Jesse Milan Jr., president and CEO of AIDS United, released the following statement in response to the violence against Black and transgender people.
“The racial disparities of HIV — and now COVID-19 — are bad enough, but the shameless recent murders of Black and transgender people are outrageous. George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmad Aubrey have two things in common: they were Black, and they were killed at the hands of white men.
“We’ve also seen that racism can be unleashed at any time. That was made clear to us all when a white woman lied to police about Christian Cooper in a park in New York City. No one ever deserves to be murdered, falsely accused, harassed or disrespected because of their race, who they are, where they are, or who they are wrongly feared to be.
“We deplore these and all racist acts of violence and disregard for the lives and dignity of others
“Enough is Enough.
“Ending the HIV epidemic in the United States requires acknowledging, discussing and addressing the deep-seated and pervasive role racism plays in the country’s failure to achieve health equity, safety and fairness for all. We call on all organizations in every sector to place racial justice at the center of their commitments and work, and we call on people of every gender, background and color to help stop race-based violence, disrespect and deadly health disparities.”
AIDS United envisions a time when all people, governments, and organizations commit to ending the HIV epidemic and strengthening the health, well-being, and human rights of everyone impacted by HIV, and that includes all Black and brown cisgender and transgender women and men.
