It is no secret that the overwhelming vast majority of my past advocacy activities was not transgender centered nor even LGBT. It was in fact centered on patient health and disabilities more specifically HIV/AIDS and access to medication. One thing is universal with all successful HIV advocacy, a strong concerted effort to disconnect HIV from GAY. HIV is not now, nor has it ever been a gay disease. Indeed it knows no socioeconomic boundaries. The vast majority of new infections are within hetero identified minority groups.

You do a serious injustice to all PLWHA when you make such statements; that attempt to re-establish the narrow view perception “HIV is a gay disease”. There are still many survivors who contracted the virus through no fault of their own i.e. from a medical/dental procedure, transplant or transfusion.

The agencies that PLWHA depend on to assist in getting to the doctor, keeping food in the pantry, even keeping a roof over their head. Have suffered great setbacks in funding, comments like yours do not help. These are not as some would have you believe give away programs. They actually contribute to prevention of disease transmission.

Please don’t make such statements attempting to connect these two totally unrelated issues again.

Thank you,
One of those PLWHA’s