2008 YAI Class at UNM.

The applications are ready (see below) now for the 5th Youth Action Institute to be held on the campus of University of California-Berkeley in Oakland, California, June 23 - 27, 2009.

This will be the fifth annual gathering of youth activists and advocates since starting in '05 at Colorado State University's Ft. Collins, Colorado campus. Other locations include Chicago, Raleigh, North Carolina, at the North Carolina State University, and last year at University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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George and the rest of the YAI staff and faculty will be welcoming this years group and sharing experiences and developing skills in grassroots organizing, public health, advocacy, anti-stigma, and direct action. In all, over 230 youth representing communities from all over North America have shared ideas and succeeded in goals developed at YAI. This year will be no different.

Who Can Come?
Absolutely everyone (between the ages of 16 and 26) is encouraged to apply, regardless of past experience working on HIV and AIDS issues. If you’re passionate about working to end AIDS, then you qualify. C2EA especially encourages people living with HIV and AIDS, women, and people of color to apply.

How To Apply?
The application (below) must be received by 5:00pm on February 5th. It can be faxed, mailed, or emailed to the number and address below:

CAMPAIGN TO END AIDS/YAI '09
727 15th Street NW Suite #210
Washington, DC 20005
1877 END AIDS (363-2437)
info@campaigntoendaids.org

You will be notified of your acceptance by March 21, 2009. Travel arrangements will be made by YAI staff after confirmation of acceptance.

Application: Download file
Essay Questions: Download file
Release: Download file

Shedding light on the unjust treatment of people who are transgender

In an emotional ceremony last Thursday, dozens of participants at the Housing Works East New York Transgender Day of Remembrance lined up to light a candle in honor of transgender people who have died. This event was one of many across the country dedicated to remembering transgender people who are killed each year, as well as those that face brutal discrimination off all kinds on a daily basis.

“We’ve lost so many people because of hatred,” said Bianca Candall, a Housing Works Transgender Health Services client. “We need to be heard.”

In addition to the candle-lighting, the ceremony included prayers by the Rev. Charles King, music from the East New York gospel choir and a reading of “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou.The ceremony was dedicated to Rachel Harden, a member of theHousing Works transgender community who died this month of natural causes.

Transgender Day of Remembrance was founded in 1998 to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28, 1998 kicked off the Remembering Our Dead web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita Hester’s murder—like most anti-transgender murder cases—has yet to be solved.

Silicone danger

Transgender women in particular face special risk factors for death. One major killer highlighted at the vigil was silicone poisoning. Often transgender women receive illegal silicone treatments to change the appearance of their hips, breasts and face in order to appear more feminine. These women can die when silicone is injected directly into their arteries. The continuous build-up of silicone also has longterm effects.

Housing Works case manager Tracy Bumpus said that she has known three women in the past year who have died from silicone poisoning.

“All the girls who get it swears it’s safe,” Bumpus said. “They say, ‘I’d rather die looking like a woman than live looking like a man.’"

To join the Campaign To End AIDS Transgender Group, go to C2EA_Transgender-US-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

For more information on the Housing Works Transgender Program and to see the Transgender Awareness PSA, go to http://www.housingworks.org/services/health-care/transgender-health-services/.

Dazon Dixon Diallo of SisterLove in Atlanta, GA raises her fist in unison with Stand Against AIDS participants.

January 22-25, Atlanta, GA; “Our People, Our Work, Our Success” is a theme of accountability. Our People include everyone from those who have worked in the field of HIV/AIDS for more than 25 years to those who don’t know their status. Our People are not exclusive, but inclusive because HIV/AIDS affects all of us and we, as a people, can stop it. It’s
Our Work and we must hold ourselves accountable for what we do. From street outreach teams to policy makers, everyone plays a vital role to help remove this disease from our community. Our Success comes from the hard work of our people. Our Success is determined by what we do and how we do it. While we have achieved many milestones, we have not quite reached the light at the end of the tunnel. So, we must continue to strengthen Our People. We must continue to strengthen Our Work. For Our Success depends on both.
For more information, visit http://www.naesmonline.org or call (404) 691-8880.