The National Black Justice Coalition Commemorates National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
CONTACT: Anna Zuccaro | anna@unbendablemedia.com
WASHINGTON, DC — In commemoration of National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness day, David J. Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), a leading civil rights organization, issued the following statement.
“We have made considerable strides in our fight against HIV/AIDS since the 1970s yet there remains so much more work to do. In spite of our best efforts, Black same gender loving (SGL), gay, bisexual, and queer+ (GBQ+) men; who are at greater risk for testing positive for as well as those who are living with HIV, face immense shame and stigma today. Although a diagnosis is no longer synonymous with death, Black SGL/GBQ+ men are still dying as a result of stigma and shame and this does not have to be our reality.
“Black boys and men are more affected by HIV than any other group in the United States. This disparate impact is exactly why we should be intensifying efforts to eradicate the virus. Today, more than 1 million Americans live with HIV. Thanks to medical innovations and treatments, this disease; which once ravaged the queer community, is a liveable condition.
“NBJC will continue to advocate for comprehensive HIV/AIDS and sex education and promote testing at home, in schools, and in at-risk communities. We will continue to advocate for community resources and outreach programs and access to prescription medications like PreP and to ensure that responses to the novel coronavirus include an appropriate focus on the needs of our community as it relates to the continued impact of HIV/AIDS.
“Together we can reduce stigma, prevent HIV among the hardest-hit populations, and help people with HIV stay healthy–this is especially true for Black people who continue to be impacted disproportionately.”
NBJC recently released a toolkit that provides resources for gay, bisexual, and same-gender loving men to start talking openly about HIV prevention and management.
