Update: October 17, 2025 – On October 16, Mayor Brandon Johnson released a budget that proposes level funding for HIV delegate agencies. We thank Mayor Johnson for prioritizing HIV services in a challenging budget year.  AFC will continue to monitor the budget process.

On September 29, AIDS Foundation Chicago joined 37 local HIV sector organizations as a signatory on a letter to Mayor Brandon Johnson and Alderpersons Jason Ervin, Chair of the Committee on Budget and Government Operations, and Pat Dowell, Chair of the Committee on Finance, requesting maintenance of $3.35 million in city funding for HIV services in the FY 26 Budget. Stable HIV funding is critical to the work to end the HIV epidemic in Chicago, especially with cuts being threatened on the federal level. The full text of the letter is below.

RE: Maintain $3.35M in City Corporate Funding for HIV Services in the FY26 budget

Sept. 29, 2025

Dear Mayor Johnson, Chair Ervin and Chair Dowell:

Thank you for your shared commitment to ending the HIV epidemic in Chicago and for ensuring we have a strong public health infrastructure in the city. Mayor Johnson, thank you for enthusiastically embracing the Getting to Zero Illinois (GTZ-IL) campaign to end the HIV epidemic in Chicago and Illinois.

While the City has a significant budget deficit for next fiscal year, the 38 undersigned HIV organizations believe it imperative that Chicago maintain city corporate funding for HIV services in the FY26 budget at the current level of $3.35M. Any cut to this Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) funding is unacceptable and would severely impair the City’s ability to respond to the HIV epidemic in Chicago – which currently, is growing. City corporate dollars represent less than 10% of total funding for HIV services provided to delegate agencies in Chicago and fund critical services that other funding sources cannot and/or do not provide.  The remaining about 90% of funding is from the federal government for HIV prevention, treatment and housing, but much of this funding is slated for elimination by President Trump and Republicans in Congress.

Today, we have the biomedical and behavioral tools and scientific knowledge to stop HIV transmission, ensure people living with HIV live full lives, and protect those at risk. There is clear scientific consensus: people with HIV who achieve viral suppression through treatment cannot transmit the virus. Therefore, linking people to care and implementing prevention programs including pre-exposure prophylaxis medication (PrEP) effectively prevents HIV acquisition. However, these treatment and prevention efforts must reach the communities most impacted, requiring sustained funding.

The number of people newly diagnosed with HIV in Chicago has dropped from a high of 1,800 to approximately 800 in 2023 (the most recent year available). However, we continue to see significant racial health equity challenges in Chicago. In fact, the number of people newly diagnosed with HIV increased from 628 in 2022 to 865 in 2023, a 38% rise. In the Chicago region, the populations most impacted by HIV continue to be Black and Latiné gay and bisexual men, Black women and Black and Latiné transgender women.  Too few people who are most vulnerable to HIV are taking PrEP or, if living with HIV, are virally suppressed. In 2023, over 19,000 people diagnosed with HIV were living in Chicago.

City of Chicago corporate dollars are vital because they can be used to fill critical gaps in federal funding or for purposes that are prohibited under federal rules. Examples of how CDPH has allocated these dollars to community partners include:  

