I arrived to DC on the heels of the news that the HHS Office of Infectious Disease & HIV Policy as well as the HHS Office of Minority Health, the Data Division supporting Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, had just been eliminated. Hundreds of employees, some of whom would be joining me in my advocacy efforts that afternoon, had been let go. 

At 4pm, after long flights, drives, and even one stalled train ride that turned into 3 leaders grabbing an Uber, 37 CEOs and Executive Directors from around the Nation gathered in a small conference room, some with their luggage still in tow. Our first task: list the top threats facing our agencies. Our second task: don’t Doom Spiral. 

As I sat there surrounded by so much expertise–hundreds of years of combined experience in the field of HIV–I was overwhelmed by one thing: hope. Amidst the fear, the pain, and wave after wave of bad news, there was still hope. And with that hope, an unwavering commitment to do what must be done to ensure that those who need care receive that care. No one will be erased. No one will be forgotten. No one will be left behind.

We spent the next 3 hours together mapping out the start of our collective response to Trump Administration’s attack on people living with HIV. We’ll meet again today to continue our work and plan our specific policy requests for our individual legislators.

This morning, we heard from Jesse Milan, Jr., President and CEO of AIDSWatch, a black, gay man who has been living with HIV for 40 years. He started his remarks by saying “it is clear (this administration) is aiming directly at HIV…” and that with the dismantling of the HHS Office of Infectious Disease & HIV Policy, the Office of Minority Health, as well as the Presidential Advisory Council for HIV/AIDS “the advocates on the inside are gone”. However, he ended by saying, “We have done this before; let’s do it again —let’s demand what we need to survive!”

Tomorrow, we go to The Hill to do precisely that.

Adriana will be providing another update tomorrow on her meetings with Congressional members as well as some ways you can be a part of advocating for policies that support people living with HIV.