World AIDS Day 2018

Please join us on Fri., Nov. 30, at 11 a.m. at Baruch College’s Mason Hall, for World AIDS Day 2018, to remember those we’ve lost, to raise our voices and tell our stories to break through stigma of all kinds, and to gather in solidarity in the fight for an end to New York’s AIDS epidemic by 2020.

FREE & OPEN TO ALL! Free boxed lunches will be provided.

WHAT: Annual WORLD AIDS DAY 2018 community commemoration, co-hosted by the End AIDS NY 2020 coalition), the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the NYS Health Department

WHEN: Fri., Nov. 30, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

WHERE: Baruch College’s Mason Hall, 17 Lexington Ave. (entrance on 23rd St.)

TRAVEL: 6 train to 23rd St. Station

DETAILS: New York community leaders, activists, artists, elected officials, and medical providers will gather at Baruch College’s Mason Hall for the fifth annual World AIDS Day commemoration. Performances will include Fogo Azul New York City, an all-female Brazilian drumline band (http://www.fogoazulnyc.com/), and Los Pleneros de la 21, vanguards of Puerto Rican traditional music (https://www.losplenerosdela21.org/). As in past years, the event is co-hosted by the End AIDS NY 2020 coalition (comprised of over 60 community-based organizations), the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and the NYS Health Department.

ACCESSIBILITY: The event will be wheelchair-accessible and a sign-language interpreter will be on hand to make the program accessible for the hearing-impaired. Seating will also be available for attendees with disabilities or health conditions.

EVENT THEME: This year’s theme is “Breaking Through Stigma,” which gives us an opportunity to raise awareness about the obstacles stigma and discrimination create for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, especially around accessing optimal healthcare and support; to mobilize stakeholders; and to develop and share solutions through community engagement and strategic policy advocacy. As we continue to work toward ending the epidemic, it is critical for local and state government and the community to come together to ensure that all New Yorkers – regardless of race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, income, or immigration status – have equitable access to health care, including HIV prevention, care, and treatment. Compassionate, comprehensive care is a right, and New York must continue to be a global and national leader in reimagining what health care and health equity can and should be.