The HIV Caucus is a coordinating partner to AIDSWatch with AIDS United and Treatment Access Expansion Project. As such, we help design and implement the program, oversee the scholarship process, and support recognition of grassroots leaders. In 2019, over 650 people living with HIV and our allies came to Washington, DC to gain skills, network and meet with our legislators.
Molecular HIV Surveillance Community Education Webinars
In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) started implementing Molecular HIV Surveillance (MHS) in every health jurisdiction. MHS uses our blood from clinical encounters to conduct phylogenetic sequencing in order to map out various HIV genotypes as “clusters” in order to track HIV transmission. The HIV Caucus believes that ethics and dangers on the HIV community have not been adequately considered in MHS. In 2019, the HIV Caucus partnered with Positive Women’s Network-USA and the Legacy Project to conduct four webinars on MHS community education. Over 220 people attended these webinars and they are available online under Genetic Sequencing at: https://www.hanc.info/resources/Pages/HANC-Webinars.aspx
The HIV Caucus was part of a coalition that protested CDC Director Robert R. Redfield at the 2019 US Conference on AIDS. As part of the coalition, the HIV Caucus met with Director Redfield privately and conveyed our concerns about MHS.
The HIV Caucus has just completed our 5th year partnering with AIDS United. This year we provided technical assistance at our annual 2 day convening, webinars and group coaching calls to 6 grantees. We did intensive one on one coaching to three of the projects, partnering community leaders living with HIV with grantees based in scope of work and requested assistance.
In 2019, the HIV Caucus has represented North America Civil Society at the UNAIDS Program Coordinating Board. In this capacity, the HIV Caucus has argued for human rights-based work in global HIV responses. With the rise of conservative nationalist populism across the world, there has been an attack on Civil Society and human-rights based approaches - including reducing investments in HIV and an increase in criminalization. The HIV Caucus is clear that criminalization of our communities only worsens the HIV epidemic.
The SERO Project, in partnership with Positive Women’s Network - USA, Positively Trans, THRIVE SS, and US PLHIV Caucus, announced the HIV Is Not a Crime IV National Training Academy (HINAC IV) will be held May 30 to June 2, 2020, at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. HINAC is a biennial gathering of people living with HIV (PLHIV), HIV policy leaders and other stakeholders, primarily from the U.S., that educates and trains advocates to mobilize to end HIV criminalization, support PLHIV empowerment, and facilitate intersectional coalition building. HINAC particularly focuses on uplifting the work of PLHIV and PLHIV networks, and grassroots activists and networks engaged in racial, social, economic and gender justice movements.
The HIV Caucus has been active with organizing HIV2020 in Mexico City July 5-8, 2020. HIV2020 is an international meeting of people living with HIV, sex workers, people who use drugs and LGBTQ advocates who are concerned with community-led responses in the HIV epidemic. We work alongside Mpact: Global Action for Gay Men’s Health, the Global Network of Sex Work Projects, International Network of People who Use Drugs, Global Network of People with HIV/AIDS, HIV Justice Network, and dozens of regional groups to bring together key populations to discuss, strategize and network around our issues.
Presented By The Act Now: End AIDS Coalition, AIDS United, GMHC (Gay Men’s Health Crisis), Health GAP, Housing Works, The International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, LAMBDA Legal, Positive Women’s Network-USA, Prevention Access Campaign, Sero Project, Transgender Law Center, The US People Living With HIV Caucus, and 41 other community based organizations. https://www.aidsunited.org/Elections-Center/Candidate-Surveys.aspx
The HIV Caucus has been a key partner with NMAC on Building Leaders Of Color (BLOC), a multi-year training program for people of color living with HIV. In 2019, the HIV Caucus trained at six trainings reaching approximately 110 people of color living with HIV.
Join the Caucus
USPLHIV Caucus Membership Form.
As a member of the HIV Caucus,we hope you take ownership and feel free to participate in any of our committees. Caucus Committees are: Federal Policy, Communications, Strategic Advocacy and or Membership. These committees meet on specified days and times each month unless otherwise needed. Our Steering Committee meets once monthly. We would welcome your participation in both committee calls and quarterly update webinars.
Communications -- Devin Hursey
Federal Policy --Malcolm Reid
Membership -- Tami Haught and Teresia Otieno
Strategic Advocacy -- Venita Ray and Andrew Spieldenner
Again, please fill out this google form so we can get you added to the committees: USPLHIV Caucus Membership Form. We are looking for people with communications experience to help with that committee work.