DFW Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will open the Word AIDS Day commemoration
with a blessing
Dozens of groups gather at Cathedral of Hope for World AIDS Day commemoration
DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
Taffet@DallasVoice.com
World AIDS Day began as a desperate cry from the LGBTQ community, begging elected officials to say the word: AIDS.
Today, the annual Dec. 1 commemoration is a remembrance of those lost during the AIDS pandemic and a celebration of how far we’ve coming in treatment, prevention and eradication of the disease.
This year, a coalition of more than two dozen community organizations, along with their donors and allies, will gather on Monday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m. at Cathedral of Hope to mark World AIDS Day with Together We Thrive.
The event is organized by DR Hanson, David Hearn and Prism Health North Texas.
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence will open the event with a blessing.
State Rep. Venton Jones, who made a name for himself during his first term in office as the first legislator to be open about his HIV-positive status, will speak about the progress made in ending the HIV epidemic in Dallas and his proposed legislation for the 2025 session of the Texas Legislature.
The Turtle Creek Chorale, Patti Le Plae Safe and Miss Lifewalk 2024 and Miss Big Thickette 2024 Shantae Morgan will perform.
DR Hanson will moderate a panel that includes public health strategist Chris Walker and Hardy Haberman. Among other things, they will discuss those protests in the 1980s and 1990s that laid the foundation for the strength of the HIV/AIDS movement.
In Dallas, one of the largest AIDS protests took place outside the Dallas Convention Center. While President George H.W. Bush spoke inside, activists chalked outlines of dead bodies on the sidewalk outside. Although protesters were banging on the glass outside of the building where the president was speaking, no arrests were made.
Together We Thrive will be the largest number of Dallas community organizations in many years to come together to commemorate World AIDS Day.
“For decades we have taken time every year to remember and to give thanks, to remember those whom we have lost to the AIDS epidemic and to give thanks for the advances made in healthcare provisions that have given hope to a new generation,” said the Rev. Neil Thomas, Cathedral of Hope’s senior pastor. “By remembering our history, we find the strength and courage for the journey ahead of us as we continue the work of bringing an end to HIV globally.
Politically, socially and economically we must use World AIDS Day to motivate us for the future generations who look toward a time when HIV is no longer among us,” Thomas added. “As a person of faith, I hold this truth and this sacred space for all those impacted by HIV — that God is greater than any disease, including HIV, that faith has given us hope from one generation to another.”
David Hearn, founder of the Greg Dollgener Memorial AIDS Fund, said, “I am glad to say that after living through the peak of the AIDS epidemic in 1994, when we lost 41,390 lives — including the life of my partner, Greg Dollgener, for whom our foundation is named — that the progress has moved away from dying with AIDS to living with HIV.
“Thanks to the great strides in medications to treat and prevent infection in the past 40 years, we see folks living with HIV longer than ever before,” he continued. “Knowing your status is as important as ever, especially to prevent the loss of another generation of talent and individuals to this epidemic.”
Resource Center CEO Cece Cox reiterated, “At this time of reflection around World AIDS Day, we remember and honor those we have lost, while also celebrating the strength and love we experience by joining together in community.
“For 41 years, Resource Center has advocated for and tended to the health and well-being of the LGBTQIA+ community and individuals living with HIV, and we are committed to continuing until HIV is eradicated. We encourage sexually active individuals to get tested and know their status,” Cox said.
Organizations participating in the event include Abounding Prosperity, AIDS Services Dallas–ASD, AIDS Outreach Center Fort Worth, AIDS Walk South Dallas, AIN, A Sister’s Gift, Badge of Pride, Cathedral of Hope, C.U.R.E., Dallas Bears, DFW Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, DIFFA Dallas, Firedancers Dallas, Greg Dollenger Memorial AIDS Fund, Miss Gay Texas State Pageant System, Prism Health North Texas, Resource Center, Texas Health Action, Turtle Creek Chorale, United Court of Lone Star Empire and Yesterqueer.