World AIDS Day: Together, Forward.

Every December 1st, World AIDS Day serves as a time for reflection, honoring those we’ve lost to HIV/AIDS, and recommitting to the work ahead. This year, the Office of National AIDS Policy unveiled the theme “Collective Action: Sustain and Accelerate HIV Progress” on October 4th. However, by November 5th, many of us were questioning how we can sustain and, let alone accelerate, our efforts following the general election and the resulting uncertainty.

For most, World AIDS Day is an annual event. But for some of us, every day is World AIDS Day.

Since my diagnosis in 2016, this day has been deeply personal—a time for introspection. It’s a day to recognize and honor those who came before me, those who fought for better lives for themselves and their communities. I feel immense gratitude for their sacrifices. While this day often presents an opportunity to celebrate our progress, it can be challenging to celebrate when that progress remains unequal. It’s even harder to celebrate knowing the uncertainty that looms after the recent election.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had extensive conversations with individuals in my community who are grappling with fear and anxiety about the unknown. This fear is valid. Concerns about access to gender-affirming care, uphill challenges in the public health sector, and worries for immigrants are all real. The incoming Administration has already indicated plans to target marginalized communities, dismantle essential programs and departments, and undermine critical initiatives. While campaign promises often fall short, they can sow seeds of doubt and concern about what lies ahead.

Just days after the election, I attended a meeting of the U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus. These meetings are among my favorites, always inspiring, and filled with legends of advocacy—many of whom have been at the forefront of this fight since the early days of the AIDS crisis. 

Space was allocated for meeting attendees to express their emotions regarding the election and the future. Many expressed sadness and distress about the outcome. I’m often quiet in these meetings, I feel like a small child in a room full of grown-ups. After listening to others’ perspectives, I decided to raise my hand. I spoke about my concerns for LGBTQ+ youth and the communities disproportionately affected by HIV. Despite my concerns, I expressed a sense of resolve.

Following the 2016 election, I, like many others, felt lost, and angry. Struggling to find purpose, I reached out to the local LGBTQ+ center to volunteer. I discovered that building community, learning to love, and leaning on one another provided hope amidst uncertainty.

Much has transpired in the eight years since then. Many of us who engaged during that time have continued to advocate for various issues. I’ve reminded myself and others that while we may face unknown and challenging days ahead, we have consistently fought for a better world regardless of who is in power. This has equipped us with two crucial tools for navigating an uncertain future: experience and community.

Throughout history, communities have come together to counteract the harms inflicted by those in power. Including the Gay Liberation Front, ACTUP, and the civil rights movement. Those who are knowledgeable about our collective history are better prepared to prevent it from repeating or at least minimize the damage. The knowledge of our rich history of transforming the tide gives me the most significant asset in this moment: hope.

Back in November, I posed a question: are we ready to answer the call of this moment? I don’t believe that question is any less relevant today. We never knew what that call would entail, yet here we are. This year, on World AIDS Day, and likely every day for the next four years, I hold onto the words my friend Jen Laws shared with us shortly after the election: “We are not called to this work because it is easy; we are called to this work because it is necessary.”

While we face an uncertain path ahead, we have the blueprints from our history, and the support of our communities to guide us. We must approach each day, one at a time, while clinging to hope with unwavering determination. Not because things will be easy, but because it is our inherent calling to look forward, to work collectively to not only sustain but also to shape the future of our country, and the world. It would be an ultimate disgrace to let our friends, family, and elders succumb to a plague, and for us to abandon our mission at this moment.