AIDS United

What’s In YOUR HIV Prevention Toolbox?

WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 23, 2013 – In an effort to encourage community-based organizations serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning/queer (LGBTQ) people around the country to incorporate HIV prevention messaging for young men gay and bisexual men into their work, AIDS United is launching a Facebook video contest called “What’s In Your HIV Prevention Toolbox?” The contest is part of AIDS United’s m2MPower initiative, which seeks to halt the rising rates of HIV among gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men (MSM). Read more.

Where Is Our Community?

by Michael J. Kaplan, President & CEO

Where the hell is our community? I've been reading And the Band Played On, and for some reason, it feels more like a commentary on today's news than a historical account of the discovery of AIDS. As I read about the emerging infections on both coasts, along with Kaposi's sarcoma and pneumonia leading to gay-related immune deficiency (GRID) -- eventually named acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) -- the pages reveal a disturbing struggle to get anyone to care about it, even the gay community, which was being hit so horribly hard. Read Michael Kaplan's entire piece on The Huffington Post.

AIDS United, Alicia Keys, Kaiser Family Foundation Team for Empowered Community Grants

Alicia Keys, as part of the EMPOWERED campaign, is spearheading a community grants program to help advance community-level efforts focused on women and HIV/AIDS. The grants program will be administered by AIDS United, with guidance from the Kaiser Family Foundation.  The EMPOWERED Community Grants program looks to play a strategic role in supporting the development of model programs that address the needs of underserved women. The EMPOWERED Community Grants program offers support to the HIV/AIDS community at a critical and historic time – to continue progress of recent decreases in HIV among women. Read more.

Blueprints for Resilience: Young Black Gay Men, HIV, and the Future

By Charles Stephens, AIDS United Southern Regional Organizer

“I will be heard,” shouted the black gay writer and activist Craig Harris at the 1986 American Public Health Association meeting. He was 28, and a few months prior coordinated the first ever National Conference on AIDS in the black community. Attending the American Public Health Association’s first ever session on AIDS, and noticing that no one of color was invited to participate, he stormed the stage and took the microphone from Dr. Merv Silverman, then the San Francisco health commissioner. After commanding the attention of the room, he began to explain the challenges of AIDS in communities of color. Though this happened over 25 years ago, young black gay men are still fighting to have their voices heard, as they continue to be the most vulnerable of the vulnerable.  Read Charles' full blog post here

31 Organizations Receive Support to Advocate for Sound HIV/AIDS Public Policy in 9 Southern States

AIDS United awards nearly $1.4 million as part of the Southern REACH grant-making initiative

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- March 25, 2013 -- Thirty-one community-based organizations in the Southern United States will have increased capacity to advocate for sound public policy that address the needs of the most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS thanks to recent grants from AIDS United. With support from the Ford Foundation, AIDS United recently granted nearly $1.4 million to organizations in the Southern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Northern Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.  Click here to read the full announcement and a list of 2013-2014 Southern REACH grantees. 

AIDS United Announces $1 Million Investment in Grants to Help HIV-Positive People Stay in Care

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- February 4, 2013 – Thanks to a $4 million investment by the MAC AIDS Fund and a unique partnership with AIDS United, $1 million in initial grants have been awarded to seven organizations across the U.S. to help define and expand programs that help keep HIV-positive people in care and on treatment.  At a time where treatment has proven effective not only in prolonging the life of those infected with HIV, but in substantially reducing transmission of new infections, retention in care has proven critical to the continued fight against the disease. Read more