest community-based organization addressing the local AIDS crisis. Annually, they provide direct care services to over 1,500 people and HIV prevention education to over 10,000 people. In 2020, ASA merged with national HIV/AIDS non-profit Vivent Health. All ASA services now operate under the Vivent Health name.

History

1980s

The first HIV case in Austin was reported in the summer of 1983, known at the time as GRID, or

Gay-Related Immune Deficiency AIDS is caused by a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which originated in non-human primates in Central and West Africa. While various sub-groups of the virus acquired human infectivity at different times, the present pandemic had its origins i ...

. In the first months of the outbreak, there was no local organization dedicated to the quickly growing crisis. In August 1983, Paul Clover founded the Waterloo Counseling Center to serve the gay community through queer-positive, affordable mental health services.

Volunteer beginnings

A volunteer organization, the Octopus Club, was organized by Lew Aldridge in 1987.

Early politics of AIDS

In the fall of 1986, the Texas Commissioner of Health proposed quarantining gay men suspected of having HIV and AIDS.

Glen Maxey Glen Maxey (born February 23, 1952) is an American politician from Austin, Texas, who was the first openly gay member of the Texas Legislature. Active in the fight for gay rights, Maxey was a central figure in the establishment of facilities for ...

from the Austin AIDS Project organized medical experts to testify before the Texas Legislature against quarantine. On the day the quarantine proposal was withdrawn, Maxey stepped onto the steps of the Texas Department of Health to a throng of cameras. Interviewed by Dan Rather for the '' CBS Evening News'', Maxey was outed as a gay activist.

Annual Events

AIDS Walk Austin

AIDS Walk Austin began as From All Walks of Life in 1988 and is ASA's oldest continuous fundraiser. The

AIDS Walk AIDS Walk is a walkathon fundraiser that raises money to combat the AIDS epidemic. Since 1985, AIDS Walk Los Angeles has drawn hundreds of thousands of supporters to walk, and millions more to donate, raising more than $90 million to combat HIV ...

is a 5k walk through downtown Austin and includes speeches, music and remembrance. In recent years, it has also featured panels from the

AIDS Memorial Quilt The NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, often abbreviated to AIDS Memorial Quilt or AIDS Quilt, is an enormous memorial to celebrate the lives of people who have died of AIDS-related causes. Weighing an estimated 54 tons, it is the largest piece o ...

Viva

Viva, also known as Viva Las Vegas, is an ASA fundraiser that traditionally features faux gambling. In 2009, the event began featuring a fashion show, labeled by

Austin American-Statesman The ''Austin American-Statesman'' is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of Texas. It is owned by Gannett. The paper prints Associated Press, ''New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', and ''Los Angeles Times'' internation ...

social columnist Michael Barnes as the "Best Austin fashion show ever."

References

External links

AIDS Services of Austin
{{Authority control Organizations established in 1987 HIV/AIDS activism in the United States HIV/AIDS organizations in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Austin, Texas