December 1, 2008
Written by C.N.
Today is World AIDS Day
Every December 1st, we commemorate World AIDS Day. HIV/AIDS is a disease that affects millions of people around the world, from all races, ethnicities, nationalities, social classes, genders, and sexualities.
If you would like to learn more about HIV/AIDS and Asian Americans, please visit the sites of organizations such as the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS (where I worked as its Director of Education from 1998-2000). Another excellent resource is the Asian Pacific Islander Wellness Center, which has created the following public service announcement, in conjunction with its latest program, The Banyan Tree Project:
The Banyan Tree Project (a national campaign to reduce HIV-related stigma in Asian & Pacific Islander communities) features high profile male-to-female transgender women and community activists. The PSA seeks to educate the community by openly discussing safe-sex and harm-reduction practices, particularly for transgender women and their primary partners. The silence in our communities is deadly; our PSA is one way to reach people and begin a dialogue.