There are a handful of days that seek to raise awareness surrounding HIV/AIDS, but the first ever Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day took place on Tuesday, August 20. This inaugural day gave people from across the country the opportunity to join a national movement to increase awareness, erase HIV-related stigma and discrimination, and advocate for the necessary resources and solutions to stem the tide of HIV/AIDS in the South.

GLAAD’s own DaShawn Usher, Programs Officer for Communities of Color, was on the ground in the Birmingham, Alabama, where he took over GLAAD’s Instagram story to document key highlights from the day, including words from Pose’s Dyllon Burnside. Be sure to check out DaShawn’s op-ed on glaad.org, where he highlights stories from people in the South who commemorated the day within their own communities.

Don’t click away yet! Read on to see how GLAAD responded to IMDb’s revised birth name policy, and how you can apply to be a GLAAD Rising Star recipient at this year’s Gala San Francisco.

GLAAD responds to IMDb revision of birth name policy for transgender professionals in the entertainment industry: “It remains imperfect”

IMDb made revisions to its birth name policy, now allowing some entertainment industry professionals to remove their old name from biographies. Though it is a step in the right direction, IMDb’s policies remain imperfect, said Nick Adams, GLAAD’s Director of Transgender Media. “Trans people with credits under their old name for work in front of or behind the camera will still be affected by IMDb's determination to publish outdated information,” Adams said. “The platform still has a long way to go in maintaining the privacy of all the entertainment industry professionals listed on the site. GLAAD and SAG-AFTRA, along with trans people working in Hollywood, will continue to advocate that IMDb create policies that respect everyone's privacy and safety.”

Rising Star Grant recognizes young people innovating digital media: Apply Now!

You can apply today to receive the GLAAD Rising Star Grant for digital innovation, which honors and supports young people’s commitment to culture-changing work in the fields of social media, digital media, and technology. The recipient of the $2,500 grant will travel to the 2019 GLAAD Gala San Francisco. The annual event celebrates digital influencers who are moving LGBTQ acceptance forward. GLAAD has announced that Schitt’s Creek star Dan Levy will receive the Davidson/Valentini Award and Ali Rosenthal will accept the Ric Weiland Award at the 2019 GLAAD Gala San Francisco.

19-year-old student shares how Trump’s ban on transgender service members changed his life

Map Pesqueria’s scholarship was resinded when the transgender miliatry ban was put in place by the Trump administration. In this Q&A, Pesqueria shares his story about how that affected his experience. “After everything happened, I stopped going to ROTC events and gatherings just because it made me so sad to know that I couldn't pursue something I love so dearly right now,” Pesqueria said. “However, I know that this policy will be reversed in the future and hopefully then I will still have the passion to pursue the military.”

Indianapolis teen Dominic Conover wants you to write a letter to the Catholic Church

In response to the injustice, Conover and his fellow students started an advocacy group called Shelly’s Voice to call for greater LGBTQ inclusion in the Catholic community. GLAAD has been working with Dominic to amplify his story, including a recent op-ed in the Advocate. When Ariadne Getty was named Variety’s Philanthropist of the Year, Conover was invited as the keynote speaker for the event, where he shared his story and spoke about how the Ariadne Getty Foundation helped with his advocacy effort. You can read more about his powerful story here.

Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney talks “David Makes Man” and the importance of Black LGBTQ visibility in Hollywood

Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney stopped by GLAAD’s headquarters in New York City to discuss the premiere of his OWN series David Makes Man with journalist George M. Johnson. The Moonlight creator talked about the importance of including LGBTQ characters in the narrative, which is inspired by the events in his own life: “The fabric of the story could only be told with them in it because of the experiences that I had, and a lot of people who have helped to collaborate and make this story all have LGBTQ folks in their lives.”

Don’t Miss It: Latinx and LGBTQ stories on TV
and film

El Corazón Nunca Se Equivoca made its U.S. debut on Aug. 13, and we couldn’t be more excited! The show follows fan-favorite couple Aris and Temo, better known by their ship name “Aristemo.” El Corazón Nunca Se Equivoca is the first Spanish-language U.S. broadcast television series featuring a same-sex couple as the main protagonists. The show is a spin off the GLAAD Media Award winning show Mi Marido Tiene Más Familia. If you’re looking for other Latinx/LGBTQ content, click here to read more.

That’s it for now. Make sure you’re following @GLAAD on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest in LGBTQ representation across all forms of media.