CELEBRATING PRIDE BY PROMOTING HEALTH, TESTING AND EDUCATION
“No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.”
As one of the participants in the Stonewall Inn uprising, Marsha P. Johnson, a Black transgender woman who was an early activist for LGBTQIA+ rights, foreshadowed the impact of the actions of her brave community decades later.
The iconic Stonewall rebellion is celebrated as the historic inflection point that gave rise to the modern gay rights movement in the United States. More than half a century later, its most recognizable legacy is the celebration of Pride Month held every June. The first Pride parades were held in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, as thousands of demonstrators gathered to march for equality and human dignity.
As rainbow flags pop up all around us this month, Pride Month has become a powerful celebration of our right to live, love and identify authentically.
For all of us at ViiV Healthcare, June is a month of celebration and mobilization as we continue to support community events that affirm the beauty of sexual orientation, gender identity and background.
We know that when we create an environment where people feel accepted and valued for who they truly are, that's when the magic happens. And our ViiV team is already embracing the love for Pride Month. I'm so proud that our teams will be representing ViiV at over 40 Pride events this year. So, let's embrace the spirit of Pride.
LYNN BAXTER
SVP and Head of North America
Pride is not just a celebration. Pride is activism. Pride is doing what’s right and showing up for the community. Pride is a cause and a movement that we all should rally around and support in everything that we do.
ALEX ORR
Director, HIV Prevention Healthcare Provider (HCP) Marketing
Importantly, we work to ensure this inspiring movement encourages people in every community to take pride in their health.
Historically, the Pride movement has played a critical role in combating the HIV epidemic and related stigma. Over the years, Pride events have helped inform and mobilize the community to end the HIV travel ban, repeal HIV criminalization statutes and outlaw workplace discrimination based on status.
Pride festivals have also played a hugely consequential role in raising awareness of sexual health, introducing rapid HIV testing to generations of LGBTQIA+ community members who may have received little to no education about treatment and prevention prior to coming out of the closet.
In addition to testing, information booths at Pride events provide education about prevention options, from condom use to PrEP. And in those instances where an individual does test positive, volunteers at Pride events provide critical linkages to treatment and care. ViiV Healthcare has been and will continue to proudly play a role at Pride gatherings to reach the community where they are, as they are – increasing awareness around HIV prevention, testing, and care.
Perhaps most importantly, the Pride movement helps people living with HIV understand that they are not alone, that support exists in many forms, and that early detection and treatment adherence can transform a positive diagnosis into a manageable condition to live a long and full, healthy, and thriving life.
That commitment to live a long and healthy life starts with testing. National HIV Testing Day falls every year on June 27th – the eve of the anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Here at ViiV, this is a time to double down on our efforts to encourage every member of the community to take pride in their health, know their status, and link up with the resources and care they deserve. This message is especially critical in underserved communities, where Black, Latinx and transgender communities are disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, according to the CDC.
We’re committed to addressing existing disparities in care and help more people from historically underrepresented communities connect with the testing, treatment, prevention and support resources they deserve.
Learn more about options for HIV testing and HIV prevention here.
