The Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus present
Conversations: A Discussion about the Impact of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy on Black Gay/Bisexual Men in Chicago

Thursday, August 11, 2011
6:00pm-9:00pm

Gary Comer Youth Center
7200 S. Ingleside (Located 2 blocks southeast of the intersection of East 71st St., Cottage Grove Ave., and South Chicago Ave.)

With special guests:

• John A. Schneider, MD, MPH (Assistant Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology – University of Chicago)
• Chris Brown (Assistant Commissioner of Public Health for the STI/HIV/AIDS Division – City of Chicago)
• David D. Robertson (Prevention Specialist – Comer Children’s Hospital at the University of Chicago)
• Mildred Williamson, PhD, MSW (HIV/AIDS Section Chief – Illinois Department of Public Health)

Moderated by: Keith R. Green, MSW (CBGMC Co-Chair/Director of Federal Affairs at the AIDS Foundation of Chicago)

Light refreshments will be served! Please RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Facing a proposed 11% reduction to HIV funding in the fiscal year 2012 Illinois state budget, over 150 AIDS advocates from across the state rallied March 2 in Springfield.

Advocates urged their legislators to enact a debt restructuring plan that would reduce the state's nearly $9 billion backlog of unpaid bills.  HIV service providers, social service agencies, universities, schools, and local governments are laying off staff and even closing their doors because they are waiting half-a-year or more to be paid by the state.

Advocates attended an afternoon of training on March 1 where they learned about the issues that they would discuss with their legislators.  They also spent time developing compelling stories about their lives that would bring the issues home to their elected officials.

AFC thanks legislators who addressed the crowd at the HIV/AIDS Lobby Day rally in the rotunda, including State Representatives Greg Harris (D-Chicago), Camille Lilly (D-Chicago), La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) and Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago).  During the rally, members of the Illinois Alliance for Sound AIDS Policy (Illinois ASAP) unveiled a new t-shirt campaign that aims to reduce the stigma of HIV.  Throughout the day, advocates living with HIV and allies sported red t-shirts with the words, “HIV POSITIVE.”

Other issues advocates discussed with their legislators include:

• The Personal Responsibility Education Program Act (SB 1619, Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago), which would institute in schools age-appropriate, medically-accurate sexual health education programs that include abstinence;
• HB 1748 (Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago), which aims to increase the number of state prison inmates who accept the offer of HIV testing by permitting opt-out HIV testing, and
• HB 1846 (Rep. Monique Davis, D-Chicago), which would require the Illinois Department of Corrections to establish HIV/AIDS sensitivity training programs for facility staff and allow inmates access to harm reduction supplies, including condoms.

AFC presented long-time advocates with two awards.  Will Wilson of Chicago received the Mary Dixon Advocate of the Year award for his advocacy for passage of national health reform.  The award is honors Mary Dixon, the ACLU of Illinois lobbyist who has partnered with AFC for nearly two decades to implement sound HIV policies in Springfield.  John Dawson, chair of AFC’s AIDS Housing Advisory Council, was presented with the Hector Hernandez award for recruiting his fellow advisory council members for lobby day.   The award is given in memory of extraordinary HIV advocate Hector Hernandez.

To stay up-to-date on state and federal HIV policy issues and contact your legislator to show your support, sign up for the Online Action Bulletin, or join the Illinois Alliance for Sound AIDS Policy (IL ASAP) Facebook page.

Additional resources:
Lobby Day training presentation
State budget fact sheet
Debt restructuring fact sheet (SB 3)
Illinois Personal Responsibility Education Act (PREP) (SB 1619)
Opt-out HIV testing in corrections (HB 1748)
Harm reduction in prisons (HB 1846)
Preparing effective testimony worksheet
Illinois Alliance for Sound AIDS Policy anti-stigma campaign
Illinois Alliance for Sound AIDS Policy Facebook page

Rescue 2010: Illinois’ HIV/AIDS Lobby Days was a huge success! The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) thanks the more than 230 AIDS advocates from around the state who came to Springfield by bus, car, and train to urge the Illinois General Assembly to fund the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, HIV prevention, care, and housing programs, and to raise taxes to protect these and other vital services. The event was the largest in our community’s ten year history.

“I am so impressed by the number of people who came down,” said AFC’s Pete Subkoviak. “This is our tenth Lobby Days and with all that is on the line for our community, it’s wonderful to see so many new faces joining the fight to protect the AIDS programs we’ve worked so hard to build."

Lobby Days participants spoke with their representatives and senators about House Bill 6173/Senate Bill 3821, which call for an increase of $18 million in funding for state HIV programs next year. Advocates also urged their elected officials to support House Bill 174, which would responsibly address the state’s massive deficit by raising new revenue through a modest tax increase.

Check Out Photos from Lobby Days.

View the PowerPoint presentation from the advocacy training (PDF)

View the Agenda for Advocates (PDF).

For the latest on the latest current events affecting the Illinois HIV/AIDS Community, join the IL ASAP Facebook group

Why Come to Lobby Days? (PDF)

Lobby Days flyer(PDF)

Find the latest local advocacy events on AIDSConnect!