Over the last 30 years, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community has seen great strides in the movement for full equality. Much of this success is the result of a concerted movement, which was galvanized in response to the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.

In the decades since, our movement has seen incredible victories. Today, twenty-one states and Washington, DC, have implemented nondiscrimination laws in employment to protect LGBT employees. Eighteen states allow gay couples to adopt children. Sixteen states have passed legislation protecting LGBT students from discrimination, with another fifteen states specifically protecting LGBT students from bullying. Gays and lesbians can now serve openly in the military and more than half of all Americans support marriage equality, including the first-ever sitting president.

Unfortunately, our community hasn't maintained the same momentum in our fight against HIV. Gay and bisexual men recently accounted for 63% of all new HIV infections and perhaps most concerning is the 22% increase among those between 13 and 24 years old. Each day, more than eighty gay and bisexual men become infected with HIV in the United States. These trends are even more pronounced among gay and bisexual men of color, with young black gay and bisexual men having a higher rate of HIV infection than any other population in this country. While we don't have enough data on transgender populations, studies show that 28% of transgender women are HIV positive in the United States, with rates over 50% for African American transgender women.

One in five gay and bisexual men are living with HIV in the United States. Despite these alarming statistics, which have galvanized our community in the past, the HIV epidemic has seemed to fall by the wayside. Many in our community have simply stopped talking about the issue. This must change.

We, the undersigned, are committed to being part of this change and urge the entire community to join us in this fight.

• If you are a policy maker, fight to protect and expand HIV treatment and prevention programming and fight to stop HIV criminalization at the federal, state and local level.
• If you are an LGBT organization, be sure to speak to your constituents about the continued toll this epidemic has on our community.
• If you're an LGBT donor, support causes that support the health of the community.
• And, get tested, know your status, and join the fight to end this epidemic.

Science and policy have aligned like never before to make it possible to envision an AIDS-free generation. That vision will not be realized without addressing the persistent and disparate impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. Today, we commit to ending this epidemic and protecting the health of our community. We urge you to join us in this effort.