  • Stable housing and supportive services for people who use PrEP: CDPH supports safe and stable housing for Black and Latiné gay and bisexual men who are HIV-negative and who are using PrEP, the HIV prevention medication. This is one of the only programs of its kind in the nation. Outcomes to date include 68 people housed; 97% (66/68 participants) remained HIV negative while in services; 65% gained employment and increased income; 78% transitioned to stable housing. Beyond housing, city corporate funds pay for critical supportive services for people who use PrEP.
  • Sterile syringes, supplies and services to respond to the opioid crisis. CDPH is blocked from using federal funds for sterile syringes, which are vital for preventing opioid-related infectious diseases, including HIV and viral hepatitis. Chicago continues to have record-low numbers of new HIV diagnoses among people who inject drugs, and corporate funding is needed to sustain this important progress. These infectious disease prevention funds are a necessary harm reduction complement to other city-funded programming serving people who use drugs, including substance use disorder treatment and recovery services.
  • Out-of-pocket medical cost support and emergency housing for people who use PrEP: The HIV prevention medication, PrEP, is a vital part of Chicago’s strategy to end the HIV epidemic. However, even small increases in the cost of PrEP or related medical services can cause people who take PrEP to abandon their medication (Dean 2024). CDPH funds can be used to cover 100% of medical out-of-pocket costs for people who take PrEP; this is particularly vital for people who are uninsured. CDPH corporate dollars are also allocated for people who take PrEP who need emergency rental payments to prevent homelessness.
  • Flexible funding for population centered health homes and primary care providers: CDPH funds 12 population centered health homes that deliver comprehensive HIV prevention and care services, including health care. City corporate dollars are used at these organizations and other medical providers for health care, outreach, transportation, medication adherence counseling for prevention and treatment, to amplify HIV awareness activities, to support HIV testing and linkage, and more.

 Any funding cut to City of Chicago corporate funding for HIV services would unquestionably worsen HIV outcomes in Chicago and would increase the number of people who are diagnosed with HIV and who are not engaged in life-saving treatment. The average lifetime cost of medical care for someone diagnosed with HIV is approximately $420,000, much of which is paid for by public funding sources.

Maintaining stable funding for HIV prevention and treatment programs is the fiscally responsible choice: it costs far less to prevent new cases than to manage them after the fact. Although there is much work to do to improve racial and ethnic health equity in Chicago, abandoning that commitment now would be both short-sighted and harmful to the city’s health and economic security.

Thank you for your commitment to ending the HIV epidemic in Chicago. For more information, contact John Peller, President & CEO, AIDS Foundation Chicago.

Sincerely,

  • Agape Mission, NFP
  • AIDS Foundation Chicago
  • Ascension Illinois Housing & Health Alliance
  • Asian Human Services DBA Trellus
  • Black Leadership Advocacy Coalition for Healthcare Equity
  • Brave Space Alliance
  • CALOR
  • Center on Halsted
  • Chicago Black Gay Men’s Caucus
  • Chicago House & Social Services Agency
  • Chicago Women’s AIDS Project
  • CQLC NFP
  • Deborah’s Place
  • Equity Alliance Health of Illinois
  • Esperanza Health Centers
  • Haymarket Center
  • Heartland Human Care Services
  • In Demand Entertainment
  • Legal Council for Health Justice
  • Life is Work
  • Medical Organization for Latino Advancement
  • Michael Reese Research and Education Foundation
  • Mother and Child Alliance
  • Near North Health
  • Neelyx Labs
  • Nefuse
  • Open Door Health Center of Illinois
  • Primo Center
  • Proactive Community Services
  • Project Vida Inc.
  • Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago
  • Sinai Infectious Disease Center
  • South Side Help Center
  • TaskForce Prevention and Community Services
  • The Boulevard of Chicago
  • The Chicago Recovery Alliance
  • The Puerto Rican Cultural Center (TransChicago, Vida/SIDA and El Rescate Permanent Supportive Housing)
  • Vivent Health + TPAN

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a memo yesterday that all department business will be conducted entirely in English – meaning no more live translation or print/digital translated materials. The new policy will disrupt established, successful housing practices, obstruct access to housing and supportive services for people who need it, and violate the civil rights of Americans with limited English proficiency. This is a wasteful and cruel policy change that is meant to appease President Trump and will do nothing to improve housing programs or government efficiency. AIDS Foundation Chicago and the Center for Housing and Health firmly believe that housing is a human right, and that language should not and cannot be used to erect a barrier between people and housing.

