Michael Paul Felts (August 20, 1956 – November 16, 1996) was an American deaf gay activist.
Michael Felts | |
|---|---|
 Felts in 1992 | |
| Born | Michael Paul Felts August 20, 1956 RAF Burtonwood, Cheshire, England |
| Died | November 16, 1996 (aged 40) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Cause of death | HIV/AIDS |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Washington School for the Deaf Gallaudet University |
| Occupation | Activity |
| Known for | HIV/AIDS activism in the deaf gay community |
Early life
editFelts was born at RAF Burtonwood in the United Kingdom, the son of SMSgt Walter Earl Felts and Greta Mary Johnson.[1] The family returned to the United States when Felts was two years old, settling in Colonial Heights, Virginia.[2] Owing to his father's military work, the family moved around frequently. He graduated from the Washington School for the Deaf in 1977, and from Gallaudet University in 1982.[1]
Activism
editMichael Felts was an activist in the deaf gay community, particularly regarding HIV/AIDS activism. He began his work in California, serving as the statewide coordinator for the Deaf Empowerment and Action for Freedom's "No on Prop 64" initiative.[3] Following his diagnosis of HIV in 1987, where he had no interpreter and was provided with his test results by a handwritten note. His own difficulty receiving information and care, combined with observing how others in the deaf community were treated by medical professionals, spurred him to move to Texas.[4][5]
In 1988, he co-established the Dallas County Deaf AIDS Task Force Committee with Marc Lerro, one of the earliest HIV prevention programs focused on the deaf community.[1][6] During his time in Texas, he was a speaker at the 1989 March on Austin for Lesbian/Gay Equal Rights, alongside Cleve Jones, Roberta Achtenberg, Hilary Rosen, and others.[7] After returning to California in 1989, he worked as a statistician with the National Deaf AIDS Project, and produced research identifying gaps in AIDS education for deaf and hard of hearing Americans.[8] In 1991, his work in Texas yielded a commendation from then-Governor Ann Richards.[9] In 1993, he was the chairperson of the National Conference on Deafness and AIDS, and after moving to Washington, D.C. he participated in demonstrations, and was arrested alongside other activists.[1][9][10] In 1995, he founded Deaf AIDS Action, which provided counseling and testing services, a food bank, and other support for deaf and hard of hearing people living with HIV in the nation's capital.[11]
In addition to his HIV/AIDS work, Felts supported other aspects of the deaf gay community. In 1989, he was on the task force that established the NLA: Deaf chapter, which later became International Deaf Leather.[12] He was also co-chair of the 1991 Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf conference.[13]
Death
editFelts died at home on Capitol Hill with Marc Lerro and Bill Terrell by his side on November 16, 1996, after living with AIDS for nearly ten years.[1] In 2019, he was honored by the Washington Blade as an "AIDS Hero."[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Michael P. Felts". Deaf Lost to AIDS.
- ^ "New Jersey, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists of Airplanes, 1956–1969". Ancestry.com.
- ^ "Deaf concerns will be aired at meeting". The Dallas Voice. 1988-04-08. p. 21.
- ^ Nora Zamichow (1988-05-15). "Dallas deaf community needs AIDS education, advocate says". Dallas Times Herald. p. B-3.
I saw the deaf community suffering, ignored by agencies. These are my people. It's really sad the East Coast and West Coast have a lot going on, but through the Midwest and the South, there's nothing for the deaf.
- ^ Dennis Vercher (1989-02-17). "Answering the unique AIDS concerns of the Deaf". The Dallas Voice. p. 4.
When I moved here, several of my friends were HIV-positive. I asked them, 'Do you access any [AIDS-related] services?' and they said there were none at all for deaf people. So I decided to set up the Dallas County Deaf AIDS Task Force.
- ^ "Michael P. Felts". Texas Obituary Project.
- ^ March on Austin (1989). "March on Austin Program".
- ^ David Szymanski (1989-06-25). "Program brings AIDS facts to Bay area's deaf residents". The Tampa Tribune. p. 3-B.
- ^ a b c "AIDS Heroes". The Washington Blade. Vol. 50, no. 48. 2019-11-29. p. 40.
- ^ Maria Marcianelli (1994-05-13). "Three are arrested at ACT UP protest". The Washington Blade. p. 5.
- ^ Sue Fox (1995-09-29). "Promises Yield Partial Payment". The Washington Blade. p. 5. hdl:1961/dcplislandora:250402.
- ^ "International Deaf Leather History". Archived from the original on 2008-06-22. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Our History of RAD". Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf.