The Fight Continues
In 2016, Jesse Milan Jr. made history by becoming the first Black gay man to lead AIDS United. After nine years at the helm and over 40 years of HIV advocacy, Milan retired in July, the same month he turned 69.
Looking to the Future
In July, after 10 years at AIDS United, Carl Baloney Jr. stepped into a new and very important role. He succeeded Jesse Milan Jr. as president and CEO of the HIV organization, becoming the second Black gay man to hold the post.
Be the Light
Bridgette Picou, LVN, ACPLN, knows what it’s like to advocate for oneself in medical spaces. Diagnosed with HIV in 2012, the 52-year-old vocational nurse from Inglewood, California, uses her unique perspective to help bridge the communication gap between women living with HIV and clinicians.
Changing the HIV Narrative
In July 2024, six straight men served as panelists on a Zoom webinar hosted by The Reunion Project, a nonprofit founded by and for long-term survivors. They shared their journey of living with HIV, specifically as straight men with the virus who have felt forgotten and unheard.
Breaking HIV Stigma Through Comedy
When stand-up comedian Andy Feds hits the stage wearing one of his many fedoras, his audience is usually surprised by what comes next. The 31-year-old Las Vegas resident kicks off his set by sharing something very personal. He announces that he was born with HIV.
The Unexpected HIV Advocates
World AIDS Day 2023 was very special for best friends Ciarra “Ci Ci” Covin and Masonia Traylor. That was the day the film Unexpected premiered, introducing these two exceptional women living with HIV to the world. The 22-minute documentary about Black women living with HIV in the South was produced by Emmy-winning actress and advocate Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Centering the Voices of Women Living With HIV
In June 2008, 28 diverse women living with HIV flew from around the country to San Francisco and gathered at the Hotel Kabuki for a special retreat. The women were all leaders of projects catering to people living with HIV, ranging from nutrition gardens to health care organizations.
History Makers: The Wright Brothers
They turned the dream of human flight into reality.
We are Lifetime Survivors
As a little girl, Porchia Dees and her family drove an hour from their home in San Bernardino, California, to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles every month. These visits were routine for Dees, who was always sick and on medication. She had a team of doctors and social workers she saw often.
History Makers: Louis Armstrong
His groundbreaking style changed the course of jazz music.
Aging With HIV
In the beginning of the AIDS crisis, the idea of aging with HIV was, at best, a distant dream. Getting an AIDS diagnosis in the very early days of the epidemic was indeed a death sentence for many people. Despite the fact that effective treatment in the mid-1990s reversed that reality, the general public still seems surprised by our aging.
Stories of Resilience
Jeff Berry dreamed of becoming a famous DJ. He even moved to Chicago to make that happen. But all that changed when he tested positive for HIV in 1989 at age 30.
Lean on Me
Actors Darius Harper and André Jordan, both 36, first met as college students at the American Musical and Drama Academy in New York City, where almost 20 years ago they set out to become stage actors. They’ve supported each other throughout their careers and built a wonderful friendship. And now, they’re standing by each other as they navigate life with HIV.
History Makers: Katherine Johnson
Her math skills helped launch astronauts into the history books.
Faith, Healing and AIDS
From an early age, Rae Lewis-Thornton has faced adversity. Her childhood was far from perfect. Born to parents who used drugs, she endured abuse and experienced trauma. But Lewis-Thornton never stopped looking for the light at the end of the tunnel—even after she tested positive for HIV in 1987.
Fighting Long COVID
When most people get COVID-19, they tend to recover once the infection leaves their body. But some adults have been experiencing what scientists and doctors call “long COVID,” which can drastically change a person’s life and health.
Protecting Sexual and Reproductive Rights for People With HIV After Roe v. Wade Ends
The morning of June 24 started off like any other for Marsha Jones. That is, until the devastating news broke that the Supreme Court had overturned Roe v. Wade. After almost 50 years, the 1973 landmark case that established women’s constitutional right to an abortion had been reversed by the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. States each now had the power to establish their own laws to protect, restrict or ban abortion.
We Made State History
Students in Kansas helped their state get a new symbol.
Stay Strong
As a sex worker, Iya Dammons always lived in survival mode. She experienced homelessness and violence. But Dammons wouldn’t let that be her narrative—she had an idea for moving forward.
A Woman’s Journey
Ivy Kwan Arce had been living in New York City for less than a year when in 1990, a poster on the subway caught her attention. It read, “Women don’t get AIDS—they just die from it.” The bottom of the poster included a list of HIV risk factors for women.
History Makers: Billie Jean King
She changed the game for women in sports.
Stigma Warrior
Until 1993, Kalee Garland didn’t know much about HIV except what she saw on television. That was the year she tested positive for the virus and received an AIDS diagnosis. She was 7 years old.
Proud Ally
Marlene McNeese traces her career in public health back to 1992, when, at age 21, she helped educate and test young women of color for HIV as a street outreach worker in Houston.
Meet a Military Family
Juan Garcia is in the U.S. military, but his entire family is serving our country.
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