Blane Mosley

Background: Blane is a 26 year old, gay black man. He lived in East New York Brooklyn until he was 10, when his family moved to the suburbs of Charleston, South Carolina. He was raised in a very insular Jehovah’s Witness community, and when he rebelled against that upbringing (partially due to his sexuality), he moved back to the street where he grew up in East New York, in the house of the woman who babysat him as a child. Through his cousin he started working in the mailroom and then as a proofreader at Lehman Brothers. He started getting involved in the New York nightlife scene. He came to ACT UP in 1989 and met Peter Staley, who suggested that he become the Chalk Queen.

Role in ACT UP:  Blane writes (with excellent handwriting) on the chalkboard any information that comes up at the meeting that is useful for the room to see written. He invariably looks fabulous. He is in the affinity group the Candelabras.

Groups/friends at the meeting: Peter Staley, Gregg Bordowitz, Jean Carlomusto, Larry Kramer, Candelabras

Specific tasks at the March 13, 1989 meeting: In addition to being the Chalk Queen, Blane is on the agenda to announce the Majority Action committee will start having weekly meetings, and will ask anyone interested in attending/participating to come to the side of the room (right now) to discuss when works best for everyone. 

Blane is also planning to run for the facilitator position that is opening up because Karl Soehnlein is stepping down. Blane will need to deliver a short speech to the Floor.

Blane will also give the Majority Action report:

In the next few week, members of the Majority Action committee will be attending an AIDS Research Forum concerning AIDS in the Black community and the upcoming Brooklyn AIDS Task Force meeting. Also, members of Majority Action will be meeting with the Black Leadership Commission on AIDS for the first time.

Additional information: https://actuporalhistory.org/numerical-interviews/161-blane-charles

(Note: Though he would later go by the name Blane Charles, Blane went by the name Blane Mosley in 1989.)

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