From a candlelight vigil in San Jose to a lakeside celebration in Oakland, Bay Space communities are coming collectively to honor those that misplaced their lives to AIDS and the continued progress to beat the illness as a part of World AIDS Day.
Starting Sunday, Dec. 1, formally acknowledged as World AIDS Day, celebrations are being held as a part of a worldwide motion to acknowledge the greater than 35 million individuals who have died from AIDS-related sicknesses prior to now 40 years and share help for the estimated 38 million individuals at present residing with AIDS, in keeping with the Nationwide AIDS Belief.
An AIDS Memorial Quilt Show will likely be featured in San Jose’s Janet Grey Hayes Rotunda from midday to 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, with a candlelight vigil starting at 5:30 in the identical house on the identical day.
For San Jose Councilmember Pam Foley, the annual commemoration is private.
“28 years ago, when I was pregnant with my daughter, Katelin, my brother Tim died of AIDS-related complications,” Foley wrote in a Fb publish Sunday. “Prior to his passing, I wrote him a letter attempting to give him the strength to live long enough to meet his niece. Unfortunately, I was never able to send the letter as he was sicker than I knew, and he passed away a day later.”
Foley, who’s internet hosting a collection of occasions with the Billy DeFrank LGBTQ+ Group Heart and Silicon Valley Satisfaction, invited the group to take part locally occasion collection. Along with Sunday’s actions, a flag elevating ceremony will likely be held at midday on Tuesday, Dec. 3.
In Oakland, performances, awards, meals and different actions will likely be held on the Lake Merritt Sail Boat Home from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5. The free occasion, themed “Putting People First: East Bay Communities on the Rise”, is being co-hosted by the Oakland LGBTQ Heart and East Bay Attending to Zero.
“We aim to highlight the legacy work in addition to those who may be new to the work here in the East Bay around HIV prevention and HIV stigma that continues to move us forward towards ending the HIV epidemic,” wrote the co-hosts within the occasion announcement.
Sunday providers at Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco additionally included acknowledgements of the HIV/AIDS pandemic’s affect, the GLBT Historic Society debuted a brand new picture exhibition known as “Focus on Living: Portraits of Americans with HIV and AIDS” and California state Sen. Scott Wiener and President Joe Biden launched statements.
“Today is World AIDS Day, when we remember those we’ve lost, double down on our support for those living with the virus or at risk for it, and strengthen our resolve to end new HIV infections once and for all, here and around the world,” Wiener mentioned.
Broad entry to HIV testing and therapy and PrEP may imply “the end of HIV infections,” the senator mentioned.
PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is drugs individuals in danger for HIV take to stop getting HIV from intercourse or injection drug use. PrEP can cease HIV from taking maintain and spreading all through the physique. It reduces the danger of getting HIV from intercourse by about 99% when taken as prescribed, in keeping with the HIV.gov web site.
“When people know they have HIV and take the effective medications that exist, they can lead healthy lives and are all but non-infectious. When people take PrEP each day, as I do, their risk of contracting HIV is essentially zero. These strategies combined, if implemented broadly, will mean the end of HIV infections,” Wiener mentioned.
President Joe Biden additionally marked the event, issuing a proper proclamation and posting a press release on social media.
“On World AIDS Day, we raise a red ribbon to remember how far we’ve come, the work that’s left, and those devastated by this disease, particularly the LGBTQI+ folks and people of color who endured the brunt of this epidemic instead of being seen,” the president mentioned. “Let’s finish this fight.”
