National AIDS Memorial

The Dia de los Muertos: Day of the Dead Festival of Altars honors our ancestors and upholds the values of balancing the elements of our planet. It was an incredible experience to bring panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt to this year's festival in Potrero del Sol Park in San Francisco. Thank you to their team for inviting us to share the stories of those lost to HIV/AIDS at their beautiful tribute to those who have passed!

There's still time: Host the AIDS Memorial Quilt in your community! Each year, we pair with community-based organizations across the country to display sections of the #AIDSQuilt to raise greater awareness about the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis. Help remember those we’ve lost and raise awareness about the disproportionate impact the epidemic continues to have in marginalized populations: https://lnkd.in/gWhSeQGt

"We don't agonize. We organize." National AIDS Memorial CEO John Cunningham addressed our community today with a moving message that addresses our new reality and harkens to past resilience amidst health and social justice. "We are a strong and resilient community, we have experience in fighting the good fight, and we are once again being summoned to stand up and fight back. This is our legacy, and it is our responsibility to share the lessons of our struggles with others—for our work is not done until all are protected." Defend our human rights, support one another, and read John's full message: https://lnkd.in/gVDE6t_h

Happy birthday Conchita Wurst! Thomas Neuwirth, known for his stage persona Conchita Wurst, is a Eurovision Song Contest winner from Austria. Neuwirth is #HIV positive and regular treatment has made the virus reportedly undetectable!

Thank you to our friends at Chevron for providing their light! Our magical Light in the Grove event would not be possible without their support as Remembrance Partners. We hope to see you all on 11/30 at this incredible night of healing, hope, and remembrance! https://lnkd.in/gTPDv9-j

Vince Crisostomo has lived with HIV/AIDS for 35 years, dedicating much of them to HIV and LGBTQ activism. We will recognize Vince Crisostomo with the much-deserved Thom Weyand Unsung Hero Award for his decades of advocacy. RSVP for our #WorldAIDSDay National Observance on Sunday, 12/1 as we honor Vince and others making a difference in the ongoing #HIV and #AIDS crisis: https://lnkd.in/g2_wfzDa

🏀🏳️🌈 Congratulations to our dear friend Joanie Juster for being recognized as an "Impact Warrior" at last week's Golden State Warriors game! Joanie has been volunteering since the early days of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Working mostly behind the scenes, her work includes fundraising and grassroots community organizing for programs fighting #AIDS and many other social and health injustices. A staunch ally, she is known for her work with the National AIDS Memorial and other organizations, as well as fighting for LGBTQ rights, suicide prevention, and voters’ rights. We are honored to have nominated Joanie for this incredible recognition!

Peta I Gi Chi Wa I Wa ka, fondly known as Peta, was a young man who lived with #AIDS for 12 years, spending most of those caring for others with AIDS. Peta's grandmother made this #AIDSQuilt panel in his honor. The panel shows a bird with personal items and feathers, reflecting Peta’s Native American Lakota heritage, where it is believed that all things possess inherent virtue, power, and wisdom. The feather is a powerful symbol that signifies honor and a connection between the owner, the Creator, and the bird from which the feather came. Two poems are also shown on the panel, including “A Lakota Indian Way of Prayer.” Learn more about Peta and his Quilt panel: https://lnkd.in/gJ89V8ks #nativeamericanheritagemonth #NAHM #Lakota

The #AIDS crisis is not over. Each year on December 1st, our community gathers to remember those lost, educate others, and rally to eliminate the devastating stigma and loss associated with the ongoing AIDS crisis. RSVP and Join the #NationalAIDSMemorial on Saturday, 12/1 for our #WorldAIDSDay National Observance: https://lnkd.in/g2_wfzDa

🏅 🏳️🌈 Dr. Tom Waddell was an American physician and decathlete who competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Dr. Waddell went on to found the Gay Olympics, now called the Gay Games, after experiencing the widespread prejudice against #LGBTQ individuals in sports. Still today, the Gay Games are open to all, regardless of sexual orientation and qualifying standards. Dr. Waddell passed away from #AIDS related complications in 1987 after seeing his dream come true. Today would have been Waddell's birthday. 🗣️ Say Dr. Tom Waddell's name! #GayGames #SocialJustice #HealthJustice #EndHIVStigma #StopHIV #GetTested #Healthcare