Every World AIDS Day, December 1st, carries two themes of focus. One global theme, one domestic theme. This year’s global theme is: “End Inequalities. End AIDS. End Pandemics.” This year’s domestic theme is: “Ending the HIV Epidemic: Equitable Access, Everyone’s Voice.”

In commemoration of World AIDS Day, Georgia Equality, its Fellows and Youth HIV Policy Advisors will be hosting a summit for elected officials across the state of Georgia pertaining to the state’s current issues with the HIV epidemic. The issues to be shared with state-spanning officials during the summit, “The Summit on HIV Policy in the Rural South,” are Georgia-specific issues aligned with “Equitable Access, Everyone’s Voice.”

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We’re still waiting on the last of the votes to be counted from Tuesday’s elections, but we’ve got great news! 75% of Georgia Equality’s endorsed candidates won their races or advanced to a runoff. We elected pro-LGBTQ candidates because of you!

Another highlight from Tuesday– Two openly LGBTQ endorsees won their races (Alex Wan for Atlanta City Council District 6 and Brett Reichert for Hapeville City Council, at-large) AND two others will advance to a runoff (Liliana Bakhtiari for Atlanta City Council District 5 and Imani Barnes for Tucker City Council District 2, Post 1).

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Georgia Equality Releases 2021 Candidate Endorsements

October 8, 2021 — Today, Georgia Equality, the state’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organization, released its list of endorsed candidates for the upcoming municipal elections happening on November 2, 2021. 

“During municipal elections, voters may tend to be less engaged than during higher profile years, but these races couldn’t be any more important to our work,”  said Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality. “Right now, thirteen Georgia cities and counties protect LGBTQ people from discrimination and this year’s endorsed candidates will help grow that number when they are elected. We’re particularly focused on the City of Tucker, where we hope to help elect Robin Biro for Mayor and Imani Barnes and Alexis Weaver to City Council– to shift the politics so that Tucker can join the growing list of municipalities in Georgia to protect LGBTQ folks and others from discrimination.” 

“Our focus as an organization continues to be the advancement of laws and policies that level the playing field for LGBTQ Georgians and LGBTQ folks that visit our state,” said Kenyatta Mitchell, chair of the Georgia Equality Board of Directors. “These endorsements reflect the critical need to win this fight at the local level–where so many of the issues important to LGBTQ people are governed. Perhaps the best example is the continued struggles we see with the City of Atlanta’s administration of the Housing Opportunity for People living with AIDS (HOPWA) program. There is a great deal of opportunity for leadership on this matter and we look forward to the candidates continuing to outline the steps they would take to ensure people living with HIV in metro Atlanta get access to housing.”

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In 2018, 27 percent of the 37,968 new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. were among Hispanics/Latinos.

The prevalence of HIV is a threat to Latinx communities that frequently gets swept under the rug due to the stigma surrounding HIV. 1 in 6 Latinx folks with HIV do not know that they have the virus. This generates a dangerous cycle where individuals who are unaware of their status unknowingly transmit HIV to other people. When a person is unaware of their HIV status then they cannot take the proper preventative or treatment methods. 

Most new HIV diagnoses among Hispanics/Latinos were among gay and bisexual men. “Machismo” which is the strong or aggressive masculine pride, is very present in Hispanic/Latino culture. This culture creates a barrier for individuals to acknowledge the risky behaviors that they may be participating in such as male-to-male sexual contact or substance abuse.

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As we honor this year’s National Coming Out Day, October 11th,  let us not forget what it has taken for us to come this far.

In 1966 there was the Compton Cafeteria Riots.  Transgender women stood up against police brutality and discrimination in the San Francisco Tenderloin District.  Today, the Tenderloin District is home to the first and only legally recognized transgender district in the world.

In 1969, while people were sharing love in the countryside of New York, down in the city the Stonewall Riots were happening.  LGBT people were fighting the police for their lives, respect, and dignity.  The nation caught on, sparking liberty marches that have led to the PRIDE Day parades we celebrate today.

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