The memo states:

To best position HUD, our partners, and the people we serve around our shared American values, please instruct your teams that all HUD communications, correspondence, and physical and digital published materials will be produced exclusively in English and that we will no longer offer non-English translation services. Additionally, please immediately remove all printed or digital collateral about non-English translation services currently displayed in HUD offices or HUD-funded facilities. Printed or digital collateral not in English can be replaced with an English only version. 

We are one people, united, and we will speak with one voice and one language to deliver on our mission of expanding housing that is affordable, helping those in need, caring for our most vulnerable Americans, and revitalizing rural, tribal, and urban communities. 

This appalling shift represents a turn toward exclusion and xenophobia that aligns not with our shared American values, but the values of the Trump administration.

The American Federal Government Employees Local 476 noted in a statement that this policy is not only exclusionary and inefficient – it violates the Civil Rights Act. “Title VI of the Civil Rights Act requires federal agencies & grantees to provide meaningful access to people with limited English proficiency (LEP),” the group wrote. They continued, “[f]or the people HUD serves, this is devastating. Millions of tenants, applicants, & survivors of violence need language access.”

Previously, HUD offered translation in over 200 languages, representing a significant investment in resources that will now be wasted. As many as 25% of Americans do not speak English as their first language, regardless of citizenship status, which can limit proficiency when completing complex forms and navigating information about housing and health care resources. Offering services in other languages helps to make intake processes and service delivery accessible for those seeking services, and more efficient for providers.

Obstructing access to lifelines like housing and health care, racist and xenophobic policies, violating our civil rights, and disrupting existing efficient government functions for the sake of political publicity stunts has become par for the course of the Trump Administration, and this HUD policy change is the latest harmful development. This is not in keeping with our shared American values, but instead a complete inversion of them. There is not one American voice, but many from which our national fabric is woven. There is an increasingly unified call, however, to which AIDS Foundation Chicago and the Center for Housing and Health are adding our voices: to reject this administration and its wasteful, hateful policies.

AFC Communications is not supported by federal funds.

The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) Associate Board includes young professionals and emerging leaders who are passionate about the fight for HIV/AIDS services and prevention in the Chicagoland area. Members of the Associate Board act as ambassadors for AFC by taking part in fundraising, community service, and advocacy activities that create health equity and justice for people affected by HIV/AIDS and other related chronic diseases. 

Chris Hamilton
Chris is an attorney currently working in the federal court system. Prior to his current role, Chris was a senior associate at a large law firm, where he focused his robust pro bono practice on advancing LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive justice. He looks forward to continuing that important work on AFC’s Associate Board. He also regularly volunteers at Howard Brown Health and is committed to AFC’s mission of providing vital healthcare and services to individuals living with HIV. In his spare time, Chris loves to read, try out new restaurants in Chicago’s impressive culinary scene, and spend time with his husband and two cats.
Marcus Lawrence
Marcus is currently the Assistant Commercial Property Manager at Mon Ami Real Estate for commercial and residential properties located in Chicago throughout the USA. Served 9 years in the US ARMY and been in the property management field for over 8 years. In addition to the AFC, I serve as a Volunteer Coordinator for the PRIDE Chicago parade, Associate Board on Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) foundation and Marketing Team on Stonewall Chicago. Originally from North Carolina, I have lived in the Lakeview neighborhood for little over a year.  
Beau Cobb
Beau works in relationship management for Teladoc Health, bringing over 15 years of experience in the healthcare space. Beau is entering his 4th year with T2End Aids and is passionate about health equity, and ensuring that all people everywhere have equal, affordable access to high quality care. In his free time he loves solo traveling to explore different cultures and getting lost is one of his favorite activities.  
Ali Ishkuntana
Ali Ishkuntana is a finance and technology professional working in Wholesale Payments at JPMorgan Chase. With a passion for community impact and inclusive innovation, he brings a strategic mindset and a heart for service to his work. Outside of the office, Ali is deeply committed to social equity and enjoys volunteering, exploring Chicago’s vibrant neighborhoods, and spending time with family. 
Armin Gabela
Armin Gabela (he/him) is a medical student at Chicago Medical School and an aspiring cardiologist with a deep passion for LGBTQ+ advocacy and HIV/AIDS prevention. He is dedicated to advancing health equity through inclusive, compassionate care and is proud to support the mission of AIDS Foundation Chicago. 
Brandy Nogueira 
Brandy Nogueira is a user experience researcher and AI strategist based in Chicago with a background in health policy, government, and social impact. She is passionate about policy, social movements, and grassroots organizing, and has worked across sectors to advance equity in housing, healthcare, and technology. As a new member of the Associate Board, Brandy is excited to contribute her policy experience and activist perspective to support AFC’s mission.
On July 25, President Trump’s latest attack on the vulnerable in our nation took the form of a misguided and cruel executive order encouraging the criminalization of homelessness, mental illness, and substance use disorders.  After slashing Medicaid and removing health care access for as many as 17 million Americans, while failing to address the soaring costs of housing nationwide that drive homelessness, Trump has now declared that people experiencing homelessness who have medical issues should be rounded up by law enforcement and institutionalized.  The order directs priority for federal housing funding to be given to states that have criminalized homelessness.  This is a horrifying and inhumane disruption to established, successful housing-first programs, like those offered by AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC) and our subsidiary the Center for Housing and Health, and would compromise one of our strongest tools for ending the HIV epidemic – permanent supportive housing. 

