By Joanie Juster–
In 1983, AIDS activist Roger Gail Lyon testified before Congress, pleading so passionately that his friend Gert McMullin sewed his words into his panel for the AIDS Memorial Quilt: “I came here today to ask that this nation with all its resources and compassion not let my epitaph read he died of red tape.”
Lyon’s words have been on my mind while watching the chaos, corruption, and cruelty continuing to reign in Washington, while the effects of their shenanigans are being felt right here. The massive funding cuts are hitting every sector, but particularly those organizations that provide essential care for some of the most vulnerable among us. Medical care, food, shelter, mental health care, gender-affirming care, and more are on the chopping block. And in a particularly cruel move, millions of Americans could lose their Medicaid coverage and healthcare access due to proposed changes that would make it exponentially more difficult to apply for and access services.
The attack on Medicaid will be particularly devastating for people with HIV and those seeking to prevent HIV, as Medicaid is the top provider of coverage for people living with HIV, and is also a major contributor to equitable PrEP access.
Local activists are working hard to mitigate the damage, but they need our help to avoid catastrophic collapse of the network of services that support this community. For decades, San Francisco has helped local agencies during difficult budget years by backfilling any cuts in federal or state funding. During his campaign last year, Mayor Lurie made this direct promise: “I commit to backfilling federal funding cuts to maintain San Francisco’s HIV safety net. Access to culturally-competent health care is a fundamental right. This includes robust funding for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. As mayor, I will continue to backfill any federal funding cuts driven by Republican agendas and invest in our City Clinic’s modernization and relocation to better serve our community.”
Let’s hold Mayor Lurie accountable to his bold promise. Mayor Lurie has a deadline of May 31–June 1 to submit his proposed budget to the Board of Supervisors, so now is the time to speak up! The HIV Action Network (HAN) has been working overtime to help save local HIV programs, and has developed tools to help you make your voice heard. Use this link, and share it with others: https://tinyurl.com/HANtool
Surviving Voices Premieres June 5
On June 5, 1981, The Centers for Disease Control published a report of five young gay men in Los Angeles who were suffering from a mysterious illness. That report later became recognized as the first record of what became known as the AIDS pandemic. In 2014, June 5 was established as HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day, to honor those who have lived with HIV for decades—the first people in history to do so. Shining a spotlight on this group of individuals raises awareness of the unique challenges they face, and the courage and resilience they draw on to face them.
Some of those individuals have shared their stories in a new film, Surviving Voices: HIV Lifetime and Long-Term Survivors, the tenth chapter in the National AIDS Memorial’s oral history and documentary series, Surviving Voices. The film, produced and directed by Jörg Fockele, features interviews with both those who acquired HIV at birth or as young children (lifetime survivors), and those who acquired the virus before the availability of effective treatments in the mid-1990s.
In commemoration of HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day, Surviving Voices: HIV Lifetime and Long-Term Survivors will premiere at the Roxie Theatre on June 5, 2025. The screening will also include three of the documentary’s 22 filmed interviews, and a post-screening panel discussion featuring five of the people featured in the film.
This film comes at a time when the people featured in the film, who have managed to beat all odds by surviving and thriving with HIV for decades, are having their lives threatened again by something even more dangerous than a virus: politics. Politically-motivated budget cuts are threatening their access to the lifesaving medications and care they depend on for their survival. Come see the film, hear their stories, witness their courage and resilience, then help us fight for them. They have earned our support. Tickets: https://tinyurl.com/NAMLTS65
Painting the Castro
In a time when the very words diversity, equity, and inclusion are being banned and stigmatized by our government, one man is working to make sure that San Francisco’s Castro Street remains a welcoming beacon for all—and especially in time for Pride Month.
Harry Breaux is an artist and a visionary, with deep roots in this community. He had a vision of creating a visual symbol of welcome to the neighborhood at Jane Warner Plaza (at Castro, 17th and Market streets) that would not only be visible to people at street level, but would also be visible around the world thanks to the San Francisco Bay Times Castro Street Cam, which actually consists of four and soon to be five cams showing different parts of the neighborhood. Breaux researched a variety of symbols, and chose the Intersex Progress Pride Flag as the most inclusive. He set to work by figuring out the logistical challenges of painting this symbol onto the street, and then talked with community groups and city officials to gain both community support and logistical assistance. It was a long process, but the good news is that his vision is on track to become reality.
The Grand Kick-Off is scheduled for Monday, June 2, at 10 am, weather permitting, with a grand opening to be announced soon. The street painting will take place in stages from June 2–11, thanks to generous support and professional guidance from Sherwin-Williams Paint Company and the Castro Community Benefit District. You can watch the progress on the San Francisco Bay Times Castro Street Cam (#4): https://bit.ly/3WGonVE
Free Andry José Hernández Romero
In April, Andry José Hernández Romero was forcibly disappeared to the CECOT prison in El Salvador. Activist Cleve Jones has been working to secure his freedom, and shared this plea publicly: “The case of Andry José Hernández Romero, now before a Federal Court, stands at the intersection of the struggle for immigrant rights, LGBTQ rights, and the effort to preserve due process under law. As Pride Month approaches, please do whatever you can, wherever you are, to shine a light on Andry’s illegal and unjust imprisonment. His family and defense team believe that publicity about his case may keep him alive, and eventually win his freedom.” https://www.freeandry.org
Joanie Juster is a long-time community volunteer, activist, and ally.
In Case You Missed It
Published on May 22, 2025
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