Protest Held in Washington, D.C., by the Save HIV Funding Campaign

Photos courtesy of San Francisco AIDS Foundation

Long-term HIV survivors, health advocates, community health providers, and faith leaders gathered on March 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C., to hold a symbolic funeral protest and celebration of life service to sound the alarm over the growing instability in HIV prevention and care funding across the United States, and the impact on America’s national healthcare infrastructure. The event was organized by the Save HIV Funding Campaign and was held at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel.

Speakers and participants included Rev. Elder Carmarion D. Anderson, Minister for Congregational Leadership, United Church of Christ National Ministries; Jeremiah Johnson, Save HIV Funding Campaign Co-Founder and Executive Director of PrEP4All, who acted as the day’s “funeral director”; and Maxx Boykin, Campaign Manager for the Save HIV Funding Campaign. Additional speakers included Vincent Crisostomo, Director of Aging Services, San Francisco AIDS Foundation in California; and San Francisco-based author and activist Paul Aguilar.

The speakers emphasized that the systems supporting HIV prevention, treatment, and care were built with bipartisan support over decades. They warned that weakening these programs not only puts vulnerable communities at risk but also dismantles a public health model pioneered by the HIV response that has guided how the U.S. responds to large-scale health emergencies. https://savehivfunding.org/

Published on March 26, 2026