NMAC

Note: Now held in the Rayburn Foyer In honor of World AIDS Day, NMAC is hosting its fifth annual Capitol Hill Champions Reception on December 3, 2024. The Reception will be held from 5:00-7:00pm on Capitol Hill. Please note: This location will be held at the same location, in a new room (The Rayburn Foyer). This year will be a celebration and tribute to all members of the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus, including the remarkable Congresswoman Barbara Lee. The reception promises to be a powerful and impactful occasion, and we would be grateful for your attendance. NMAC will honor all members of the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus while congratulating Congresswoman Lee on the incomparable legacy she leaves behind. This year will also mark the establishment of the Barbara Lee Courage in HIV Advocacy Award, which NMAC will present annually in Congresswoman Lee’s honor. As with previous years, we are planning for a significant gathering of community leaders, healthcare professionals, and policymakers who are committed to addressing the critical issues surrounding HIV/AIDS, especially within minority communities. This Hill Champions reception will offer a chance for our communities to gather post-election and look toward the future of health equity and HIV/AIDS leadership. Drinks and refreshments will be served. To RSVP, please email Zach Miller at [email protected].

New project partnership! We are excited be collaborating?with JSI as the selected Evaluation and Technical Assistance Provider (ETAP) to support the project titled "System-Level Syndemic Approach to Improve HIV Care and Treatment for People from Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups."??This project is funded by the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSAgov), HHS HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Part F Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS). JSI's Dr. Erin Starzyk and Naima Morales Cozier will be joined by NMAC's Deputy Director of Programs and former Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, Harold Phillips. The project expands on JSI’s longstanding history of collaboration with HRSA HAB, and the RWHAP to enhance care for people with HIV. It will support 6 demonstration systems for 4 years to design, implement, and evaluate a syndemic approach to link and retain people with HIV from racial and ethnic minority groups in comprehensive and integrated care that includes services and support to address mental health, substance use, and critical social factors that impact health such as housing, intimate partner violence, and food insecurity.

"Transgender Day of?Remembrance?(TDOR) is an annual observance held on November 20th to honor the memory of transgender people who have been murdered due to anti-transgender violence. The day serves as both a?remembrance?of those lost and a call to action to end the violence and discrimination faced by transgender individuals. The event was founded by Gwendolyn Ann Smith in 1999 to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was murdered in 1998. Over time, it has grown into a global observance, with memorials, vigils, and educational events held in communities around the world. The names of those lost to violence are read aloud during many of these events, accompanied by moments of silence, speeches, and discussions about the ongoing challenges faced by the transgender community. TDOR also brings attention to the larger issues of inequality and the systemic discrimination that transgender people face, including lack of access to healthcare, employment discrimination, and hate crimes. It emphasizes the need for greater awareness, respect, and action toward the safety and rights of transgender individuals. Every American citizen deserves health equity and equal rights." Toni Newman Director, The Coalition for Justice and Equality Across Movements

This is what intentional intersectionality looks like! For the last 2 years, Toni Newman on behalf of NMAC's Coalition for Justice and Equality has curated leadership voices from national organizations to advance policies that protect reproductive justice, LGBTQ rights, racial justice, HIV, elder care, and more. Because we are stronger as a united voice, our 2nd annual meeting in San Juan was a necessary space for transparent dialog and the need to coalesce around some common goals. There's work to be done and collaboration is the way forward.

Grateful to Francisco Ruiz for his leadership and listening power during our annual Coalition meeting’s gamut of health equity conversations. Led by Toni Newman, 20+ national organizations joined us in San Juan to brainstorm reproductive justice, gender affirming care, HIV prevention, civil rights, elder care, etc. Having insight from the current administration as we prepare to collaborate bipartisanly with the incoming administration is invaluable. #CollaborationAndSolidarity Harold Phillips Toni Newman

Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen of the recently created Advocates for Trans Equality totally nails why NMAC’s Coalition for Equality & Justice Across Movements convened leadership from a spectrum of organizations whose core goal is equity. ?????????#TransEquality #ForwardTogether

Proud to share our very own Damián Cabrera-Candelaria’s selection to the high ranks of HIV clinical research with the Community Scientific Subcommittee of the ACTG Global Community Advisory Board! Community input and Latinx representation are essential! #LeadWithRace #FollowTheData #GayMenOfColor

During our Coalition’s annual gathering in San Juan, Jordyn White representing Human Rights Campaign Foundation spotlights how collaborating on LGBTQ rights in this diverse group of national organizations is essential! #ForwardTogether

Offering the mic this morning to our Coalition of national organizations focused on LGBTQ, women, people of color, civil rights and liberties, and public health. Across these movements, we begin a real dialog on intersectionality, collaboration, and solidarity to advance together. NMAC has led the HIV movement for over 3 decades and we know that true allyship is the only way forward for equity.

2 years ago, Paul Kawata envisioned NMAC convening an intersectional group of national organizations to advocate collectively for health equity. Shoutouts to Toni Newman and Destiny Pearson for building NMAC’s Coalition for Justice and Equality Across Movements with 40+ members and kicking off our 2nd annual meeting today! #TogetherWeCan