Ending Federal Recognition of World AIDS Day Is Not Neutral: Triad Health Project Reaffirms Its Commitment to Care, Equity, and the People-Powered Fight Against HIV.

Written by Adriana Adams, CEO and Strategist of Triad Health Project

A few days ago, news broke that the U.S. federal government will no longer officially commemorate World AIDS Day, ending more than three decades of national recognition. The State Department directive bars federal agencies from using funds or messaging to acknowledge the day, effectively silencing a tradition rooted in remembrance, action, and global solidarity.

For communities most impacted by HIV — including LGBTQIA+ people, communities of color, undocumented people, people living in poverty, and those facing structural barriers to care — this silence is not neutral. It is harmful.

At Triad Health Project, where our mission is to promote sexual health and justice through radical care, hope, and equity, this moment only reaffirms our commitment.

Because when those in power choose silence, communities choose each other.

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Why This Decision Matters

World AIDS Day has always been more than a government proclamation. It is:

• A day to honor lives lost
• A space to uplift people living with HIV
• A reminder of the work still required
• A call to end stigma
• A global acknowledgement of shared responsibility

Ending federal recognition does not end the epidemic. It does not erase the 40+ million lives lost globally since HIV emerged. It does not change the reality that HIV continues to disproportionately affect communities pushed to society’s margins.

But it does send a message — one that suggests some lives and histories are no longer worthy of remembrance.

We reject that message.

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Our Values Compel Us to Respond

At Triad Health Project, our values guide us — Authenticity, Care, Community, Empathy, Equity, Health, Hope, Justice.

These aren’t just words. They are commitments.

• Authenticity: We will always show up as we are — loving, radical, and grounded in truth.
• Care: Not as charity, but as solidarity.
• Community: We rise together — in joy, grief, rage, and possibility.
• Empathy: We listen deeply to the lived experiences of those most impacted.
• Equity: The table seats everyone — but we fight for those pushed farthest from the table.
• Health: Access to healthcare is a justice issue shaped by racism, poverty, and citizenship status.
• Hope: Our future free from HIV remains possible — and we work toward it every day.
• Justice: Because HIV does not exist in a vacuum; it intersects with systemic inequality at every turn.

We have always known that ending HIV would require more than policy. It requires people.

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This Is Why Red Ribbon Week Matters Even More in 2025

If the federal government chooses not to recognize World AIDS Day, Triad Health Project will not only recognize it — we will amplify it.

As part of Red Ribbon Week 2025, THP invites the entire community to join us for events rooted in remembrance, education, hope, and action.
These events are listed publicly on our website.

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Red Ribbon Week 2025 — THP Events

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Now More Than Ever, Advocacy Matters

Given the intersecting injustices impacting people living with HIV, THP asks all of our supporters and community partners to:

• Stand with leadership at all levels that supports LGBTQIA+ health and well-being
• Recognize how race, poverty, immigration status, and other social determinants shape HIV outcomes
• Advocate for and alongside those most impacted by inequitable access to healthcare
• Use their voices, roles, and voting power to uplift justice

This is not politics.
This is public health.
This is dignity.
This is about people’s lives.

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The Federal Government May Step Back — But We Will Not

The fight to end HIV has always been people-powered.

It was people — not policymakers — who built the first clinics during the AIDS crisis.
It was activists — not administrations — who demanded research, treatment, and equity.
It was communities — not Congress — who cared for each other when no one else would.

So yes, the federal withdrawal from World AIDS Day recognition is painful.
But it is not the end of the story.

Triad Health Project is here.
Our community is here.
And together, we will continue the fight until our vision becomes reality:
A future free from HIV.