2022 World AIDS Day Commemorations, U.S. Trans Survey

By Joanie Juster–

Recently I basked in the warm sunshine at the Fillmore Farmers’ Market, enjoying the sunny fall weather. But now, the sky is overcast, there’s a chill in the air, the wind is kicking up, and I’m watching leaves falling from the trees. Fall brings to mind love, and loss, and what means the most to us. There is work to be done to protect those we love; here are some reminders of ways to help.

Get Out the Vote

There are a lot of dire predictions out there as pundits try to handicap the midterm elections on November 8. They are dire for darned good reason. It sounds ridiculously melodramatic to say it, but seriously: our democracy, and the very nature of our country, are at stake. And it is up to us—yes, you and me, and every other citizen—to get to the polls to save it.

We are now just days before Election Day. The endless barrage of fundraising emails, texts, and calls should have slowed down, as ad time will have already been purchased. What can you still do at this late date to make a difference? It’s all about getting out the vote:

• Vote. It all starts with you.
• Reach out to friends, family, co-workers, strangers on Muni, the clerk at the grocery store, to remind them to vote. Wear a button; it can start conversations. Ask them if they have made a plan to vote, and provide information on how to vote if they need it. Spread the word via your social media networks. Set an example of engaged citizenship, and use peer pressure as a force for good. If people need help figuring out how or where to vote, send them here:

https://lwvsf.org/vote

Or here:  https://www.vote.org/

• Help get out the vote. Do you have friends, family, neighbors who need assistance getting to the polls? Offer to help them. And support organizations around the country that are doing an outstanding job of getting voters to the polls.

No sitting on the sidelines for this one, folks. Let’s not have any regrets on November 9.

Reminder: U.S. Trans Survey Open Through November 21

In our previous issue of the San Francisco Bay Times, I wrote about the 2022 U.S. Trans Survey (USTS), which launched October 18. The 2022 USTS will provide an updated and expanded view of the experiences of transgender people across a wide range of areas, such as education, employment, family life, health, housing, and interactions with police and prisons. The USTS is an important resource for use in public education and advocacy about transgender people.

Taking part in the survey is an opportunity for transgender people to provide vital information that can bring to light the patterns of discrimination many transgender people face, and affect policy and social change to improve their lives. The survey ends November 21, so stand up and be counted now.

https://www.ustranssurvey.org/

Save the Date: World AIDS Day Is December 1

World AIDS Day is coming on December 1. Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first-ever international day for global health, and is still commemorated worldwide to draw attention to this ongoing health crisis.

Why do we commemorate World AIDS Day? Because AIDS is not over. It is a day to take the time to bring awareness to the continued need for help, to acknowledge what we have been through both individually and as a community, to remember and memorialize those we have lost, and to recommit ourselves to taking action.

While tremendous progress has been made in the fight against AIDS since 1988, there is still a great deal of work to be done. HIV and AIDS still carry a stigma that leads to inequalities in prevention, treatment, and outcomes.

Across the world, fewer than half of those with HIV or AIDS have access to life-saving anti-retroviral treatment. Poorer countries, and poorer communities within the United States, and people of color still bear a disproportionate burden of new infections, and less access to treatment. These inequalities are not, and should not, be seen as inevitable; we need to fix them. This year UNAIDS is shining a light on the inequalities that keep us from ending AIDS, using the “Equalize” slogan as a call to action.

Each year, World AIDS Day focuses on a specific theme. This year it is Global Solidarity, Shared Responsibility. It is a pointed reminder that we all share the responsibility of making sure everyone—no matter their zip code, their country, their continent, their income, their sex, their skin color—can receive life-saving treatment.

Here are some of the local events that are being planned to commemorate World AIDS Day. Add them to your calendar now; more details and links to follow will be in the next issue of the San Francisco Bay Times:

The National AIDS Memorial will hold their annual gala, Light in the Grove, in the AIDS Memorial Grove on the evening of November 30. This is a ticketed event. The next day, on December 1, they will hold their World AIDS Day program in the Grove for the first time since 2019. The World AIDS Day program is free and open to the public.

Since 2017, INSCRIBE has provided a way for people to commemorate World AIDS Day on San Francisco’s Castro Street. INSCRIBE creator George Kelly provides sidewalk chalk along Castro Street from 17th to 19th Streets. Everyone is welcome to inscribe in chalk on the sidewalk the names of those who have died of AIDS.

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation Candlelight Vigil and March: For many years, the SF AIDS Foundation has held a candlelight vigil on the evening of World AIDS Day. Details of this year’s vigil and march will be coming soon.

Know of any other local commemorations? Email me and I’ll list them in our next issue: jjbaytimes@gmail.com

Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.

In Case You Missed It
Published on November 3, 2022