Signed,

Organizations Who Signed On
Acct., Inc, Galveston, TX
Affirmations, Detroit, MI
AID Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
AIDS Foundation Chicago, Chicago, IL
AIDS Partnership Michigan, Detroit, MI
AIDS Project New Haven, CT
AIDS Service Center, Pasadena, CA
AIDS Services for the Monadnock Region, Gilsum, NH
AIDS Resource Center Ohio, Ohio
Alder Health Services, Harrisburg, PA
APAIT Health Center, LA, CA
API Equality, SF, CA
Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, SF, CA
Black AIDS Institute, LA, CA
Blue Diamond Society, Kathmandu, Nepal
Brooklyn Community Pride Center, Brooklyn, NY
CARES of Southwest Michigan, Kalamazoo MI
Center For Black Equity, Washington, DC
The Center/GLBT Community Center of Colorado, Denver, CO
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
The Center of Wichita, Wichita KS
Center on Halsted, Chicago, IL
Coalicion de Coaliciones Pro Personas sin Hogar de Puerto Rico,
  Ponce, PR
Colorado Springs Pride, Colorado Springs, CO
Community Education Group, Washington, DC
Compass, Inc., Lake Worth, FL
Curran Street, Pride Center of the Capital Region, Albany, NY
Desert AIDS Project, Palm Springs, CA
East End Gay Organizations, LI, NY
Equality Federation, SF, CA
Equality Illinois, Chicago, IL
Equality Long Island, LI, NY
Equal Rights Washington, Seattle, WA
Fair Wisconsin, WI
Family Equality Council, Washington, DC
Fan Free Clinic, Richmond, VA
Gay Asian Pacific Alliance, SF, CA
Gay City Health Project, Seattle, WA
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, Boston, MA
The Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada, LV, NV
Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and Institute, Washington, DC
Gay Men's Health Crisis, NY, NY
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality,
  Washington, DC
GRU Equality, Augusta, GA
HIV Dental Alliance, Atlanta, GA
HIV Prevention Justice Alliance
HIV/AIDS Resource Center, Ypsilanti, MI
Hope 4 Peace & Justice, Dallas, TX
Hope and Help Center of Central Florida, Winter Park, FL
Immigration Equality, Washington, DC
Indigenous Peoples Task Force, Minneapolis, MN
Jacksonville Area Sexual Minority Youth Network, Jacksonville, FL
Kick – The Agency for LGBT African Americans, Detroit, MI
LA Gay and Lesbian Community Center, LA, CA
Lambda Legal, NY, NY
Lenox Hill Retroviral Disease Center, NY, NY
Let's Kick (ASS) AIDS Survivor Syndrome, SF, CA
LGBT Center of Central PA, Harrisbury, PA
The LGBT Community Center of The Desert, Palm Springs, CA
LGBT Resource Center for the 7 Rivers Region, Inc, LaCrosse, WI
The Living Affected Corporation (LACorp), Little Rock, AR
Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth, LI, NY
Long Island GLBT Center, LI, NY
Long Island GLBT Services Network, LI, NY
Lyon-Martin Health Services, SF, CA
Massachusetts Commission on LGBT Youth, Boston, MA
MassEquality, Boston, MA
Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center, Memphis, TN
Metro Wellness & Community Centers, Tampa, FL
Metropolitan Community Church Los Angeles, LA, CA
MUSC/Lowcountry AIDS Services, Consumer Advisory Board,
  Charleston, SC
NAESM, Inc., Atlanta, GA
National Black Justice Coalition, Washington, DC
National Center for Lesbian Rights, SF, CA
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Washington, DC
National Minority AIDS Council, Washington, DC
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance, Washington, DC
The NYC LGBT Community Center, NY, NY
One Colorado, Denver, CO
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, SF, CA
OutFront Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Outright Youth of Catawba Valley, Hickory, NC
PFLAG National, Washington, DC
Positive Resource Center, SF, CA
Positive Young People, Palm Beach, FL
Pridelines Youth Services, Miami, FL
Project PLASE, Inc., Baltimore, MD
Qliance Primary Care Specialists, Seattle, WA
Rainbow Community Center of Contra Costa County, Concord, CA
Resource Center Dallas, Dallas, TX
Richmond Gay Community Foundation, Richmond, VI
Roanoke Diversity Center, Roanoke, VA
The San Diego LGBT Community Center, San Diego, CA
SC Equality, Columbia, SC
Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders-Long Island, LI, NY
Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders, NY, NY
START @ Westminster, Washington, DC
StreetWorks, Nashville, TN
Transgender Law Center, SF, CA
Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
UCSF AIDS, Health Project, SF, CA
Vermont PWA Coalition, Montpelier, VT
Western Montana LGBT Community Center, Missoula, MT
Wingspan – Southern Arizona's LGBT Community Center,
  Tucson, AZ
YouthPride, Inc., Providence, RI
Zebra Coalition, Orlando FL

