COVID Makes a Change on World AIDS Day

The event commemorating World AIDS Day has been moved primarily to virtual space due to this year’s headline and other health crisis that dominates life, COVID-19.

Founded in 1988 by the World Health Organization and UNAIDS, the day aims to unite people in the fight against HIV, help those who live with HIV, and remember those who died of the disease.According to it was the first World Health Day in history http://www.WorldAIDSDay.org

Fauci to emphasize the forum
The· National AIDS Memorial Grove Virtually announcing World AIDS Day: National Conversation at 10 am Pacific Time on Tuesday, December 1, featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci, a longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Fauci has become a popular name this year due to his role in the White House Coronavirus Task Force, but much of the LGBTQ community has already known Fauci since his time as a leading HIV researcher. ..

Larry Kramer, the playwright and AIDS activist who founded Act Up Died earlier this yearInitially sparring with Fauci in public, he came to call him “the only true great hero” in the government’s response to AIDS.

The conversation will also include Dr. David Ho, director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Columbia University. AIDS Gloves will award Fauci and Ho national leadership awards during the event.

“World AIDS Day is this year’s national conversation, a more national forum, and Dr. Fauci is the keynote speaker,” said Kevin Helgrotz, a spokesman for AIDS Gloves, Bay Area Reporter. Told to. “It’s been 40 years since the first case was reported, and it’s linked to COVID and its impact on communities and activities left out of society.”

Hargrots said Light in the Globe, a nonprofit fundraiser every year at Golden Gate Park’s Globe, will not be held this year.

“We are not doing anything directly,” Herglotz said. “We won’t play on November 30th, but we’re a little grateful to the donors who are still supporting the grove.”

According to Helgrotz, the Pedroza Mora scholarship, which is usually awarded on World AIDS Day, will be announced in January.

Mayors of four metropolises — Keisha Lance Bottoms, a straight ally in Atlanta. Chicago Lesbian Lori E. Lightfoot; Gay Robert Garcia on Long Beach. Bill de Blasio of New York City will lead a panel on the interrelated COVID-19 pandemic and HIV epidemics, according to a news release from AIDS Grove on November 20th.

Another event, according to Helgrotz, will feature Alicia Garza, a queer woman who co-founded the Black Lives Matter Global Network. Cleve Jones, a gay man co-founder of AIDS Memory Quilt. Kristin Urquiza, the bisexual woman who founded Marked by COVID, spearheaded a week in memory of COVID victims earlier this year. Previously reported..

At 11:00 AM Pacific Standard Time on December 1, the Federal Office for Infectious Diseases and HIV / AIDS Policy will host “Live with Leadership — World AIDS Day Edition.” It is available at the same station. website..

The event will be moderated by Harold Phillips: A Plan for America, Chief Operating Officer for Ending the HIV Epidemic, and Senior HIV Advisors in the Office.

End the HIV epidemic Is the Trump administration’s initiative aimed at reducing new infections by 75% by 2025 and 90% by 2030.

Virtual quilt display
AIDS Gloves, which took over the management of the AIDS quilt a year ago (https://www.ebar.com/news/latest_news//284604) Will be announced Virtual exhibition Of the World AIDS Day quilt. The online exhibition will be held until March 31st. According to a news release from AIDS Grove, the exhibition will feature about one-fifth of the entire quilt panel.

“Our hope is to harness the power and beauty of quilts to help our country heal during these difficult times,” AIDS quilt co-founder Mike Smith said in a news release. I mentioned in. “This first virtual display will help deliver quilts to so many people in a year when face-to-face display is not possible.”

Helgrotz said he wants people who can’t see the physical quilt panel directly because of the pandemic to visit online.

Chadongo, communications manager at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, told BAR that the foundation “is promoting the National AIDS Memorial’s virtual quilt display because it wants to lift the job it is doing as the new quilt keeper.”

The Foundation is also about avoiding face-to-face events.

“We are hosting Activate the fundraising lunch, Together Ride team Evening event — The latter event will include candlelight vigil, “Ngo said in an email.” SFAF is working with community artists to create unique designs to add to our online store. Designs are diverse and fair. It represents sexuality and inclusiveness and conveys the message of health and justice on World AIDS Day. “

Items will be available for purchase at http://www.sfaf.org/shop

GLBT Historical Society
Mark Sawchuk, communications manager for the GLBT Historical Society, told BAR that there are two plans to commemorate World AIDS Day.

“First, the December issue of the monthly newsletter, published on November 30, will feature two AIDS-related articles, one of which is dozens of former ACTUP San Francisco members who have completed part of it. “Our AIDS Oral History Project,” Sawchuck said in an email. “Second, we plan to host a live rerun of five virtual programs from the series” Lessons from AIDS for COVID-19 “earlier this year. “

These programs are available from noon to 8:00 pm on December 1st in society website And it is continuously titled “Confronting Stigma of Illness”. “Housing insecurity and public health;” “International AIDS Conference in San Francisco, 1990-2020;” “Direct action, procession, parade” and “Pandemic sex”.

