Finding aid of the Jorge Cortiñas Papers
Josué Hurtado
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society
657 Mission Street, Suite 300
San Francisco, California 94105
Phone: (415) 777-5455
Fax: (415) 777-5576
Email:info@glbthistory.org
URL: http://www.glbthistory.org/
© 2006
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society. All rights reserved.
Finding aid of the Jorge Cortiñas Papers
Collection number: 1998-42
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society
San Francisco, California
- Processed by:
- Josué Hurtado
- Date Completed:
- March 2006
- Encoded by:
- Josué Hurtado and Rebekah Kim
© 2006 The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Jorge Cortiñas Papers
Dates: 1989-1994
Collection number: 1998-42
Creator:
Cortiñas, Jorge
Collection Size:
2 manuscript boxes
1 linear foot
Repository:
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society
San Francisco, California 94105
Abstract: Papers of ACTUP activists Jorge Cortiñas covering a variety of topics including materials relating to HIV status and immigration,
and HIV and people of color
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Access
Collection open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright to unpublished manuscript materials has been transferred to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Jorge Cortiñas Papers, 1998-42, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Historical Society.
Acquisition Information
Donated to the Library by Jorge Cortiñas
Biography
Between 1989 and 1991 activists in San Francisco spearheaded a campaign to lift all HIV-related restrictions on immigration
into the United States. Jorge Cortiñas was a leader in this movement through his involvement in both ACT-UP San Francisco/Golden
Gate's Immigration Working Group and in the Coalition for Immigration and Refugee Rights and Services (CIRRES) HIV Task Force.
Cortiñas and other activists from these organizations participated in a number of "zap" actions and protests designed to raise
awareness of HIV-related immigration policy. In 1991, ACT-UP and CIRRES helped organize a campaign that criticized the choice
of location for the 8th International Conference on AIDS, scheduled for Boston in 1992. Activists demanded that the conference
be relocated unless United States' discriminator policy on immigration was altered.
Scope and Content of Collection
The collection consists of material covering political actions and organizing carried out by ACT-UP and CIRRES, along with
a number of materials covering the struggle over immigration and the international AIDS conferences. The collection begins
with a short series of files with general ACT-UP materials, including clippings, flyers, and stickers. This is followed by
over a dozen files covering actions and press conferences related to the immigration issue. These files include flyers, press
releases, notes for speeches, and press accounts. The next group of files covers the immigration issue, with materials which
appear to come from both ACT-UP and CIRRES. These files include letters and position papers produced by ACT-UP and CIRRES,
as well as materials from many other organizations. Finally there are clippings files relating to immigration, as well as
correspondence files. While the substance of the collection extends only to 1991, there are some newspaper clippings from
1992 and 1993 which appear to have been collected by ACT-UP.
The collection is organized into 6 series: ACT-UP Subject Files, Actions, Immigration Subject Files, Miscellaneous Clippings,
and Correspondence.
The series ACT-UP Subject Files (1989-1990) consists of various ACT-UP materials, including clippings, flyers, and stickers.
Also found in this series is an untitled script for a play regarding immigration and AIDS. There are also two folders of
materials from the Los Angeles and New York chapters of ACTUP.
The series Actions (1989-1991)consists of materials covering actions and press conferences, many concerning to HIV and immigration.
The materials in this series are made up of flyers, press releases, notes for speeches, press accounts, and clippings.
The series Immigration Subject Files (1989-1994) contains materials from ACT-UP and CIRRES mostly on the topic of HIV and
immigration. These files include letters and position papers, correspondence, and clippings as well as materials from several
other organizations.
The series International AIDS Conferences (1990-1991) contains materials related to Cortiñas activities in response to the
6th, 7th, and 8th International AIDS conferences.
The series Miscellaneous Clippings (1989-1993)includes AIDS related newspaper clippings collected by Cortiñas, with particular
focus on AIDS related activism.
The series Correspondence (1990-1991) includes correspondence arranged in chronological order
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
AIDS
San Francisco (Calif.)
