In the flurry of COVID-19 headlines, it is easy to 
forget that this is not Georgia’s first brush with a global pandemic. In honor of World AIDS Day, we should all take time to reflect on why after more than three decades, our state ranks number one among all states in new HIV infections.
The answer is inequality, and it will take all of us continuing to fight to end HIV in Georgia. Join me in supporting Georgia Equality for World AIDS Day 2020 and #GivingTuesday by making a contribution in support of this vitally important work.
For too long, our state’s leaders have put politics before human dignity and denied healthcare access to hundreds of thousands of Georgians, leaving them vulnerable to the effects of untreated chronic illnesses and infectious diseases like HIV and COVID-19. We know that HIV, and most pandemics, thrive in places where inequality goes unchecked- where access to healthcare is marked by stark racial and gender disparities, and where leaders fail to promote health equity. To create lasting health equity, we must provide healthcare coverage for all Georgians, and we must start by expanding Medicaid.
Of course, it is not just about healthcare; Georgia has a number of equity barriers to overcome before we can successfully end our HIV epidemic. LGBTQ communities in Georgia continue to bear the heaviest burden. An Emory study found that one in every two Black, gay or bisexual Men in Atlanta are expected to contract HIV by age 30. Stigma is even written into our laws; despite evidence that criminalizing HIV status non-disclosure hurts efforts to prevent HIV, Georgia has these statutes on the books and continues to use them to prosecute and incarcerate our most vulnerable citizens.
By expanding health coverage and fighting stigma and discrimination, we can end HIV in Georgia, but it’s going to take all of us working together. I hope you’ll stand with Georgia Equality for World AIDS Day 2020 and #GivingTuesday and make a contribution in support of this vitally important work.
Sincerely,
Eric Paulk
Deputy Director