Around the bay
East Bay Getting to Zero is planning a virtual event for December 4th. Program manager Yamini Oseguera-Bhatnagar told BAR, although details will be announced.

Auckland is planning a soft opening of a new wellness clinic from noon to 6 pm the day after World AIDS Day on December 2.

“The new Glenberg Wellness Clinic is a project of the Auckland LGBTQ Community Center,” said the news release.

Located on 3207 Lakeshore Avenue in the heart of Oakland.

The clinic was named after Burke, the first player to appear gay to his teammates in his professional career in Major League Baseball, and for the first time after leaving the sport.

Berkeley attended Berkeley High School, playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1976 to 1978, and then for a season at Oakland Athletics. He is believed to have helped invent the high five with his Dodgers teammate (and former San Francisco Giants manager) Dusty Baker. Burke died of AIDS complications in 1995.

“Today, people are much more embraced than when Glenn lived, but black gay, bi, transgender, and queer individuals still face the same challenges Glenberg tried to overcome 40 years ago. I’m suffering from some of the support so far, “said the release.

Meanwhile, in South Bay, Billy Def Frank LGBTQ + Community Center will host a virtual panel. At noon on Sunday, November 29th, panelists will be Shoma Sen, Robert Robledo and Molly Herzig, and moderators will be Gabrielle Antolovich.

The flag will be raised at Santa Clara County Plaza on December 1st at noon. Facebook Declaration at 1:30 pm at San Jose City Hall.City councilors Pam Foley and Raul Perales are in the city website, And Zoom Candlelight Vigil hosted by Nicole Alta Milano of Silicon Valley Pride at 7pm

Use masks to fight stigma
Meanwhile, Carl Schmitt, a gay man who is a reporter for KABC-TV in Los Angeles, is using World AIDS Day as an opportunity to launch a new campaign against the stigma of HIV.

Schmidt co-founded + Life and will launch the F + Stigma campaign on December 1st. The idea is to wear a face mask to prevent COVID-19 infection with the message “F + Stigma” (short for “fightstigma”). “). According to spokesman Raul Rojas, face masks are distributed to” influencers, some media outlets, and ideological leaders. “

Schmidt wants the campaign to get a lot of attention.

“For the past two years, I’ve done this mission to tackle HIV stigma head-on. HIV doesn’t kill like it used to, but it does,” Schmidt told BAR. Stigma is to put it out there as a catalyst for conversation. “

Schmidt said he had never heard of people who had no HIV infection detected when they wore a U = U shirt in the gym before being shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic, and that others could not be infected. Said I was able to tell. Virus.bar Report on the campaign last year.

“I don’t know how many times people stop. I’ve been buying flowers in Australia and chatting with a woman for 10 minutes,” Schmidt said. “We need to get rid of the myth that this is a grim reaper.”

Memories of virtual night
The Wall Las Memorias Project in Los Angeles has moved the 27th annual Noche de Las Memorias event online.

“This year’s event is virtualized for the current health pandemic, but everyone felt that we needed to continue the event to commemorate those who died in the AIDS / HIV pandemic,” said a spokesman. Shari Meslam said in an email to the BAR

Scheduled participants include Laura Cerón, Wilson Cruz, Congressman Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles), Justina Machado, Kenny Ortega, and Los Angeles County director Hilda Solis. Mr. Meslam said.

There is a musical performance by Juan Pablo di Pace and Lena Marie.

Richard Zardiver, a gay man who is the founder and secretary-general of the project, told BAR that he “fallen asleep” how to make the event work in virtual space.

“That’s a big difference,” he said. “For the LA community, World AIDS Day is a special day to meet directly to remember the dead. Thanks to COVID-19, there are many emotions, crying and hugs. There are many people in the community. They can’t get the community and emotional support they need. “

Zaldivar said seniors who are accustomed to meeting in person want to attend virtual events and 80% of them will be pre-recorded.

“Livestream on Zoom, Facebook Live, and YouTube at 6pm on December 1st. Usually, it’s around. [the crowd] People use microphones to share their stories, “he said. “At around 6:40 pm, I will go live to the AIDS monument. [in Lincoln Park] Go to Zoom Platform and Facebook Chat, return to the recorded session and end with a prayer and a song. “

YouTube channel here..

Zaldibar said he hopes the event can conclude one of the most difficult years in modern American history.

“I hope people can find a place to remember another epidemic that killed millions of people around the world called AIDS in this horrifying year of anxiety and sadness about politics and COVID-19. The world is to remember the people passing by on this virtual platform and feel each other’s spirits. ” “Knowing that there is bright light on the other side of the tunnel, we can overcome all the challenges we face.”

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