Equitas Health

URGENT ACTION ALERT! ?? Funding cuts to the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention will significantly harm our HIV prevention efforts in the United States and will lead to an increase in new HIV transmissions and AIDS-related deaths. Call your members of Congress and tell them to protect the CDC from funding cuts. Take action NOW! Phone script & contact info below: ?? Find your elected officials by calling the US Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 (Senate); 202-225-3121 (House). *SAMPLE SCRIPT* Hello, My name is _________, I am one of your constituents. I live in _________ and my zipcode is _________. I’m reaching out to speak to you about some extremely distressing reports I have been hearing that The Trump Administration is planning to completely eliminate the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention, as quickly as within the next 24 hours. If the Trump Administration were to follow through on this it would destroy any chance we have to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S., dismantling critical prevention efforts and leading to an unnecessary resurgence of this preventable disease. The work of the CDC Division of HIV Prevention is essential and it is not something that can be covered by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program or by state budgets. If this funding is cut, the services it funds will not be replaced, meaning more people will contract HIV, more people will get sick, and more people will die. I urge you to publicly condemn the proposed elimination of the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention and to demand that the Trump Administration honor its past commitments to ending the HIV epidemic in the US. Thank you for your time. If needed, I can best be reached at _________ [preferred contact information].

We lost a living legend last week. Rest in peace, Darlene Johns. In 1988, Darlene received the diagnosis that changed her life. She refused to let it define her. In a time when HIV was a death sentence and stigma was suffocating, she fought to survive, to raise her daughters, and to carve out a path for others to follow. In 2022, Darlene was honored with the inaugural Shades of Red “Living Legend” award. This award is given to those who advocate for people living with and affected by HIV, fight stigma, and help others live and thrive. Darlene exemplified this award. Darlene’s legacy lives on in the people she helped, loved, and mentored. Sawaun Blakely, Equitas Health’s Volunteer Manager & Shades of Red Visionary, said this about Darlene: “A warrior, an advocate, and a survivor who turned pain into purpose. Darlene’s fight does not end here. On her shoulders, I stand. Because of her, I will continue the fight.” Equitas Health extends our deepest sympathies to Darlene’s family and loved ones. If you would like to read more about her life, visit https://lnkd.in/gSDjxki2

LGBTQIA2S+ research is currently under attack. It is critical that research continues to counter social erasure and discriminatory legislation targeting the transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary (TGNCNB) community. The Equitas Health Institute is proud to launch the Transgender, Gender Non-conforming, and Non-binary Research Protocol Guide. ??????? This guide is not fully exhaustive but offers general guidance to academic researchers and people interested in learning about TGNCNB research. ?? Read more: https://lnkd.in/gtJf7QKB #LGBTQHAW25 #LGBTQHealthAwarenessWeek #LGBTQHealth #TGNCNBHealth

Trans Women Who Brunch is Mozaic’s annual Women’s History Month & Trans Day of Visibility event! ?????????? Join us at Stonewall Columbus on Saturday, March 29 from 11 AM – 2 PM. Enjoy free brunch and listen to the stories of trans women of color. ?? RSVP required: https://lnkd.in/gSrZMFpW

Happy LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week! This week, support a LGBTQ+ non-profit healthcare organization like Equitas Health by: ?? Signing up to volunteer! ?? Our new volunteer orientation is March 26. At Equitas Health, you can stuff safer sex kits, work a fundraising event, or help with Safe Point’s syringe exchange. ?? Calling your representatives. ?? Federal funding has been extended through September. But keep telling them to protect funding for the valuable services that non-profit organizations, like Equitas Health, provide. ?? Donating and/or attending a fundraising event like Art for Life. ?? Help us provide an affordable & affirming healthcare home for the LGBTQ+ community, folx living with or affected by HIV, and anyone in need of a welcoming, sex positive, judgement-free environment. Thank you for your support this LGBTQ+ Health Awareness Week! ?????????

On Friday, the US Senate voted 54-46 in favor of a continuing resolution (CR) to temporarily fund the federal government through September 30, 2025. The good news is that the federal government will not shutdown, which ensures crucial services will not be immediately interrupted. But this deal, which was drafted by Republican leadership in the US House, is problematic to say the least. This stopgap funding package: ?? Weakens congressional oversight on federal dollars; ? Cuts non-defense spending by $15 billion relative to the FY 25 agreement; ?? Removes congressionally directed spending, which jeopardizes over 4,800 House-backed projects across 376 congressional districts and over 3,600 Senate-backed projects; ?? Writes a blank check to the White House and executive agency heads by reducing congressional direction for spending at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and more; and ?? Creates a potential funding shortage for programs like WIC, housing support benefits, and more. This means the fight isn’t over to protect federal funding for HIV resources, Medicaid, community health centers, public health, and more. We will continue to fight for you and for a bipartisan funding package. For funding alone, our External Affairs team had nearly 1,000 unique points of Congress this past month! Stay tuned to our socials for updates on the fight to protect federal funding. Thank you for standing with us! ?? For more information, please read https://ow.ly/P4jY50VjeHK

?? ACTION ALERT: Protect Trans Passport Access! ?? The U.S. Department of State is trying to limit trans people’s ability to update their passports. We must act now! Submit a comment on: ?? DS-82 (Passport Renewal) ?? DS-5504 (Name Change & Corrections) ?? DS-11 (First-Time Passport Application) Submit your comments to stop these discriminatory changes: https://lnkd.in/eMUhEwM6 #FreedomToFly

ACTION ALERT! ?? To avoid a partial government shutdown, Congress must vote on a federal budget before this Friday, March 14. You can’t cut Medicaid without hurting children, pregnant people, seniors in long term care, people with disabilities, and people with low-income jobs. Contact your member of Congress and tell them to protect Medicaid, HIV/AIDS funding, and the valuable services that non-profit organizations, like Equitas Health, provide. Visit https://ow.ly/QrmF50VeVPQ under ADVOCACY for how to contact your rep, phone/email scripts, & more! ?? Thank you for standing with us!

This National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, call your representatives and tell them to protect HIV funding, Medicaid, and other vital services that non-profits like Equitas Health provide. #StopHIVTogether #NWGHAAD Visit linktr.ee/Equitas.Health for how to contact your rep, phone/email scripts, & more! ??

4 out of 20 people who test positive for HIV in the United States are women. But only 1 out of 20 people on PrEP is a woman. Let’s change those numbers together! This National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, learn about PrEP. It’s 99% effective at stopping HIV. And it’s free for most Ohioans! Learn more at prepera.equitashealth.com #StopHIVTogether #NWGHAAD