Individual Who Signed On
Daniel Abbott
Michael Adams, NY, NY
Jeff Allen, Ormond Beach, FL
Brett Andrews, SF, CA
Karen Atkinson, Panama City, FL
Jim Austin, RN NP MSN, Sacramento , CA
Victory Charles Aweke, Garki Nigeria
Kathy Rae Awkard, JD RN, Rockville, MD
Desi Bailey, MD, Seattle, WA
Stephen Bailey, Burlington, VT
Ben Barr, Concord, CA
Will Batts, Memphis, TN
Mike Bauer, Bella Vista, AR
Kathrene Carter Berger DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, Chapel Hill, NC
Selisse Berry, SF, CA
Terri Betz, Suherlin, OR
D. E. Bloodworth, Phoenix, AZ
Bert Bloom, LaMesa CA
Stephen Blumenthal, SF, CA
Beth Bradley, Fargo, ND
Laura Brewer, Tacoma, WA
Ken Britt, Atlanta, GA
Corinne Broskett, St. Petersburg, FL
Stephanie Budwey, Watertown, MA
Ronda K. Butler-Villa, Santa Fe, NM
Rea Carey, Washington, DC
Marilyn Carifi, Winter Park, FL
Rudolph H. Carn, Atlanta, CA
Frank Carson, NY, NY
Kevin M. Cathcart, NY, NY
Terrance Chadd, Crown Point, IN
Beth Charley, Hertfordshire, UK
Jerry Cheney, Santa Fe, NM
Bernard Cherkasov, Chicago, IL
Jim Chud
Lucretia Clay-Ward, Chicago, IL
Billy Clem, DeKalb, IL
Merrill Cole, Macomb, IL
Laurie Collins, Reno, NV
Andrew W. Conrad, Ewing, NJ
Carol Cook, san Mateo, CA
Cece Cox, JD, Dallas, TX
Kathy Crews, Richmond, VA
Barbara Thoman Curtis, Ormond Beach, FL
Jeremiah Dameron, Elmhurst, NY
Julie Davids, RI
Masen Davis, SF, CA
Todd Davis, Portsmouth, OH
Sharon Day, Minneapolis, MN
Laura DelloStritto, Boston, MA
Louis J. Denkovic, NY, NY
Joel Diaz, Columbus, OH
Dr. Kristine M. Diaz, Rochester, MI
Victor E. Diaz-Herman, Miami, FL
Janice Dlugosz, Beachwood, NJ
Mary Ann Dore, Hickory, NC
Eric Douglas, NY, NY
Andrew E. Dowe, New Haven, CT
George Dowling, St. Louis, MO
Danielle Drennan, BSN, RN, Venice FL
Hana Dunning, Lincoln, NE
James E. Elvord, AWM, Chicago, IL
Max Ember
Scott H. Evans, Staten Island, NY
Daniel R Evert, Greenwood, IN
Daniel E. Fast, MD, DLFAPA, FIPA, Beverly Hills, CA
David Fawcett PhD, LCSW, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Maurice C. Frazier IV, Houma, LA
Michael Folkman, New London, OH
Lourdes FollinsJoe Foster, NY, NY
Earl Fowlkes, Washington, DC
Bob Fox, Dalton, MA
Kristen Frame, TTS, CPS Newark, OH
Robert Fredrickson, Halifax, Canada
Kathe Garbrick, Manhattan, KS
Antonio David Garcia, Detroit, MI
Christopher H. Gaynor, MD, Seattle, WA
Benjamin Gerritz, Portland, OR
Douglas Gibson, Sacramento CA
Anja Golden, Spartanburg, SC
Lilly Gonzalez, NY, NY
Philip K. Goropoulos, Harrisburg, PA
Robert Griffin, North Hollywood, CA
Anthony Guthmiller, Pasadena, CA
Carolina Gutierrez, Washington, DC
DK Haas, SF, CA
David Hamburger, Boston, MA
Dr. Dawn Harbatkin, MD, SF, CA
Fred Harvey, Sarasota, FL
Michael J. Harvey, Jr, Asheville, NC
Tracy Harris, TX
Dr Julia Hartman, Alexander, NC
Scott Hartman, MD, NY, NY
Robert Haslag, Centertown, MO
Ray Hawkins, Kansas City, MO
Laura C. Hein PhD, RN, NP-C, Columbia, SC
Stephen Helmke, RDCS, MPH, NY, NY
Marjorie Hill, NY, NY
Richard L. Hillard, Ph.D, Little Rock Arkansas
Sarah Holland, NY, NY
Thomas Lindsey Hooppaw, Chicago, IL
Frank House, Roanoke, VA
Jody Huckaby, Washington, DC
Sue Hyde, Cambridge MA
Mercedes Ingram, San Antonio, TX
Rebecca Isaacs, SF, CA
Brian Jackson, Grand Prairie, TX
Dr. Delores A. Jacobs, San Diego, CA
Meghan Jarpe, Chicago, IL
Lorri L. Jean, LA, CA
Abby, Jensen, Tucson, AZ
Joyce Johnson
Paul Joiner, Austin, TX
Allison Jones, Davie, FL
Andrew Joseph, NY, NY
Kerri Kanelos, Providence, RI