This order is intended, the White House states, to “restore order to American cities.” Trump’s idea of “order” is now chillingly clear – repression and punishment of poor, Black, and Latine communities, a return to the dark ages medically and scientifically, oligarchy, and police-state authoritarianism.   

“The Trump administration wants to force people experiencing homelessness into mental health and substance use treatment when we know that treatment centers don't have capacity,” said John Peller, President & CEO of AFC.  “At the same time, the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress made deep and devastating cuts to Medicaid that will further slash treatment capacity while making unhoused people ineligible for Medicaid coverage. These changes will worsen the homelessness crisis in America and further demonize people who are unhoused.” 

AFC, our partners, housing sector leaders, and people with lived experience of homelessness oppose a law-enforcement based approach to solving the country’s affordable housing crisis.  We are safest when we ensure people have the resources they need.   

“Housing is a human right, period. The Trump administration continues its long list of human rights abuses by seeking to slash affordable housing funding and institutionalize people who are struggling because they cannot afford a home. This undermines decades of research on what solves homelessness and saves taxpayer dollars. The Trump administration's approach is both morally wrong and fiscally wasteful,” said Peter Toepfer, Executive Director of the Center for Housing and Health.  

We agree with Trump on one thing - we would also like to see people experiencing homelessness off the street.  But we know the only solution to homelessness is housing – and the most effective way is through permanent supportive housing, where a housing-first approach is coupled with supportive services like case management, mental health care, and substance use treatment.  This evidence-based model empowers individuals to stabilize and thrive.  Trump’s order, conversely, will promote the growth of the private prison industry – another giveaway to his billionaire donors – and create revolving door facilities where a permanent underclass of the poor and vulnerable cycle from street to incarceration endlessly, without the support they need and deserve for a stable and healthy life.   

We promise to fight against this order with everything we’ve got.  It’s cruel, wrong, and precisely the opposite of what American cities and our neighbors experiencing homelessness need to ensure our safety and stability.   We know this order is not about making our cities safe – it's a way to redirect attention from Trump's failure to control inflation and housing costs, to cloak another cruel, racist policy in the rhetoric of public safety, and to gut our social safety net to pay for tax breaks for his billionaire friends. We encourage Trump to fulfill one of his primary campaign promises – addressing the escalating costs of living and housing in this country – if he really wants to tackle the roots of the homelessness crisis in America.
AIDS Foundation Chicago Communications are not supported by federal funds.
AIDS Foundation Chicago applauds today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) preventive services mandate, which ensures preventive services that have been given an A or B Grade recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce (USPSTF) must be covered by private medical insurers at no cost-sharing to beneficiaries. 

