John, this World AIDS Day, please join me in pausing to remember those we’ve lost to the AIDS pandemic and looking forward to the progress ahead.

When I first volunteered for John F. Kennedy in 1959, I couldn’t foresee the years of service and activism ahead of me. I was thrust into a fight that I couldn’t back down from.

I’ve lost over 300 friends — some of the most valuable people in my life — to AIDS but I’m no victim. In my over 60 years of service, I’ve learned that the best way to heal is to look to the future and to make things better for other people.

The bravery, courage, and dignity of the LGBT community that I witnessed during the height of the AIDS epidemic here in the U.S. still resonates today as the next generation takes up the mantle in activism and battles the multiple pandemics we’re facing.

The advancements in medicine and the spirit of this new generation are clear signs that we have the power to end HIV/AIDS. Testing is faster and PrEP — the preventative HIV medication — is widely accessible and effective at slowing the spread.

Here are a few things you can do to remember those we lost and to help end HIV/AIDS this World AIDS Day.

1. Learn more about World AIDS Day and how you can support efforts to stop the spread here.
2. Learn more about PrEP, how to get started taking the medication, and how to pay for it here.
3. Stay up to date on how we’re combating HIV/AIDS here.

Thank you and keep fighting,

David

David Mixner