Reflecting on World AIDS Day 2022

First celebrated on December 1, 1988, World AIDS Day was the first international day for global health. World AIDS day brings us together to fight the spread of HIV,  to uplift and support those living with HIV, and to honor the lives lost to AIDS related illnesses. 

As we honor those who came before us, Chasing Rainbows also wants to acknowledge the work that older generations have done to bring us to this present moment. While homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of gender and sexual based violence still weigh heavy of the conscious of our community, the strides we have made in the thirty two years since the first World AIDS day are remarkable. It is no longer a death sentence to receive an HIV diagnosis. Socially, it is not only more acceptable to be a part of the community, but it also has become much more acceptable to be a person living with HIV. Originally shrouded in moral judgements and disdain, today those living with HIV are able to share it openly without the fear of social ostracization or unemployment as depicted in the movie Philadelphia. 

Each year World AIDS day has a theme. Ranging from knowing your status to closing the gap, the annual themes seek to break down different aspects of HIV related issues. This year’s theme is equalize; it is intended to bring awareness to the inequalities present in how HIV and AIDS related illnesses affect different marginalized communities.

“In 1998, community leaders prompted members of the Black and Hispanic Congressional Caucuses to urge President Clinton to declare HIV/AIDS a crisis in the African American and Latino communities; their advocacy resulted in the formation of the Minority AIDS Initiative. These issues of inequality still rear their ugly heads today.

In 2019, African Americans represented 13% of the US population, but 40% of people living with HIV. Hispanics and Latinos represented 18.5% of the population, but 25% of people with HIV. This disproportionate burden must be lifted from marginalized communities.  The opportunities for policy intervention are almost limitless from increased access to Prep, pre-exposure prophylaxis, to more opportunities for clean needle exchanges, as well as many other harm reduction based alternatives such as increased access to information and sexual education. 

However, these failures of inequality are not only present in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Less the one percent of all venture capital goes to Queer people;a disproportionate amount of venture capital goes to white founders; women only account for less than three percent of founders. This leaves the individuals who live at the intersections of these identities at a severe disadvantage.

In order to combat this, Chasing Rainbows is using World AIDS Day to remind ourselves that we need to continually show up for the most vulnerable and marginalized members of our community.