While it is the law in Illinois that medical insurers must cover USPSTF-recommended PrEP services at no cost-sharing to beneficiaries, this decision upholds the intent of Congress that all U.S. residents enjoy common-sense access to preventive services that save lives. This ruling not only protects access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)—highly effective medication to prevent HIV—but also protects access to cancer and cardiovascular disease screenings, mental health services, vaccines, and more. 

The initial challenge to the USPSTF by Braidwood Management was premised on homophobia and sought to vilify life-saving prevention services like PrEP and the HPV vaccine. They argued that prevention services like PrEP and the HPV vaccine inherently promote promiscuity and same-gender attraction. This is patently false. PrEP has been a tool in our arsenal to end the HIV epidemic since 2012 and people vulnerable to HIV from all walks of life—not just the LGBTQ+ community—have been able to remain HIV-negative as a result. The designation of PrEP as a Grade A service by the USPSTF in 2019 and 2023 has removed more barriers for vulnerable communities, has led to a steady increase in PrEP uptake, and has the potential to end the HIV epidemic in our lifetime. 

Much work remains to be done to ensure all people who can benefit from PrEP can access it. According to AIDSVu, in 2023 Black and Latinx individuals made up 70% of all new HIV diagnoses, and made up only 32% of all PrEP users. White individuals, on the other hand, accounted for 24% of all new HIV diagnoses, and accounted for 64% of all PrEP users. It’s evident from the date that disparities in access to PrEP persist among the communities most impacted by HIV, and AFC is committed to ensuring all Illinoisans have access to life-saving prevention care. 

AFC calls on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and the Trump Administration to safeguard the integrity of the USPSTF by ensuring it remains data- and science-driven, and independent of political pressure.  The American people deserve policies that are based on cutting-edge research and not political whims. Any effort by this or any future administration to reverse the progress we have made to increase PrEP uptake will lead to new, entirely preventable HIV transmissions. We will not accept this.
Photo by Kat Fitzgerald, Seattle Wedding Photographer | Mystic Images Photography

The Windy City Times 30 Under 30 event took place last Thursday evening, honoring young LGBTQ+ professionals, activists, and allies for their skill and leadership.  Emerging leaders from across the Chicago area received recognition, including two staff members from AIDS Foundation Chicago (AFC).  The event is intended to amplify the work and achievements of awardees and to foster networking and collaboration to strengthen ties across LGBTQ+ community members and allies. 

Michael Keating (they/them), the development communications manager at AIDS Foundation Chicago, was among the awardees. Over the past two years, they have spearheaded fundraising efforts for major events including World of Chocolate, AFC40 and AIDS Run & Walk Chicago. As staff lead for the CommunityDirect program, Michael provides coaching and capacity building support to help local non-profit agencies maximize their fundraising impact. Beyond their professional role, Michael organizes charity live streams on Twitch with friends, raising funds for Chicago’s storefront theaters and local non-profits. 

Sara Kenward (she/her), senior graphic designer at AFC, was also recognized.  She leads design across a wide range of materials—from digital campaigns and large-scale print to branded apparel, fundraising events, and cross-platform storytelling.  Sara’s strength lies in translating complex ideas into accessible, engaging visuals, reflecting the communities her work serves. Her approach is collaborative and people-centered, guided by empathy and close attention to detail. She is especially passionate about working with mission-driven teams and believes great design should be bold, people-first, and grounded in purpose—amplifying voices, building community, and strengthening impact.  

The event is a collaboration of AFC and Windy City Times.  August Spree, senior manager of special events at AFC, coordinated the event with Andrew Davis and other partners.  "This is the second time I have experienced this event and each time I walk away moved and inspired by what young people are doing in and for the community, and how their family and loved ones are supporting them and cheering them on,” she said. “Maybe next time I will remember to bring tissues!" 

