World AIDS Day always brings up mixed emotions for me. It’s certainly a day to honor the memories of those lost to AIDS-related illness, especially in the early days of the pandemic when there were no treatments or medications and very little hope. But even with the advancements in medications for those of us living with HIV, and the fact that an HIV diagnosis is not the death sentence it once was, it makes me a little uneasy when people wish me a “Happy World AIDS Day.” I’m not sure happiness is what’s called for.
I invited Tony Valenzuela, executive director of the ONE Archives Foundation, the longest-running LGBTQ organization in the country, to chat about World AIDS Day on an episode of At Home With on Instagram. The organization is celebrating 70 years of service to LGBTQ communities this year. Tony has been active in the HIV and LGBTQ communities for decades and has a wealth of knowledge about culture, sex, queer people, HIV, and more.