Black AIDS Institute (BAI), the nation’s only Black HIV organization focused on ending HIV and stigma in Black communities, released a Juneteenth conversation with celebrity Billy Porter about how his recent HIV disclosure has freed him from shame. This personal story highlights how the intersecting stigmas of being Black, gay, and living with HIV fuel the epidemic among Black Americans and present a tangible barrier to accessing lifesaving HIV prevention and treatment options. Featured as a part of BAI’s Black Voices Matter campaign, which amplifies celebrities who are using their platforms to support the Black HIV movement, this conversation was released on Juneteenth to honor individual Black freedom and inspire healing. Watch on Facebook or YouTube.
“This Black Voices Matter conversation with Billy Porter is critical because 40 years into the epidemic, we know that stigma is a key driver of HIV into Black communities. While Billy’s fearless public disclosure is unique, his traumatizing life experience is not. This conversation underscores the importance of talking about HIV and defeating systemic anti-Blackness. It is the only way we can access proven HIV prevention and treatment options to end the cycle of HIV in Black communities in the next 10 years under the President’s “Ending the HIV Epidemic” national initiative,” said Raniyah Copeland, President and CEO, Black AIDS Institute.
ABOUT BLACK AIDS INSTITUTE
Founded in 1999, Black AIDS Institute (BAI) is the only uniquely and unapologetically Black think and do tank in America. Our mission is to stop the AIDS epidemic in Black communities by engaging and mobilizing Black institutions and individuals to confront HIV. Black Empowerment is our central theme and we are led by people who represent the issues we serve. We source our capacity building, mobilization, and advocacy efforts from Black leaders and communities across the country, and provide culturally respectful, high-quality, HIV prevention and care services for Black people in Los Angeles. Learn more at https://blackaids.org