The event is inspiring as well as galvanizing, in a time where intergenerational leadership is essential to our resistance.  “It is more important than ever that we recognize and cultivate leadership in the LGBTQ+ community and among our allies,” said Edward Wagner, chief external relations officer at AFC.  “I am so proud of the AFC staff who received awards, and of all the honorees, whose diversity -- in both identity and skillsets -- shows the strength of our movement and the promise of our future.” 

A full recap of the event and information about all honorees can be found in the Windy City Times.  More photos from the event by AFC's Emilio Davis can be found on Flickr.

Check out these events throughout the month of June to celebrate Pride with your community. Did we miss any events? Send details to [email protected].   

TUESDAY, JUNE 3 

What: Drag Story Time at the Chicago Public Library
Where: Beverly Branch 
When: June 3rd, 10:30 a.m 
How Much: Free 
 

FRIDAY, JUNE 6 

What: Art Gallery Opening presented by Center on Halsted 
Where: 3656 N Halsted Street 
When: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.  
How Much: Free  


SUNDAY, JUNE 8 

What: Gender Affirming Haircuts at the Chicago Public Library 
Where: Lincoln Belmont Branch 
When: June 8, 2:00 –4:00 p.m. 
How Much: Free; registration required at Gender Affirming Haircuts | Events | Chicago Public Library 

What: Pride & Power: A Celebration of Legacy, Voice, and Visibility 
Where: Illinois Holocaust Museum; 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie, IL 60077 
When: 2:30 p.m. 
How Much: Free with RSVP Pride & Power: A Celebration of Legacy, Voice, and Visibility - Illinois Holocaust Museum 


MONDAY, JUNE 9 

What: Drag Story Time at the Chicago Public Library 
Where: Edgewater Branch 
When: 11:00 a.m. 
How Much: Free 
 

MONDAY, JUNE 16 

What: Trans Ice Cream Social presented by Center on Halsted 
Where: 3656 N Halsted Street Richard M. Daley Roof Terrace and Irving Foundation Reception Hall, Third Floor 
When: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. 
How Much: Free 
 

SATURDAY, JUNE 21 

What: Black LGBTQ+ Beach Day hosted by Lighthouse Foundation 
Where: 63rd Street Beach 
When: Saturday, June 21, 12-7pm  
How much: Free; register at Black LGBTQ+ Beach Day Tickets, Sat, Jun 21, 2025 at 12:00 PM | Eventbrite 
How to get there: 63rd Street Beach is located at 6300 S. Lake Shore Drive. (E. Hayes Drive @ Lake Michigan) in Jackson Park. CTA Bus Routes: 6 Jackson Park Express; 15 Jeffery Local; 26 South Shore Express; 28 Stony Island; 55 Garfield; 59 59th/61st; 63 63rd; 67 67th/69th/71st 

 
SATURDAY – SUNDAY, JUNE 21-22 

What: Chicago Pride Fest 
Where: Halsted Street between Addison Street and Grace Street 
When: June 21 – 22, 2025, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. 
How much: $20 suggested donation 
How to get there: Take the Red Line to the Addison or Sheridan stops. 


MONDAY, JUNE 23 

What: Amplify Queer Joy: Your Stories of Queer Joy Brought to Life Onstage 
Where: 3656 N Halsted Street Third Floor, Hoover-Leppen Theatre, Chicago, IL 
When: 7 – 9 p.m. 
How Much: $10-$25 sliding scale; (No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Email [email protected] for information on reduced price tickets.) 


WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25 

What: Drag Story Time at the Chicago Public Library 
Where: Lozano Branch (Bilingual) 
When: 11:00 a.m. 
How Much: Free 

 
THURSDAY, JUNE 26 

What: Youth-Led Sexual Health and HIV Workshop with Lurie Children’s Hospital   
In honor of Pride Month, join Lurie Children's Hospital for a peer-guided, inclusive sexual health and HIV workshop for LGBTQ+ teens. This 90-minute session will be led by a youth facilitator and a Lurie staff member.    
Where: Lincoln Belmont Branch of Chicago Public Library
When: 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. 
How Much: Free 

SATURDAY, JUNE 28 

What: Gender Euphoria Clothing Swap 
Where: Harold Washington Library Center 
When: 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. 
How Much: Free 
 

SUNDAY, JUNE 29 

What: The 54th Annual Chicago Pride Parade 
Where: West Sheridan and Broadway, continues south along Broadway, then Halsted, east along Belmont to Broadway, then south to Diversey. 
When: Sunday, June 29, 2025, starts at 11 a.m. 
How much: Free  
How to get there: Take the Red Line to any stop between Belmont and Sheridan, or the Brown Line to Diversey or Wellington stops. 


SATURDAY, JULY 5 

What: Drag Story Time at the Chicago Public Library 
Where: Back of the Yards Branch (Bilingual) 
When: 11:00 a.m. 
How Much: Free 

What: Pride South Side 
Where: The DuSable Black History Museum in Washington Park 
When: July 5, 2025, gates at 12:30 p.m., performances from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. 
How much: Free with RSVP 
How to get there: Take the Red Line to Garfield, then the 55 Bus to Payne Drive & 55th St. 


MONTHLONG EVENTS:  

Chicago Public Library Pride Events:  
Check out events across all Chicago Public Libraires throughout June for movie screenings, grab & go crafting kits, trivia nights, crafting and more.  
Events | Chicago Public Library | BiblioCommons  

Brave Space Alliance’s Pride Passport: Brave Spaces Across Chicago 
This Pride Month, support Brave Space Alliance, local businesses, community organizers, and the trans and LGBQ+ community at large by collecting stamps in your Pride Passport. 
Pride Passport | Brave Space Alliance 
Medicaid is a lifesaving program and vital in our efforts to end the HIV epidemic, providing health insurance coverage to 41% of Illinoisans living with HIV. It's absolutely unconscionable that Congressional Republicans would choose to pass their "big, beautiful bill" in the dead of night, ripping healthcare and food assistance from the Illinois communities that need it the most in order to enact tax cuts for the ultra wealthy. There is nothing beautiful about leaving our most vulnerable communities behind.
Just after dawn on the morning of Wednesday, May 22, 2025, when most Illinoisans were still asleep, Republicans in the U.S. House voted to kick millions of people off of Medicaid and SNAP. AFC thanks the 14 Illinois Democrats who offered amendments and voted against the reconciliation bill, and for their tireless fight to protect Illinoisans from these cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. At the same time, we are appalled that Representatives Bost (IL-12), Miller (IL-15) and LaHood (IL-16) voted against their constituents and the rest of Illinois by voting in favor of this bill.

To our community members and organizational partners—rest assured that AIDS Foundation Chicago will continue to fight in the U.S. Senate to defeat this disastrous Reconciliation bill that will be devastating to Illinoisans living with and vulnerable to HIV. This fight is far from over and we urge you to join us in action over the coming crucial weeks!
AIDS Foundation Chicago Policy, Advocacy and Communications work is not supported by federal funds.
New members of AFC’s Board of Directors completed their orientation last week, learning about the organization's operations in detail from staff across its departments.  AFC is proud to welcome Taylor Atkins, Jorge Cabrera, and Sherrine Peyton to its board.  

Sherrine Peyton (she/her/hers) is the founder and Principal Consultant of Peyton Consulting, where she provides expertise in strategic planning, grant writing, training, coalition development, and workforce and board training. With over 30 years of experience in Community Health and Prevention, Sherrine is deeply committed to advocating for and engaging those most affected by pressing issues. In addition to her role at AFC, she serves on the National Advisory Council for SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, is a member of SAMHSA’s National Harm Reduction Steering Committee, and co-chairs the Communities for Positive Youth Development Coalition.  

