Dear John,

Today is World AIDS Day. A day when we join with people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate our fallen warriors who have died from an AIDS-related illness.

At Equality Federation, we are committed to fighting for critical HIV policy and administrative changes to help eradicate the disproportionate impact HIV has on the LGBTQ+ community, especially within our Black, Brown, and Transgender communities.

I lead our HIV Advocacy Program, which leverages state-based LGBTQ+ advocacy power to end the criminalization of HIV/AIDS, address the needs of people living with HIV, and advance policies to end the epidemic.

Since 2019, we have worked in three states to build the capacity of LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations and make a measurable impact on Ending the HIV Epidemic plans and other policy or administrative advancements in their local communities. Thanks to an intentional focus on fighting for an even fuller spectrum of our LGBTQ+ community, we’ve seen great progress from Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT), PROMO in Missouri, and Freedom Oklahoma, and will continue supporting their programs while eager to expand into other high-impact states in 2022.

Mike Webb
Policy Engagement Strategist
Equality Federation