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A World AIDS Day Reading List
Today is World AIDS Day. First observed in 1988, this day marks an opportunity for advocates to increase awareness and knowledge about the global epidemic, support those with HIV/AIDS, and remember those we have lost.
One of the misconceptions surrounding this disease is that advances in treatment have made it less of a threat than in the earliest years of the epidemic. But while there has been substantial progress, the fact remains that as of the end of 2018, there were 37.9 million people living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. I’m grateful for the work of organizations such as UNAIDS, PEPFAR, the Elton John AIDS Foundation and many, many others across the globe that continue to dedicate resources to eradicate this disease.
This day is personal to me. In April 1996, our family lost my beloved uncle to AIDS. And although he has been gone for 23 years, hardly a day has gone by when I haven’t thought about him and wished he was still here. I miss him terribly (perhaps even moreso as I’ve gotten older) and have tried to keep his memory alive for my kids. Even though they never knew him, I’m incredibly proud that they consider him one of their inspirations for their interest in social justice issues, especially LGBTQ rights.
Among the ways I try to advocate for the causes I care about, such as this one, is by sharing books that have…
