• “Once transmissions decreased so dramatically, people stopped paying attention to children with HIV and forgot such young people still existed. Those of us who share this experience were left frozen at a point in HIV history and have been made invisible for the past two decades… There is rarely any mention of our population in any kind of research, policy, or programming. Yet, we're still here.”
• - Grissel Granados, “Lifetime Survivors Are Still Here… and We’re Organizing!”

In the wake of Hydeia Broadbent’s passing, PWN is forgoing our usual “hot topic” to instead reiterate the need for sustained and deepened engagement with the Dandelion and Lifetime Survivor movement. If you are unfamiliar with the movement, The Well Project has compiled a factsheet that serves as a comprehensive entry point into the unique challenges and systemic inequities faced by Dandelions and Lifetime Survivors.

Dandelions and Lifetime Survivors have been organizing and continue to organize around these issues. At USCHA 2023, a group of Dandelions and Lifetime Survivors took the stage at the opening plenary to articulate a series of clear policy demands. The demands, and a full account of the strategic organizing that went behind them, can be found here.

Positive Women’s Network - USA is making a public call to HIV organizations around the world: we must ensure that the voices, experiences, and expertise of Dandelions/Lifetime Survivors are prioritized in policy initiatives, HIV research, and advocacy for treatment, care, and services for people living with HIV.

Actions you can take today to support the Dandelion and Lifetime Survivor Movement today:

1. Make a material contribution to Hydeia Broadbent’s family and The Dandelion Movement

2. Listen to the stories of Dandelions/Lifetime Survivors:

   1. Learn about the life and work of Hydeia Broadbent on her website

   2. A Girl Like Me LIVE Episode 30: Lifetime Survivors (YouTube)

   3. Melanated Movement Roundtable with The Dandelions (YouTube)

3. Further educate yourself about The Dandelion Movement:

https://www.thedandelions.org/

The Dandelions Movement is a “For Us -By Us” movement accountable for communities who identify as Lifetime Survivors of HIV. Our mission is to to free our community from isolation, Stigma, Violence, and Discrimination. We maintain a commitment to identifying 10,000+ Dandelions in the U.S and Globally; creating a space that encompasses Safety, Respect, and Love.

The Dandelions Movement envisions an equal and equitable future for all Lifetime Survivors, Revolutionizing how HIV impacts our community by spearheading the response to health inequities. Community inclusion is ongoing-ly sewn into the work.

• Republicans in West Virginia are attempting to pass a bill that would ban the usage of nonbinary and intersex markers on birth certificates, leaving only the “male” and “female” options. The bill has passed the West Virginia House and Senate, and is now headed to the Governor’s office.

• Governor Greg Abbott sent a letter to the Department of Family and Protective Services claiming that “members of the general public” have a duty to report parents who secure gender-affirming care for their children to the Department of Family and Protective Services. This letter reiterates the position of a recent opinion released by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

• In Georgia, members of the Cobb County school district fired teacher Katherine Rinderle after she read her class “My Shadow is Purple,” a picture book about a gender-nonconforming child. Rinderle, another teacher, and the Georgia Association of Educators are suing the school district for unconstitutional use of “vague censorship policies.”

• Congress appears likely to exclude many major health priorities in the next government funding package. These priorities include a reauthorization of a federal pandemic preparedness program, and potential reforms to the business practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). PBMs are private companies that retain substantial control over drug costs for insurers, which shapes patients’ access to medication.

• A cyberattack, which caused chaos and frustration for hospitals, healthcare providers and patients, has also delayed orders at several different pharmacy chains, including Walgreens and CVS Health. GoodRX and BlueCross BlueShield also flagged disruptions, as did several different independent pharmacies.

• The CDC has made massive changes to COVID isolation guidance which would elevate already substantial risks to people who are immunocompromised or have underlying medical conditions. Though the CDC hasn’t yet confirmed the report, unnamed officials stated that the agency is considering advising people to isolate based on symptoms rather than a positive test result. These changes could come as early as April.

• Anti-abortion groups and former Trump administration officials are strategically planning for sweeping abortion restrictions should Donald Trump return to the White House in 2025. The plans would reportedly go far beyond a 16-week abortion ban, which Trump has purportedly endorsed to advisors and associates.

• Crisis pregnancy centers are anti-abortion institutions that are growing in incidence as abortion bans force clinics across the country to close their doors. Research shows that these centers often provide inaccurate information about pregnancy, yet they are frequently the only affordable option for people without health insurance.

• The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is currently circulating a memo that highlights the disproportionate impact of abortion bans on Black birthing people in GOP-led states. The report further highlights that Black birthing mortality is significantly higher in Republican-led states with restrictive abortion bans.

• Narrowly avoiding a government shutdown, the US Congress  has passed another short-term funding bill. This stopgap gives the US House and Senate more time to reach agreement on the 12 annual funding bills (often grouped together as “packages”). A 6-bill package passed the House, and is expected to pass in the Senate, without the more extreme anti-trans, anti-abortion, and racist riders that were included in past bills. As the next package is released, we will continue to take action to save HIV funding.  
• Colorado is using funds from the 2022 ballot measure Proposition 123  to increase affordable housing units in Colorado over the next several years. Many organizations have already received funds to build, and are in the process of purchasing land.

• A state Texas Judge has issued a ruling that the Barbers Hill Independent School District can punish a Black student who wears his hair in long locs without violating Texas’ CROWN Act, which is expressly intended to prohibit discrimination on the basis of hair texture or protective styles associated with race.

• A federal Texas Judge has granted a preliminary injunction to prevent the enforcement of Senate Bill 4, which would empower local and state authorities to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants.

• The American Civil Liberties Union of South Caroline has filed a lawsuit against the state’s Department of Corrections for a violation of the First Amendment, specifically against the policy of forbidding incarcerated people from speaking with the press.

• The Georgia state legislature has passed a bill that significantly expands the offenses someone can be pre-trial jailed for, and virtually eliminates charitable bail funds. Many advocates have deduced that the legislation is a direct attack on Stop Cop City protestors.