“Young LGBT people attending the National Equality March need to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS” says Cleve Jones
HIV+ speakers and performers to be featured
As tens of thousands of LGBT Americans and their allies converge on Washington next month to march for equal rights, they also will remind the nation and the LGBT community that the AIDS epidemic is not over as well as remember the more than half a million Americans who have died from the disease.
The Equality To End AIDS rally and vigil will take place Saturday, October 10, the day before the massive Equality March. Equality To End AIDS will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 pm on the Ellipse, in front of the White House, and feature an inspiring roster of speakers and performers (mostly HIV+), culminating in a candlelight vigil.
“The weekend is about achieving full equality for LGBT Americans. We need to use that political power to remind the country that the AIDS epidemic continues. A great many young people will attend the march; we need them to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS,” said Cleve Jones, the founder of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and one of the National Equality March organizers.
Gay and bisexual men are now 50 times more likely to acquire HIV than those who are not gay or bisexual. Among young gay men, HIV infections increased an astonishing 12% each year from 2001 to 2006; the only demographic group to see an increase in infections during that period. Even though treatments have extended life for many people with HIV, recent research indicates that, on average, people with HIV live 21 years less than their HIV-negative counterparts.
“Many of our most energized LGBT activists are too young to remember the devastating impact AIDS has had on the gay community. We must re-engage the larger LGBT community in AIDS activism,” said Charles King, President and CEO of Housing Works, which is the fiscal sponsor of the rally and vigil. “Ending the HIV pandemic is an issue of justice that must be their fight as well.”
Speakers and entertainers at the rally will include singer/actress Sherri Lewis, former Miss America Kate Shindle, members of the Diva League and Inner Light Ministries Choir, Rev. Kenneth Glasgow, San Francisco Human Rights Commission Chairperson Cecilia Chung, Shawn Decker’s Synthetic Division, poet Brandon Plain, gospel rap artist Desencé, singer/songwriter Dudley Sanders, POZ Magazine founder Sean Strub, Rev. Elder Nancy Wilson and Bishop Rainey Cheeks. Many of the speakers and performers are people living with HIV.
Who: The Campaign to End AIDS in collaboration with Housing Works, Westminster Presbyterian Church, More Light Presbyterian, AIDS Action; The Afiya Center, D.C. Fights Back, SisterLove, Southern AIDS Coalition, Positive Advocacy Caucus, Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project(CHAMP), Bailey House, Health GAP, National AIDS Housing Coalition, Metropolitan Community Church, Inner Light Ministries, AIDS Action in Mississippi (AAIM), Connecticut AIDS Residence Coalition(CARC), Lifebeat, Cable Positive, GMHC and Broadway Cares
What: Equality To End AIDS HIV/AIDS Rally and Vigil at National Equality March
Where: The Ellipse (by the White House) 17th Street NW & Constitution Avenue NW Washington, DC
When: October 10, 5:30 to 8:30pm
Media Contact: Diana Scholl; 917-402-2576/D.Scholl@housingworks.org
Organizer Contact: Christine Campbell; 202-409-9786/Campbell@housingworks.org
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Dear Diana Scholl
My name is Sylvain Desmille. I’m a french film director, and i do actually for a french tv channel (Planète) a 52 minutes documentary about the history of Gay movement (from the 1969’s Stonewall Inn riots to today). My point of view is to see how the movement’ve contributed to change the view and vision carried by the staights on gay people, and specially throught the Gayprides movement as a standart of freedom, tolerance and sexual revolution in the world.
The american experience is a model for the others gay movements, specially in Europe, and in France.
I ll be in New York City on october 8th (Gay Center) and 9th (Edmund White).
I’ll come in Washington to follow and film the National Equality March. I’ve seen that your organize a rally and a meeting (speakers, performers and a candlelight vigil) on october 10th, and i would like to know if it’s possible to film a part of your meeting, and cadllelight vigil) with some small interviewes. I think it’s important to show your action because aids has a very dramatic part in gay history.
I hope that you ll be aggree and accept my request (do we need autorisations filming ?). I am held at your disposal for any supplementary informations.
Thank you for your attention,
All the best,
Sylvain Desmille