The Elections and the HIV Epidemic: Aiming Higher for HIV Policies on the Local and National Levels

November 12, 2008

Once the dust has settled on Election Day 2008, many questions remain for HIV advocates. Will the new Administration and Congress call for bold measures to address the deepening domestic AIDS epidemic? What issues demand full funding for honest, effective HIV prevention and groundbreaking research? What are the critical civil rights issues for PLWH that the new Administration and Congress should address during the first 100 days after the inauguration?

And at a time when the city's HIV infection rate is three times that of the national level, local advocates are desperately fighting devastating funding cuts to HIV/AIDS supportive services as well as proposed far-reaching changes in the delivery of care to HIV positive Medicaid recipients.


Bebe J. Anderson - Lambda Legal




Matthew Lesieur - Village Care of New York & NAPWA




Kristin Goodwin - Housing Works




Mehret Mandefro - TruthAIDS




The November Community Forum was held at the LGBT Community Center, and other co-sponsors included Bronx AIDS Services, Center for HIV Law and Policy, Community Education Group, Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP), Gay Men of African Descent (GMAD), Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC), Harlem United, Housing Works, Lambda Legal, The LGBT Community Center, National Association of People Living with AIDS (NAPWA) New York City AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN), Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Treatment Action Group (TAG), TruthAIDS, and Village Care of New York.