“AIDS Diva” was a title Norman, a transgender woman and ex-sex worker who overcame addiction and abuse to become a leader in ACT UP L.A. in the late 1980s, gave herself. It was a hint at the warm, humorous woman behind the forceful activist who got arrested, went on hunger strikes and carried a bullhorn like it was an extension of her hand.
“I immediately reached out and said, ‘I want to talk to anyone who knew her,’” Alencastre said. “It was like opening up Pandora’s box.” Michael Weinstein, president of the L.A.-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation, recalls working alongside Norman and credits her willingness to engage with friends and foes alike.
Torie Osborn, director from 1987 to 1993 of what was then known as the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center, said it was sometimes shocking to see the anger Norman could summon with a megaphone. “Publicly she was this bombastic warrior. People thought ‘Oh here she comes!’ And, yeah, she could shake the building with her vibrato,” Spencer said. “But inside, she was so tender. She gave me jewelry — a beautiful garnet necklace. ... At the heart of who she was, she was a tender pussycat.”
“I often tell people that I am an ex-drag queen, ex-hooker, ex-IV drug user, ex-high risk youth and current postoperative transsexual woman who is HIV-positive,”shortly before her death in 1996. “I have everything I ever wanted, including a husband of 10 years, a home and five adorable longhaired cats. ... I do, however, regret the presence of this virus.”
Spencer was in her mid-20s, getting active in AIDS ministry through the Unity Fellowship Church, when she met Norman, already a seasoned pro. The two only saw each other a few more times when, one Sunday morning, Spencer stepped outside of church to get some air and saw Norman smoking a cigarette. Spencer wasn’t quite sure what “taking over” entailed, but in short order Norman had her on committees, conducting trainings and overseeing contracts.
Unlike its New York counterpart, ACT UP L.A. “wasn’t dominated by Wall Street power brokers,” Osborn said. “Most of the leadership was leftists and activists who came out of other movements. We were all considered outsiders, so there was inclusiveness for anyone who wanted to be a part.”
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