Statement by Rea Carey, Executive Director
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
“The continuing scourge of the AIDS epidemic is a national disgrace. With a new administration and Congress about to take the reins of political power, we commit ourselves to the advocacy work to shift the government’s attention from the failure of ‘abstinence-only’ programs to developing HIV/AIDS prevention programs that actually work. In addition, life-giving services must be delivered to those in need. We call for the creation of a national strategy on AIDS because nothing less will suffice.”
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s data show a sharp increase in the diagnosed new cases of HIV/AIDS. The Task Force calls upon the incoming administration to develop a coherent and coordinated national strategy on HIV/AIDS that includes a commitment to research, prevention education and treatment.
In recent years, there has been diminished attention to the specific needs of African-American, Latino and other men who have sex with men as well as young people of color. This waning attention has occurred alongside increases in new cases among these groups. An aggressive national multi-level approach to end new transmissions and provide for successful treatment among men of color and young people is critical.
Top leaders in the HIV/AIDS arena will address the National AIDS Strategy: A Call to Action at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force-convened National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change in Denver, Colo., Jan. 28–Feb. 1, 2009.
The conference is the nation’s largest convening of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights advocates and will occur just a week after the presidential inauguration. Conference attendees will learn necessary skills to effect broad-based social change, including at all levels of government.
Get conference details at www.CreatingChange.org. Learn more about the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force at www.theTaskForce.org.
No comments:
Post a Comment