Joe Ferrari

Background: Joe is a 29 year old, white, Italian/Irish gay man from Wantagh, Long Island. Joe lived in Connecticut for a while, then moved into the city. As a young adult he started going out to clubs in the city (like The Saint, Paradise Garage, Pyramid Club, and Danceteria), and slowly came out. He came to ACT UP in 1987 after one of his good friends learned he was HIV-positive. He lives with his partner Lee Schy (who is also in ACT UP) in an apartment at 51 West 19th Street.

Role in ACT UP: Joe got involved in the Actions Committee quickly after starting to come to ACT UP. Joe is also a civil disobedience trainer.

Groups/friends at the meeting: The other people on the Actions Committee; Civil disobedience trainers; Lee Schy (partner); Victor Mendolia; Ken Woodard

Specific tasks at the March 13, 1989 meeting: Joe, Victor Mendolia, and Ken Woodard will speak to the Floor as part of the City Hall Report to ask the Floor for final approval on a series of posters to encourage people to come to Target City Hall: https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/objects/reason-1-to-act-up. The administrator will be bringing the posters, so they should get them from the administrator before the meeting starts.  Victor and Joe will try to get people to help with wheat-pasting. They will ask people to meet them at the side of the room (right now, not at the end of the meeting) to arrange the logistics (dates/times/neighborhoods/who will go out together/watch out for police). Meanwhile, Ken will talk about Operation Batman.

Additional information: https://actuporalhistory.org/numerical-interviews/126-joe-ferrari

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