March 31st marks Trans Day of Visibility—We’re celebrating at CAP, Our House and Prism by sharing a bit about the history of this day and sharing resources for our trans, nonbinary and gender non-conforming community members. 

February 7th marks National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD). NBHAAD is a day to increase HIV education, testing and treatment in Black communities and acknowledge how HIV disproportionately affects Black people. 

When visiting Portland, Oregon in 1961, Dr. King addressed the audience at the Keller Auditorium (then called the Civic Auditorium): “Americans must rise above the narrow confines of their individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity,” he said. “They must rid themselves of the notion that there are superior and inferior races.” 

Founded in 1988, World AIDS Day was the first ever international day for global health. Every year, folks across the globe come together to raise awareness of HIV & AIDS in our communities, support those living with and impacted by HIV, advocate for resources to tackle HIV transmission, combat stigma associated with HIV & AIDS, and, above all, remember those lost to us due to HIV & AIDS.

Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is held on November 20th to honor those who have been killed as a result of transphobia, as well as to draw attention to the violence faced by many in the trans community. TDOR was established in 1999 by activist Gwendolyn Anne Smith as a memorial to Rita Hester, a trans woman who was murdered in 1998. This initial local vigil expanded and is now commemorated annually across the world.

October 11th marks Coming Out Day, an effort started over three decades ago. The day was started by Rob Eichberg, a psychologist and gay rights activist, and Jean O'Leary, the head of National Gay Rights Advocates at the time. They wanted to "create a holiday that celebrated queer identities in order to decrease stigma and homophobia,"

Saturday, October 15th marks National Latino AIDS Awareness Day 2022. Goals of NLAAD include stopping HIV stigma, addressing the disproportionate impact of HIV on Latino communities, and promoting testing, prevention and education. The day also falls on the last day of Latino Heritage Month (also known as Hispanic Heritage Month).

Faith plays a major role in the lives of many Americans. Many find faith to be a connection to a spiritual being, deity or creator. Unfortunately for many Americans living with HIV, faith communities can turn from a place of refuge to a source of stigma and turmoil.

July 14th is International Nonbinary People’s Day! We’re celebrating at CAP, Our House and Prism by sharing a bit about the history of this day and sharing resources for our nonbinary community members. International Nonbinary People’s Day was first observed in 2012—10 years ago this year.

June 27th marks National HIV testing day—a day to raise awareness about available testing options, encourage regular testing, and advocate for breaking down stigma and barriers to accessing this vital form of healthcare. Everyone has a status, so it is important to know yours. Interested in testing? Check out the full article for more info!

June 19th, or Juneteenth, marks the anniversary of the day in 1865 when enslaved communities in Galveston, Texas learned that the Civil War had ended and that they were free from slavery. The day serves to honor and celebrate Black history, community and freedom, as well as look towards a more just future. Read on for ways to celebrate Juneteenth and honor the holiday’s history.

July 12, 2022 marks six years since the tragic mass shooting at Pulse, the beloved gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Now and always, we remember the 49 people who were killed that night. Read on for opportunities to honor their lives and commemorate Pulse Day of Remembrance.

Saturday, June 8th marks Caribbean American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2022 (CAHAAD), a day dedicated to supporting Caribbean communities in the US and promoting access to resources and educational materials to treat and prevent HIV. CAHAAD was first observed in 2006, launched by the Caribbean People International Collective and a working group of US organizations. The day also falls during June, which is Caribbean-American heritage month.

On episode 4 of Vibrant, we are honoring HIV Long Term Survivors Day. As we reflect back on the past 4 decades of the HIV epidemic, we want to honor and remember not only those lost to us, but also uplift those who continue to live and thrive in the face of HIV. Joining us today is our Aging Well Program team lead, Jim Clay, to help us do just that!

May 22nd is Harvey Milk Day—This day honors the late activist, his life, and his dedication to fighting discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. Milk is remembered as one of the first openly gay men elected to public office in the US and a visionary figure of the LGBTQ+ movement. In Portland, we honor his legacy with SW Harvey Milk Street, which spans a 13-block stretch of the city…

On our third episode of Vibrant, we are diving into the topic of Hepatitis with one of our Prism Health primary care providers, Dr. Ben Sokoloff. May 19th marks National Hepatitis Testing Day, so Dr. Sokoloff is bringing all the hepatitis knowledge to share with you all to make sure you can take charge of your health and be your most vibrant self!

Thursday, May 19th marks National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2022, a day dedicated to reducing HIV stigma in Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities and promote prevention, testing and treatment. NAPIHAAD was first observed in 2005 and falls during National Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

May 18th is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, a day to recognize the volunteers, community members, and researchers working to find a safe and effective vaccine to prevent HIV. Such a vaccine, along with existing HIV treatment and prevention strategies, would help achieve the goal of ending the HIV epidemic. The journey to find a viable vaccine to prevent HIV transmission is 4 decades in the making, but recent progress shows that we may be on the cusp of a breakthrough.

This April 18th, join us in uplifting the health and wellbeing of the trans community by observing National Transgender HIV Testing Day (NTHTD). NTHTD was created to highlight ways to reduce HIV transmission, stigma and promote routine HIV testing for transgender and nonbinary people—groups who experience increased rates of HIV transmission…

In observance of the upcoming transgender day of visibility on March 31st, we are excited to share the first episode of our brand new podcast series, Vibrant! In this series, we will be sitting down with folks across our agency to get the inside scoop on the work they do to provide compassionate, affirming care to all those in our community.