AIDS Activists
Immigration
People Of Color
Related Material
Queer Nation Records
GLBT Historical Society ACT-UP Collection
Tomas Fabregas Papers
AIDS Legal Referral Panel Records
Collection Contents
Series 1. ACT-UP Subject Files
1989-1990
Physical Description:
8 folders
Series Description
This series consists of various ACT-UP materials, including clippings, flyers, and stickers. Also found in this series is
an untitled script for a play regarding immigration and AIDS. There are also two folders of materials from the Los Angeles
and New York chapters of ACTUP.
Box: Folder 1: 1
Stickers, handbook, and postcards
Box: Folder 1: 2
Miscellaneous Flyers
1989
Box: Folder 1: 3
Untitled Script re. AIDS and Immigration
Box: Folder 1: 4
AIDS Service Providers Mailing List
Box: Folder 1: 5
SIDA Y Latinos Clippings
1990
Box: Folder 1: 6
ACT-UP History Clippings
1990
Series 2. Actions
1989-1991
Physical Description: 18 folders
Series Description
This series consists of materials covering actions and press conferences, many concerning to HIV and immigration. The materials
in this series are made up of flyers, press releases, notes for speeches, press accounts, and clippings.
Box: Folder 1: 9
Opera Action
September 1989
Box: Folder 1: 10
Castro "Sweep"
October 1989
Box: Folder 1: 11
Golden Gate Bridge Action
1990
Box: Folder 1: 12
INS Action
February 27, 1990
Box: Folder 1: 14
Speaking Across Borders
June 17, 1990
Box: Folder 1: 15
Press Conference
June 18, 1990
Box: Folder 1: 16
March and Rally
June 19, 1990
Box: Folder 1: 17
"Target Sullivan"
October –December, 1990
Box: Folder 1: 18
Immigration Working Group Handout
May, 1991
Box: Folder 1: 19
Porter Zap Action
May, 1991
Box: Folder 1: 20
Press Conference
May 30, 1991
Box: Folder 1: 21
Press Conference
May 31, 1991
Box: Folder 1: 22
INS Headquarters Action
June 17, 1991
Box: Folder 1: 23
Immigration Protest
June 26, 1991
Box: Folder 1: 24
Phone Zap Action
July 7, 1991
Box: Folder 1: 26
"Queer Rage"
October, 1991
Series 3. Immigration Subject Files
1989-1994
Physical Description:
5 folders
Series Description
This series contains materials from ACT-UP and CIRRES mostly on the topic of HIV and immigration. These files include letters
and position papers, correspondence, and clippings as well as materials from several other organizations.
Box: Folder 1: 27
INS, ACT-UP Immigration Working Group
1989-1990
Box: Folder 1: 28
INS, Statement and Position Papers, Various Organizations
1989-1991
Box: Folder 1: 29
Charles McCane Letters
1991
Box: Folder 1: 30
Immigration Restrictions, Research
1989-1991
Box: Folder 1: 31
INS, Clippings on Travel Ban Policy
1990-1994
Series 4. International AIDS Conferences
1990-1991
Physical Description:
14 folders
Series Description
This series contains materials related to Cortiñas activities in response to the 6th, 7th, and 8th International AIDS conferences.
Box: Folder 1: 32
Sixth International Conference on AIDS
1990
Box: Folder 1: 33
7th International Conference on AIDS
1991
Box: Folder 2: 1-6
8th International Conference
1990-1991
Series 5. Miscellaneous Clippings
1989-1993
Physical Description:
2 folders
Series Description
This series includes AIDS related newspaper clippings collected by Cortiñas, with particular focus on AIDS related activism.
Box: Folder 2: 7
Miscellaneous Clippings
1989-1991
Box: Folder 2: 8
Miscellaneous Clippings
1992-1993
Series 6. Correspondence
1990-1991
Physical Description:
2 folders
Series Description
This series includes correspondence arranged chronologically.
