A Call to Action: HIV Advocacy Must Affirm the Human Rights of Transgender People

The Community Access National Network (CANN) recently announced a campaign designed to promote transgender leadership in HIV advocacy. The campaign’s foundation is centered on a Values Statement on Affirming the Human Rights of Transgender People. Why?

Last year, after Terrence Higgins Trust of the United Kingdom united HIV advocacy and service organizations in providing a statement of support of the human rights of transgender people, William Arnold asked me, “Has anything like this been done here?” My answer was frank, “not precisely.” I explained what typically happens is HIV advocacy and service organizations issue statements of support independently of one another but often tend to lack defined actions, policy goals, or a commitment to more than words. Perhaps there’s programming our partners have but they’re often managed by cisgender peers or don’t speak to the actual needs of transgender people. Similarly, if they are grant-making entities, funding awards are often given to large umbrella organizations rather than smaller by/for organizations. This comes at the detriment of a diversified brain trust, unique employment offerings tailored to trans communities, and consolidates services and power outside of the reach of transgender communities…or at least, outside of our trust. Our power is often undercut because it is just easier to give funding to larger umbrella organizations.

“We should do something about that,” Bill told me. He always had the vision to understand that we cannot solve the health disparities in HIV without addressing the holistic needs of communities living with these disparities.

As 2022 politics offer this country a horrific but robust “trans panic 2.0” by way of more than 280 proposed pieces of state legislation and policy attacks, which often garner much less attention and have fewer remedies than campaigning against legislation or law suits, now is the time for HIV advocacy organizations, service providers, and funders to commit themselves to defending and advancing the human rights of transgender people.

A cornerstone of Bill’s personal mission was ensuring access to life saving medications for everyone who needed them. Such a mission is centered in a sense of justice and, frankly, love. It’s a mission, ultimately that all HIV advocacy, service organizations, and funders share. To that end, I need to be clear and to state that under no uncertain circumstances, gender affirming care is lifesaving care. Indeed, gender affirming care improves the HIV-related health outcomes of transgender people. In order to End the HIV Epidemic, in order to fulfill the promises many of us have made to our predecessors, our families, our loved ones lost in the fight against HIV… in order to fulfill our sacred promises, we must affirm and defend the human rights of transgender people in all aspects of life. We must do so in concert, in a fashion coordinated to support existing services and advocacy dedicated to transgender people and communities. We must do so with a unified and collaborative voice that uplifts, empowers, and invests in transgender people, communities, leadership, and rights.

On the issue of the human rights of transgender people, we can no longer act independently of one another or divorced from the transgender advocates already dedicated to this space. In order to act with the integrity this moment and movement needs, our partners must also commit to living the principles reflective of these human rights. Our houses must be in order as it were. In order to End the HIV Epidemic.

We are calling on all our partners to join us in support of affirming the human rights of transgender and gender diverse communities, to commit to the development of transgender leadership within our organizations and empower the self-determination necessary to End the HIV Epidemic.

Nonprofit organizations, community partners, and industry partners interested in lending their support to CANN’s campaign to promote transgender leadership in HIV advocacy, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XT8LCN7.