Taylor Atkins, CPA (he/him/his) is currently a Financial Controller at ITW, a Fortune 200 company that produces engineered fasteners and components, equipment and consumable systems, and a wide array of specialty products. He currently serves as the Global Co-Chair of Pride at ITW, an employee resource group focused on empowering LGBTQ+ employees at ITW. Taylor is originally from Indiana and moved to Chicago in 2016. He and his partner currently live in the Lakeview neighborhood. 

Jorge Cabrera (he/him/his) is a prominent communications leader, strategic thinker, and advocate. His extensive career and active participation in professional organizations highlight his dedication to fostering innovative business ecosystems.  Jorge Cabrera has expertise in brand reputation, corporate communications, and content strategy, currently serving as the Head of Communications for the Americas at KONE. He has worked with organizations like BMO U.S., Collins Aerospace, and ComEd.  Jorge has been a vital resource for many young professionals, offering mentorship and strategic insights, particularly supporting Hispanic and Latino entrepreneurs. Jorge has been recognized as a thought leader in communications and has served on various boards, including the Better Government Association and the University Club of Chicago, reflecting his commitment to community service.  Jorge holds an MBA from the University of Iowa, a Master’s in International Policy from the Middlebury Institute, and a BA in Global Studies from UC Santa Barbara. 

As AFC welcomes new members to the Board of Directors, thanks are due to departing members for their contributions, including Lori Kaufman who departed the AFC Board of Directors after 36 years of service.  She will continue her work with AFC as Chair of the Honorary Board.  Lori started her work with AFC in 1989 and served as Chair of the Board of Directors from 1993-1996, and later as Fund Development Chair.  Her leadership and allyship with AFC was highlighted in a recent Windy City Times feature covering her award as a Notable Nonprofit Board Leader by Crain’s Chicago Business.  Lori’s service to AFC cannot be overstated – her leadership, fundraising, advocacy, and community-building has been nothing short of transformative for AFC and the landscape of HIV services and advocacy in Chicago and Illinois. 

AFC also wishes a fond farewell to Tanya Lopez, Keith McQueen, and Chad Thompson, who have also departed the board.  AFC is deeply thankful for their work on behalf of people living with HIV, chronic conditions, and homelessness. 
Today, HHS rolled out decimating staffing cuts to federal agencies that will permanently undermine national leadership and infrastructure in infectious diseases, including HIV.  AFC condemns the mass firings which will destroy the federal government’s ability to respond to infectious disease outbreaks, conduct research, analyze data and distribute funding.   

Some of the firings include staff at the Division of HIV Prevention at CDC, the HHS Office of Infectious Disease and HIV Policy at HHS, and staff within the Ryan White Program and HRSA Bureau of Primary Care.  It appears that Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative staffing was also eliminated. This initiative was launched by President Trump during his first administration and brought over $9 million a year into Cook County for HIV prevention, treatment and linkage to care activities.  The full impact of these firings is not yet clear, but it is certain that they will worsen racial disparities in the HIV epidemic and directly harm people most impacted by HIV – Black and Latiné same gender-loving men, Black and Latiné transgender women, and Black cisgender women.  

The mass firings took place as hundreds of HIV advocates from across the country gathered in Washington D.C. for AIDSWatch, including over 20 from Illinois. On Wednesday, the advocates will rally at Capitol Hill to protest the cuts and meet with members of Congress to express their dismay and concern.  

AFC staff will deliver the message that President Trump and HHS Secretary Kennedy are squandering the strong national progress we have made towards ending the HIV epidemic – and are creating the conditions that could lead to a rise in people newly diagnosed with HIV across the United States.  

AFC urges Chicagoans to join the “Hands Off! Rally and March to Rise Up and Fight Back Against Trump/Musk Attacks” on Saturday, April 5 at noon at 50 W. Washington St., Chicago. Learn more here: Hands Off! Rally and March to Rise Up and Fight Back Against Trump/Musk Attacks · Indivisible
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