San Diego County World AIDS Day events continue despite federal directive

A man adds an ornament to the Tree of Life for a World AIDS Day ceremony Photo by Chris Stone Times of San Diego San Diegans will commemorate the th annual World AIDS Day Monday at various events around the county This year s theme is Overcoming disruption transforming the AIDS response a call for sustained political leadership international cooperation and a human rights-centered approaches to ending AIDS by The day is an opportunity for inhabitants and private partners to spread awareness about the status of the pandemic and encourage progress in HIV AIDS prevention healing and care around the world according to the World Robustness Organization It has become one of the majority widely recognized international medical days and a key opportunity to raise awareness commemorate those who have died and celebrate victories such as increased access to rehabilitation and prevention services UC San Diego is hosting free and confidential rapid HIV testing Monday and Tuesday from a m to p m and a stock fair Tuesday at Learner Medical Services Murray s Place and the LGBT Store Center on campus The Oceanside Inhabitants Library will hold a World AIDS Day event at p m Monday with refreshments live music HIV testing and guidance flu and hepatitis vaccines volunteer opportunities wellness bags a moment of remembrance Heart of Hope interactive art and a display of historic AIDS Memorial Quilt Panels Participants will form a heart shape with candles to honor those who have died The th Annual Tree of Life Ceremony at p m Monday will be an evening of remembrance warbling and a candlelight ceremony hosted by Mama s Kitchen and Village Hillcrest at Fifth Ave Proceeds from ornament sales will assistance nutrition services Next Friday the University of San Diego will host West Coast Kiki People s Choice Awards Ball Remember the Times at p m Chosen events were being held this weekend including a gala at Rich s nightclub in Hillcrest on Sunday night and an International HIV Kiss-in Sunday afternoon at Friendship Park along the Mexican frontier The boundary event was sponsored by MPact Global Action for Gay Men s Robustness and Rights a nonprofit founded by an international group of activists concerned about the disproportionate HIV burden being shouldered by gay and bisexual men It has an office in San Diego MPact s international HIV Kiss-In or Besoton Sidoso Internacional is a bold demonstration of the sexuality of queer people living with HIV and the fundamental human rights of queer movers MPact spokesperson Alex Garner communicated City News Organization It s a fearless political act of visibility and a declaration that our lives have value and meaning It reminds us that existing is resisting and we can dismantle arbitrary borders of nation gender and sexuality According to the WHO in an estimated million people were living with HIV globally approximately people died from HIV-related causes and an estimated million people acquired HIV Last week the U S State Department directed employees and grant recipients not to use federal dollars to observe World AIDS Day An awareness day is not a strategy Under the leadership of President Trump the State Department is working directly with foreign governments to save lives and increase their responsibility and burden sharing according to a declaration from State Department spokesman Tommy Piggott to the New York Times