World AIDS Day 2022 has been proclaimed as World AIDS Day, Judge Not! in Gainesville, Florida by Mayor Lauren Poe. This is in recognition of the work the LTAI program, "Judge Not!" has been doing to bring awareness to HIV/AIDS-related stigma.
Click on the image below to enlarge the proclaimation.
Whereas, World AIDS Day was established to bring awareness to HIV/AIDS and serve as a day to reflect on those who we hold dear, living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, and to remember the more than 36 million people we have lost to AIDS since 1981,
and
Whereas there have been significant advances, such as PrEP, in the prevention, testing, and treatment and the success of many people reaching an undetectable level, there still exists the threat of criminalization along with the disparities that impact the lives of so many, with 1 in 8 people in the US living with HIV being unaware of their status.
and
Whereas HIV/ AIDS is a global issue, this day offers an opportunity for local faith-based organizations, foundations, businesses, academic institutions, and community organizations, to incorporate programs that are critically important in the fight against the stigma surrounding HIV and to encourage progress in HIV/AIDS prevention, education and care efforts
and
Whereas, World AIDS Day serves as a day to normalize HIV testing as a part of annual preventative care by encouraging people to get tested for HIV, learn their status, and get linked to care and treatment; we recognize the dedication and efforts of area service organizations: Rural Women’s Health Project’s Let’s Talk About it, Gainesville Area AIDS Project (GAAP), Peers Empowering Peers (PEP), Black AIDS Services and Education (BASE, Inc.), WellFlorida, the Alachua County Health Department, Meridian, North Central Florida Pride Center, Unspoken Treasure Society as well as other local organizations which are united in their efforts to bring together advocates living with HIV and their allies, to build a pathway to a stigma-free community.
The City of Gainesville recognizes and applauds these organizations, and community members living with HIV/AIDS as they mobilize to reduce the stigma around HIV testing in order to prevent future HIV transmissions, diminish HIV-related mortality and improve the quality of life for persons living with HIV.
