A VIRUS NEW TO SCIENCE STARTS TO CLAIM HUNDREDS, THEN THOUSANDS OF LIVES

Health inequities and social injustices, stigma, fear and bigotry fuel the suffering. Governments respond poorly, making matters much worse. This is the story of our nation today, facing the extraordinary human loss from Covid-19. It is the story of the LGBTQ, women’s equity, racial divides, and other social justice movements. It is the powerful story of HIV/AIDS, now four decades into a worldwide pandemic.  

Just as they have with Covid-19, communities of color have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. The reasons are not mysterious: The same systemic racism that devalues communities of color permeates institutions– healthcare, housing, work, family – that we need to take care of ourselves and one another. The coupling of racism and AIDS stigma has been lethal. So too has been the rising cases of hate crimes and acts of discrimination and racism against Black, Asian and the Trans communities.  

At the same time, drawing on civil rights traditions and strategies –and on often-ignored community assets and resilience – these same communities have also been at the forefront of AIDS activism. 

The National AIDS Memorial has long been committed to giving voice to these stories. Stories that operate at the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability. Stories that illustrate that the fight against HIV/AIDS is inseparable from the fight against racism and hate. Stories that we must tell so that future generations can learn from the past and aspire our nation to a better tomorrow, free from bigotry, stigma and fear.

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THE A&PI COMMUNITY & AIDS

The National AIDS Memorial has joined more than 500 philanthropic leaders to Call for Solidarity and Collective Action. We are outraged and horrified by the racially motivated violence, harassment, and discrimination targeting AsianAmericans, especially women, youth, and older members of our communities.  We have seen this type of bigotry and hate before, particularly during the darkest days of the AIDS pandemic, and through other civil and social justice movements that have sparked action, change, and acceptance. Through these efforts, we aim to help build a more visible and accurate portrayal of AAPI people and other groups of color in the American consciousness. We join together in supporting all efforts to guide this country to realize its best self as an inclusive multi-racial democracy in which everyone can flourish.

The National AIDS MemorialSurviving Voices Storytelling Initiative has produced a beautiful film series to tell the stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders (A&PIs) and HIV/AIDS. The A&PI community is unique in that it includes people from all over the globe encompassing a multitude of diverse countries and cultures such as China and India, regions such as Southeast Asia and Pacific Island Countries &Territories such as Guam. Many different languages and even more dialects are spoken, which makes outreach and education a challenge. And yet A&PI activists and their allies not only established a network of successfulA&PI focused HIV and AIDS organizations across the US, but in the process they helped in shaping and organizing groups at all levels to serve those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, that prior to AIDShad not existed within the A&PI community. Our hope is that through the sharing of these personal stories, it will provide greater understanding, healing, hope and acceptance.

THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY & AIDS

The NationalAIDS Memorial Surviving Voices Storytelling Initiative produced a beautiful film series to tell the stories of the transgender community and AIDs, exploring the impact of the AIDS pandemic on the transgender community. The videos and interviews in this collection shed a light on the experiences of transgender women and men as well as non-binary and gender non-conforming individuals with HIV & AIDS. They also honor the contributions of the members of this community (both HIV+ and HIV-) to the fight against AIDS.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

BLACK LIVES LOST TO AIDS – AIDS Quilt VIRTUAL EXHIBITION

The NationalAIDS Memorial honors Black lives lost to AIDS with a specially curated selection of 56 sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt bringing to light stories of the AIDS pandemic and its impact and loss in the African American community through the beauty and power of the Quilt. 

INSPIRING VOICES IN THE LGBTQ MOVEMENT

Just as they have with COVID-19, communities of color have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. The reasons are not mysterious: The same systemic racism that devalues Black lives permeates institutions – healthcare, housing, work, family – that we need to take care of ourselves and one another. The coupling of racism and AIDS stigma has been lethal.

At the same time, drawing on civil rights traditions and strategies – and on often-ignored community assets and resilience -- AfricanAmericans have also been at the forefront of AIDS activism.

The National AIDS Memorial has long been committed to giving voice to the stories of Black lives, stories that operate at the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, and ability, stories that illustrate that the fight against HIV/AIDS is inseparable from the fight against racism, stories premised on the fact that Black Lives Matter.

Explore some of the strong voices in our community below