Act Up For World AIDS Day 36th (AUDIO)

We’re commemorating the 36th Anniversary of World AIDS Day today on December 1st with a photo by Howard Pope who died of AIDS in the early 90s. Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine, MD stated, “The theme of this year’s World AIDS Day, ‘Collective Action: Sustain & Accelerate HIV Progress,’ reminds us that we must remain steadfast in our commitment to prevent new HIV infections & provide essential services to all people with HIV. Today, we pause to remember the estimated 39 million individuals around the globe with HIV, including approximately 1.2 million people here in the United States. We also remember the 42 million individuals worldwide who have died from HIV/AIDS. Their stories & their lives will continue to motivate & inform our work to end the HIV epidemic…” According to the World Health Organization more than one million people acquired HIV in 2023 alone. By sharing the story of AIDS we make strides toward ensuring that future communities will not be harmed by fear, silence, discrimination or stigma. Kelsey Louie GMHC CEO stated, “Candlelight vigils, rallies, gatherings & other ways that people can come together—especially on World AIDS Day—remain important because AIDS is not over. When we gather, we support each other to keep going, keep doing the work in all the ways we can & keep persisting & resisting with a collective goal to end AIDS.” I talked to the late Larry Kramer the pioneering co-founder of Gay Men’s Health Crisis & ACT UP in 2018 about his spin on the AIDS crisis that continues in this country & around the world in this exclusive audio byte. LISTEN