A.N.G.L.E. (Access Now for Gay and Lesbian Equality) was incorporated in 1989 in preparation for the 1990 California Gubernatorial Campaign. But A.N.G.L.E.'s early formative stages occurred during the politics of AIDS and other gay/lesbian issues during the 1980's.

In 1982, former Republican Governor George Deukmejian vetoed AB 1 by Assemblyman Art Agnos of San Francisco which would have added the words "sexual orientation" to the Fair Employment and Housing Act. Here in Los Angeles, MECLA (Municipal Elections Committee of Los Angeles) was at the height of gay and lesbian political power. The organization was led by attorneys Diane Abbitt and Roberta Bennett, Larry Sprenger, David Mixner and his partner attorney Peter Scott, Sheldon Andelson (who founded the Bank of Los Angeles), Rand Schrader (who became the first openly gay judge in LA) and other prominent leaders. Although the veto of AB 1 was expected, the plague around the corner was not.

AIDS hit Los Angeles with a fury about 1984/1985. Dozens of gay men were dying on a weekly basis in LA. A passionate debate centered on whether or not to close the bathhouse that Sheldon Andelson owned. The city of West Hollywood was formed. Rock Hudson disclosed his AIDS diagnosis. Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and the Christian Coalition came into power. And President Ronald Reagan ignored AIDS entirely.

In 1985, an initiative was circulated by political extremist Lyndon LaRouche that mandated the quarantine of HIV infected individuals and those suspected of carrying HIV. The same concentration camps used to harbor Japanese Americans during World War II were identified as potential "housing" for those identified. The community had a full frontal assault on its hands that became Proposition 64. The "No on 64" campaign was chaired by Diane Abbitt and Peter Scott. David Mixner was hired to run the campaign and Larry Sprenger became its Treasurer. Although Governor Deukmejian endorsed Proposition 64, the initiative failed by a 2 to 1 margin during the November 1986 election. Three months later, by January 1987, 142 bills were introduced in Sacramento to legislate around AIDS - both supportive and repressive measures.

The former MECLA board of the early 1980's was scattered. Diane Abbitt and David Wexler became the successive chairs of a new organization called APLA - AIDS Project Los Angeles. Peter Scott, Sheldon Andelson and Rand Schrader were all taken ill and ultimately died from AIDS. David Mixner was heart broken over the loss of his partner and temporarily moved to Connecticut. New leadership arose through the ranks to support the old guard. Diane Himes of MECLA formed the LIFE AIDS Lobby in Sacramento in 1987 with David Kessler (Founder of Progressive Nursing Services for people with AIDS) and John Duran - a civil rights attorney who was living in Orange County. ACT UP was demonstrating in the streets. Dr. Scott Hitt and his medical partners at Pacific Oaks Medical Group were treating hundreds of gay men with AIDS. The years 1986 - 1989 saw an explosion of activism as new organizations were formed, older organizations doubled their budgets and new leaders were called to action across Los Angeles.

Tragically, both the Reagan Administration in DC and the Deukmejian Administration in Sacramento ignored AIDS forcing the gay/lesbian community to take care of its own by forming organizations and raising the money to care for the sick through AIDS Walk, LA Shanti, Being Alive, AIDS Project Los Angeles and the AIDS Hospice Foundation. In 1988, George Bush defeated Michael Dukakis in the race for US President and George Deukmejian announced that he would not seek re-election in 1990. 4 candidates announced that they would run for governor: Republican Pete Wilson who was a US Senator and Democrats Attorney General John Van De Kamp, State Controller Gray Davis and San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein.

Gay and lesbian political leaders were being hit from all sides for endorsements and political campaign contributions. Simultaneously, there was a high degree of burnout as the leadership was exhausted from defeating 3 mandatory quarantine initiatives in 3 years - Proposition 64, 69 and 102. The LIFE AIDS lobby was crafting the California AIDS Legislative Model in Sacramento with the participation of 102 gay/lesbian/AIDS organizations around the State of California. And organizations were attempting to raise money for survival at a time when hundreds of gay men were dying each month.

A "book study group" was formed in Los Angeles in 1989 to coordinate and direct the political fundraising for the Los Angeles gay/lesbian community. Hollywood entertainment executive Bill Melamed coined the name A.N.G.L.E. or Access Now for Gay and Lesbian Equality. The founding members of A.N.G.L.E. were often co-chairs or leaders in other organizations who could bring the expertise and resources from other organizations to the A.N.G.L.E. Board. The founding members of A.N.G.L.E. included: David Mixner who had returned from the East Coast, Diane Abbitt and Bill Melamed from the Human Rights Campaign Fund, David Wexler the chair of APLA, Bob Sertner - a major motion picture producer, John Duran - the Co-Chair of LIFE AIDS Lobby, Roberta Bennett from Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, Ed Gould - the Chair of the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center, Jean O'Leary from National Coming Out Day, Dr. Scott Hitt from Pacific Oaks Medical Group, David Kessler the founder of Progressive Nursing Service Howard Bragman from Beverly Hills based Bragman, Nyman and Cafarelli, Skip Paul a vice-President from Universal Pictures and Dan Pallotta the founder of the AIDS Rides.

The founding board members found a synergy in collecting the political information that each had and sharing it with the others. Candidates would come to the living room of Dr. Scott Hitt to meet with A.N.G.L.E. where leaders from every major organization could express what the community needs were to candidates who would become US Senators and Governors from across the United States. Since the board was comprised of Co-Chairs and heads of other organizations, the original A.N.G.L.E. board members agreed to the following principles:

1. There was no president or head of A.N.G.L.E..
2. Meetings would last exactly one hour the 4th Wednesday of the month and no longer.
3. Each member would agree to raise or give $5000 per year.
4. To the degree possible, the group would set priorities for the political community where all board members would be expected to participate, and rarely did a member do something apart from the group.