Every year, we commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1st, in honor of our commitment to ending the HIV epidemic and creating a world in which people living with HIV/AIDS are able to get the treatment, care, and support that they need, free from the burdens of stigma and financial stress.
In 2020, everyone has been forced to reckon with the meaning of a pandemic – the fears of contraction, the fears of transmission, the conflict between wants and needs, and the ways in which the most vulnerable members of society are hardest hit by the demands of isolation, the imperative to work in unsafe conditions, and the lack of widely available healthcare. We are reminded that disparities in health are not innate, and that while individuals’ actions are vitally important (wear a mask! And wear a condom!), we must provide social safety nets to guarantee that people have the support they need to make healthy decisions.
This year, we reflect on all the work there is to be done to end the epidemics – and we remain grateful for all the work that has been done, and to be part of a community that is dedicated to continuing that work.
We hope you will join us on Friday, December 4th from 12-1:30 p.m. for a virtual East Bay World AIDS Day commemoration event and a presentation of the East Bay Getting to Zero draft 5-year strategic plan.
Surviving 2020: Honoring our Resistance & Resilience on World AIDS Day is a collaboration between East Bay Getting to Zero, Oakland LGBTQ Center, RYSE Youth Center, WORLD, Bay Area, North & Central Coast AETC and AHF.
This year, World AIDS Day coincides with Giving Tuesday. As you make decisions about your charitable donations, please consider a gift to WORLD to help us continue our work to End the Epidemic for women in the East Bay.