DEC. 1, 2012
WORLD AIDS DAY SUPPLEMENT • A JOINT PROJECT OF ACTIONAIDS AND PHILADELPHIA GAY NEWS
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Social services key to fighting AIDS epidemic ‘Sequestration’ of federal dollars threatens local HIV services By David Webber Senior Development Specialist, ActionAIDS Se • ques • tra • tion : 1. To cause to withdraw into seclusion. 2. To remove or set apart; segregate. 3. To drive the United States over a fiscal cliff.
POINTED PERFORMANCE : Youth from Straight to the Pointe! performed at “Breaking Barriers: Overcoming Obstacles” Nov. 24 at the African American Museum, an event designed to raise awareness of domestic violence and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Founded by Sabrina Hugh, CEO of God’s Blessing, the event, which drew about 75 people, paid tribute to Dorothy Johnson-Speight, founder and executive director of Mothers in Charge, with keynote speaker Maria Davis, hip-hop promoter and HIV/ AIDS activist. It featured an array of performances and addresses, as well as a balloon release in memory of those lost to the disease. Photo: Scott A. Drake
Bringing lessons from International AIDS Conference home to Philly By Dan Hajdo Volunteer, AIDS Policy Project It’s early fall in Philadelphia and a man stands up on the Market-Frankford El in a way familiar to frequent riders. He tells his fellow passengers that he is homeless, he needs help — and that he has AIDS. Some believe him, most don’t. Some give money, most don’t. Whatever his situation, his story is a reminder that, in Philadelphia, often the fight against AIDS means looking to those pushed to the margins of society. Three months earlier, and about 140 miles away, the International AIDS Conference, the largest of its kind in the world, took place in Washington, D.C. The conference drew thousands of attendees, star power and the top figures from around the world in research, nonprofit and government sectors. Now, the challenge is to find and address the connection between the IAC 2012 and the fight against AIDS in Philadelphia. In September, the Black Treatment Advocates Network and the Black AIDS Institute organized a post-conference Hub with Philadelphia-area organizations to make that connection. PAGE 6 Health Federation of
Just a month from now, we face an ominous fiscal crisis resulting from the “sequestration,” or withholding of federal funds, for a wide host of programs. While you’ve very likely heard about this “fiscal cliff” and the potentially devastating effect it will have on federal programs and the U.S. economy overall, it will also significantly reduce funding for local HIV/AIDS services. Because funds for HIV services are already stretched very thin, these additional reductions in funding will have a significant impact. The background You may recall the debt-ceiling crisis of about a year ago, when Congress and President Obama could not agree on how to fix the federal deficit. Without legislation resolving this budgetary impasse, the United States was put at risk of financial default. Congress avoided this outcome by adopting a budget at current levels,
and then turning the debt-ceiling issue over to a Congressional committee. The idea here was that this so-called “Super Committee” would negotiate an end to the impasse and adopt a plan to reduce the national debt. But in the event the Super Committee failed in its assignment, Congress mandated that as of Jan. 3, 2013, the debt-reduction process would begin with across-the-board cuts intended to reduce the national debt by $1.2 trillion. As it turned out, the Super Committee did fail to reach an agreement and, as a result, the consequence — which was something that was not supposed to happen — is now what will happen if Congress and the president do not resolve the federal deficit-ceiling issue. The national impact • AIDS programs will be affected nationally as well, with a real impact on individuals with HIV, as estimated by the Foundation for AIDS Research: • 15,700 people will lose AIDS Drug Assistance Program support for HIV treatment. • 5,000 households that include people living with HIV/AIDS will lose support Equivalent of 460 AIDS research grants will be eliminated. • $196 million will be eliminated from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program in PAGE 4 the next year.
Until it’s over By Kevin J. Burns Executive Director, ActionAIDS
WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD: The new Marshall’s department store on Market Street donated $5,000 to AIDS Fund earlier this month in one of its first philanthropic ventures since opening the Center City location. Agency executive director Robb Reichard accepted the check Nov. 15 from Marshall’s staffer Marlene Brown. AIDS Fund distributes funding to HIV/AIDS agencies throughout the area. Photo: Scott A. Drake
In the early days of the AIDS epidemic, grassroots AIDS-service organizations were formed because existing systems were unwilling and, in some cases, unable to provide services to people with HIV/AIDS. There were significant myths about how the disease was spread and significant stigma attached to the behaviors that caused infections. Judgments about people living with HIV/AIDS were rampant and destructive. All of these factors created significant barriers to services for people living with HIV/ AIDS. People living with HIV/AIDS had a difficult time accessing social services, medical care, public services and accommodations. AIDS-service organizations were born out of the community to take care of our friends, partners, brothers, sisters, children, fathers and mothers. Communitybased AIDS-service organizations worked with people living with HIV to hold public and private PAGE 7