Five years ago, AIDS United began a journey with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a cooperative agreement with their Partnering and Communicating Together program or PACT.
Building on the successes of the former Act Against AIDS campaign, PACT engaged and expanded networks of national, regional, and local organizations to disseminate the CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign.
Through the brand name We Are United, AIDS United partnered with and provided resources to community organizations and influencers to increase awareness about HIV, reduce HIV-related stigma, promote HIV testing and other prevention options, and encourage people living with HIV to begin and stay in treatment. Over the past five years, the We Are United initiative has collaborated with over 100 organizations and reached almost 600,000 people, through in-person, creative digital, and social media engagements.
Year five marks the sunset of the We Are United initiative. This last year has been turbulent, as we not only faced the end of the program but also were met with the erasure of HIV funding across the nation. However, even in the shadow of public health being defunded, our year five partners have shown us the most amazing display of resilience and what it means to “keep pressing” in spite of circumstances.
The We Are United initiative is divided into two categories: in person events and virtual activations. This year we partnered with 27 organizations for activations, from Alabama all the way to California to Puerto Rico and to Mississippi to name a few.
Our virtual activations ranged from podcast spotlights, summer music series highlighting southern DJ’s, social media takeovers, blogs and Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCU) Tour digital ambassadors. We worked with podcasts like “Check Please” that create a space for black gay and queer men to engage in discussions around dating in a non-stigmatizing way. We spotlighted work done by Andy Tinoco Mendez (they/he) who is an HIV advocate, community member, poet and artist expanding access to vital resources for queer and trans communities of color in the South. A big impact on our virtual programming this year was our HBCU Digital Ambassadors. Born out of the in-person Spring HBCU Tour, our digital ambassadors were able to tailor the messages of the We Are United initiative to their local college campuses, reaching more than 80,000 views through social media activations.
This year we were able to support 27 in-person events. A returning partner, Aguilar Salud hosted a Community Center Open House which welcomed community members, partners, and local leaders to learn about their bilingual services, including HIV prevention and treatment, primary care, harm reduction, and psychosocial support.
Another partner we have previously collaborated with is Out My Closet. Their Elevated Boutique is a trauma-informed, dignity-centered mobile pop-up that provides under-resourced LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly queer men of color and transgender people, with free, high-quality clothing, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, and hygiene items in a boutique-style setting. What made year five extra special for Out My Closet’s Elevated Boutique is that it went beyond one city, scaling their impact to multiple cities from New York to Miami.
For the first time this year, we partnered with House of Trouble for their Beach Party series. Their Beach Party series creates a safe and affirming space for community members to connect, express themselves freely, and celebrate queer joy in an environment that fosters acceptance and wellbeing. Their all-day events offer music, refreshments, and community engagement activities designed to nurture belonging, reduce stigma, and support holistic health.
For Trans Day of Visibility, we partnered with Under the Umbrella and Trans Men Empowerment, both Texas based organizations that brought people together to feel seen and have a safe space for conversation.
We supported many in-person events during pride season. This year we partnered with CALA and New Orleans Black Pride. CALA hosted a number of PRIDE events that prioritized the Latine community. During their celebration, they held a PRIDE Queen coronation that highlighted HIV advocacy, stigma reduction and even had a special moment for LGBTQ+ mothers and recognized the support they give to their children. CALA's impact reached all the way to Colorado where an attendee reached out to them and wanted to be a part of their PRIDE court as their PRIDE King.
Additionally, New Orleans Black Pride has been a sponsored partner of the We Are United initiative for the last three years of the program. This year, they not only overcame funding challenges but had to alter their event due to weather. They were able to reach 4,700 people through their summit and weekend events. A unique conversation was held at this year’s event, where attendees explored what HIV testing can mean at fun, densely populated community events, particularly when someone receives a positive diagnosis. The discussion highlighted the importance of recognizing the emotional and mental impact of receiving a diagnosis, even in spaces meant for celebration.
I began working at AIDS United in 2020, still reeling from the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. What I found at AIDS United was a family, not only in the people I worked alongside, but also in the organizations I had the privilege of collaborating with. Seeing the defunding of public health programs, especially HIV prevention and treatment initiatives, is something I never imagined I would witness. Yet, even in moments that can feel overwhelming and uncertain, I remain hopeful in the work that is to come and the collaborations and coalitions that will keep the HIV movement going forward. I know we will remain united and steadfast in ending the HIV epidemic. As we watch this initiative sunset, I ask that we lean into the unfamiliar, collaborate with organizations no matter how big or small, remember that we all share this same beautiful space, and be the change that we not only want to see but need in this world. We send a tremendous amount of thanks to our partners over the past five years.