William David Karchner, JD, Albany, NY
Paul Kawata, Miami Beach, FL
Gretchen G. Kelly, Dallas, TX
Kate Kendell, SF, CA
George Kerr, Washington, DC
Scott King, Charleston, WV
Mercedes Lackey, Claremore, OK
Julia Lager-Mesulam, Portland, OR
Bruce Lang, Bloomington, IL
Lorraine Langlois, Tampa, FL
Jim Lawser, Minneapolis, MN
Adrien Lawyer, Albuquerque, NM
Ronny Lee, Plainfield, NJ
Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks, Washington, DC
Paulo Liberato, Setubal, Portugal
Curtis Lipscomb, Kick, Detroit, MI
Chalo Lozano
Mitchell R. Lunn, MD, SF, CA
Vickie Lynn, Tampa, FL
Denise Lytle, Fords, NJ
Gabrielle M, Atlanta, GA
Reverend John Magisano, Brooklyn, NY
Joe Mannetti, New London, CT
Robbie Maris, Nashville, TN
David P. Martin, NY, NY
Stuart Martin, Jr. DDS, Richmond, VA
Carlos Martinez, Denver, CO
Louie Marven, Harrisbury, PA
Dominique Mason, Mountlake Terrence, WA
Cynthia J McCoy MD, Coweta OK
Marisa McDowell, Temecula, CA
Ellis McFadden
Bradford, Mcintyre, Vancouver, DC Canada
Monica Meyer, Minneapolis, MN
James Miles, W. Palm Beach, FL
Jonathan Mitchell, Madison, AL
Ron Mittan, Bemidji, MN
Kristen Mosley, Ashland, OR
Lawrence T Nash, MD, Chicago, IL
Scott Nass, MD MPS, Ventura, CA
Jonathan Near, New Haven, CT
Justin Neisler, Augusta, GA
Brianna Nelson, Oakland, CA
Chip Newton, Atlanta, GA
Henry Ng, MD, MPH, FAAP, FACP, Cleveland, OH
Arthur K. Nguyen, Brooklyn, NY
Candice Nichols, LV, NV
Georgia Noble, Coral Gables, FL
Kathie Norfleet, Redford, MI
Abraham Omorenimwen Oboruemuh, Riverside, CA
Michelle Orengo-McFarlane, MD, Martinez, CA
Mark Otto, NY, NY
Rachel L. Pennington, Tampa, FL
Karen Peralta Kenmore, WA
Alan Perry, MD, Atlanta, GA
Lisa Perry-Wood, Boston, MA
Diane, Phillips, Tucson, AZ
Earl Plante, SF, CA
Josh Rabinowitz, Austin, TX
Parsu Ram Rai, Kathmandu, Nepal
David A. Reznik, DDS, Atlanta, GA
Ben Richman, Huntsville, Alabama
Laura Roache, OMS-III, Athens, OH
Thomas Rogers, III, Tonawanda, NY
Landra Rodgerson, Clearwater, FL
B. B. Rush, Huntington Beach, CA
Derick Safarian, SF, CA
Maykel Sanchez, Miami, FL
Ann Sandberg, Memphis, TN
Caesar Santiago, Mayaguez, PR
Jason S. Schneider MD, Atlanta, GA
Greg Sells, Austin, TX
Travis Sherer, PA-C, AAHIVS, NY, NY
Lee Sides, Roswell, NM
Timothy J. Sowicz, MSN, CRNP, Wilmington, DE
Edward Peter Phillip Span
Karen Spradlin, Jacksonville, AL
Donald Squire, Oakland Park, FL
Bill Realman Stella, Somerville, NJ
Krishna Stone, Brooklyn, NY
Terry Stone, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Carl G. Streed, Jr. MD, Baltimore, MD
Patrick Studt, Madison WI
Julianne Suchy
Kara Suffredini, Boston, MA
Fred Swanson, Seattle, WA
Michael Swanson, Lancaster, PA
Lee Swislow, Boston, MA
Glennda Testone, NY, NY
Meena Thatikunta, Rootstown, OH
Reverend Dr. Neil G. Thomas, LA, CA
Beverly Thompson, Craigsville, VA
Rachel B. Tiven, NY, NY
Lance Toma, SF, CA
Nathaly Robles Torres, Hormigueros, PR
Franklin Trimm, MD, Mobile, AL
Darrell L. Tucci, Palm Springs, CA
Frank Vaca, Potterville, MI
Modesto Tico Valle, Chicago, IL
Hector Vargas, Washington, DC
Diane Verrochi, RN, Jewett City, CT
Joseph Walker, Plainfield, IL
Leonie Walker, Portola Valley, CA
Joshua Wallace, St. Petersburg, FL
Lynn Walters, Dallas, TX
Ken Warnock, Royal Oak MI
Carrie Webber, Denver, CO
Mark L. White, Galveston, TX
Jed A. Wilson, Kansas City, MO
Phill Wilson, LA, CA
Ryan Wilson, Columbia, SC
Chuck Wolfe, Washington, DC
Robyn Anne Wright, Gainesville, FL
Toni Young, Washington, DC
Beth Zemsky, Minneapolis MN