Welcome to Week 2 of At-Home Activism! This week, we're talking HIV & AIDS policy in the lead-up to National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day (#NYHAAD) on Friday.

Today at 3pm, the one and only Louis Ortiz-Fonseca leads an interactive workshop, sharing best practices in digital storytelling (register here). Later, we'll also have two policy briefings, and digital actions focused on bringing Young People to The Front!

You can join as many or as few events as you’d like, but be sure to sign up at the links below. (And if you want friends or students to join as well, be sure to send them this link - http://bit.ly/at-home-activism)

Check out this week's schedule!

MONDAY 3:00-4:30pm EST - Our Bones Glow In The Dark: The Power of Storytelling in the Digital Space (REGISTER HERE)

Why is storytelling important to social justice movements? One answer is that we exist in a society hell-bent on silencing our voices and experiences. This interactive workshop will explore storytelling and the power it has in building community. Through the lens of #MyStoryOUTLoud and Gran Varones, digital storytelling projects that focus on uplifting the narratives of LGBTQ people of color, participants will be provided best practices on how to develop and share stories across different social media platforms.

WEDNESDAY at 3:00pm - Young People to the Front: Locally Ending the HIV Epidemic in America #OurHIVPlan (REGISTER HERE)

Join this digital panel with SisterLove, Inc. outlining how Georgia is a model in moving forward legislation around centering young people in the HIV epidemic. It will feature youth activists and elected state representatives.

THURSDAY at 1:00pm - Young People to the Front: Nationally Ending the HIV Epidemic in America #OurHIVPlan (REGISTER HERE)

The President's National Plan to End the HIV Epidemic has admirable goals, but it fails to center young people who are most impacted by HIV. For example, the plan limits young people’s access to confidential care, expands shameful abstinence only programs, and uses religion as an excuse to deny LGBTQ young people access to healthcare. On Thursday, we'll be leading a letter-writing campaign online to tell the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to amend the plan to prioritize young people. The digital action will be accompanied by a Congressional Briefing held on Zoom so anyone can attend and ask questions of leading policy-makers. Those who register here will receive a form to send a letter to HHS and a Social Media Toolkit to help share the action online and flood the Department with letters.

FRIDAY - Mentorship Toolkit Launch

We're launching our Medical Mentorship for Young People Living with HIV: Toolkit and Guide. The Toolkit serves to close the gaps between service providers and the transition of young people living with HIV into adult care. You can engage by signing up to get the Toolkit here, and sharing on your social media this Friday (not before please)!

In solidarity,

Geoff Corey
Senior Manager of Digital Campaign Strategy
Advocates for Youth

P.S. - Using gmail? Be sure you don't miss updates from us! Simply scroll up and ↑click the star↑ in the top right hand corner, and click & drag this email to your Primary tab to tell gmail that our emails are legit.