By Susan Mull

The views and opinions expressed in this piece are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the position of Positive Women’s Network – USA.

April 15, 2024

How does one parse every significant activity that happened at AIDSWatch 2024 and convey the excitement and joy we all felt being together? We each bring different priorities and different skill sets, but perhaps exuberance connected to all this empowerment and the reaffirmation that each one of us is invaluable was one of the most excellent parts of the whole event. 

We sometimes feel that it will take a miracle to end the HIV epidemic, but during the language justice session on Monday morning we felt something intrinsically that could be expressed as, “Los milagros son posibles!” That forum was called Cafe con Pan, and we were all clearly reminded that not every policy expert speaks English as their first or even second language. While we examine issues utilizing a gender justice and racial justice lens, we cannot forget that language justice work is necessary–es muy necesario!  Our voices are all needed as we are still striving to eradicate the stigma that accompanies HIV, and to convey how we will end the HIV epidemic. 

Next, we pondered numbers. Sometimes the metrics are the only thing that legislators understand. More than 300 of us were in attendance. Out of 1.2 million people living with HIV in the United States, at least 100,000 are unhoused. We used that statistic as we spoke to staffers in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Folks told their own stories of being unhoused, and patiently explained that one cannot remain adherent to life saving medication if one does not have stable housing. Housing is healthcare!

We asked for $600 million for HOPWA, the Housing Opportunities For People Living With HIV/AIDS. We also made it clear that 70% of us will be over the age of 50 by 2030, so the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act is imperative. Along with that “ask” was this: language in that bill that designates older adults living with HIV and LGBTQ+ older people as populations of “greatest social need.” We know we are the purveyors of a truth that will not reach the ears of our legislators if we don’t do this work. 

As of 2021, Black and African American communities accounted for just 14% of the U.S. population, yet made up 40% of new HIV diagnoses due to barriers accessing competent health care and services. How did these facts direct more of our actions? We let them guide us into passionate words with staffers regarding the John L. Lewis Voting Rights Act. In 2021, 18 states passed 34 laws restricting access to voting. We found that courageous talks about ending voter suppression are necessary, and that led us to expanded conversations with staffers regarding the Equality Act, the Chyna Gibson Stop the Transgender Murder Act, Repeal Existing Policies that Encourage and Allow Legal HIV Discrimination Act, Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act, and SAFE SEX Worker Study Act. 

I took a deep breath at this juncture, and wanted to ask when were we going to uplift and center Black women, and then I found a poem that was written by PWN member Stacy Jennings within our academic materials!

The poem begins:

It’s time to make Black women a priority

It’s time that we’re recognized

It’s time for great change

It’s time that what we need is realized… 

This poem was found in a brief that was put together by the O’Neill Institute, and the Black Women’s Health Imperative. In this brief were listed concrete steps that can be taken in 2024. I would add, as we analyze the actions that need to happen, we need to use a stronger verb than “can.”

WE MUST STRENGTHEN OUR RESPONSE TO HIV FOR BLACK WOMEN!

Resource needs must be identified. Declines at each stage of the care continuum for cisgender and transgender Black women must be analyzed. There are Minority AIDS Initiative funds that are available for Black-women led organizations. A greater use of PreP to prevent HIV diagnoses in Black women must be a huge focus of action in 2024. 

I stopped here because I have a question. In this carefully written brief, why doesn’t it say that the white folks who have great decision making power in the CDC, and the NIH, HRSA, SAMHSA, and HHS must be immersed in continuing training to combat anti-Blackness? Where is that written? Why is that being ignored? We in the Positive Women’s Network, are holding each other accountable, not only through our White Folks Dismantling Racism group, but we are learning to call each other in, call out instances of anti-Blackness we see, and to center, uplift, and elevate Black women in the HIV movement.  We all must look at ourselves critically, admit our internal biases, and sit in discomfort while we ponder any harm we have done to our BIPOC peers. 

We are so much more than just people living with HIV, we are courageous, intrepid experts who know how to write and understand policy. Our theme this year was, “We’re In This Together!”  We are young, and we are seasoned. Some are wise Dandelions, some long-term survivors in their 60s and 70s. We are gender queer, cisgender, transgender, Two Spirit, genderfluid, and more. We are so beautifully diverse. We are too stunning to be ignored! We are too confident to be intimidated! ¡Nosotres somos fuertes! We are united in our mission to end AIDS. We know that together we are unstoppable. For three days we transformed political thinking in Washington, D.C. We are empowered. We will end AIDS!