Stigma Stops Here, Because Our Lives Matter

Today is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.  To observe the day, we’re launching our Stigma Stops Here campaign.

Stigma – fear and discrimination aimed at people with HIV/AIDS or people at risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS - has very real consequences. Stigma stops people at risk from getting tested. Stigma promotes fear, shame, and ignorance. Stigma keeps people from getting the healthcare they need. Stigma discourages people from disclosing their status.

There’s one thing stigma doesn’t do: stop the spread of HIV.

The things that will stop the epidemic and help people living with HIV/AIDS live healthy lives are testing, knowledge, healthcare, and open conversation. We need to stop stigma, because our lives matter.

We’re launching this campaign today because HIV/AIDS disproportionately affect gay and bisexual men and transgender people. In North Carolina, 57 percent of new HIV diagnoses are among men who have sex with men (MSM). The epidemic is spreading most quickly among young black MSM. We’re also launching the campaign today because of the close ties between homophobia and HIV/AIDS stigma.

This week, starting yesterday and running through NC Pride, we’ll be featuring resources on how we can stop stigma together on Facebook, Twitter, and our website. We’ll be at Pride in Durham with a group of wonderful volunteers who will ask people to pledge to stop stigma, hand out information cards, and give away stickers. We’ll take those same resources to Blue Ridge Pride and Winston-Salem Pride.

Want to be a part of launching Stigma Stops Here?

• Change your Facebook profile picture and cover photo to one of the images we’re offering for free on our Facebook page.
• Share pictures and articles (like this blog!) with your friends through social media, email, and conversation.
• Take the Stigma Stops Here pledge online, or find us at a Pride festival near you and bring your friends along.
• Join the Volunteer Team at an upcoming Pride event and help NCAAN connect with new supporters and spread the word that stigma stops here. Email Shawn at shawn@ncaan.org for details.
• Join the Action Team and stay up-to-date on the latest opportunities.

How has stigma affected you? How have you challenged it? Please share your stories and thoughts in the comments!