On Dec. 1, guests along with Center and AIDS/LifeCycle staff gathered for a rooftop vigil to honor World AIDS Day, welcoming the Los Angeles chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and drag superstar Valentina to help pay tribute to the lives lost to the epidemic.
There are nearly 60,000 people currently living with HIV in LA County alone, and thousands more are diagnosed every year. The lives of countless others have also been affected by the epidemic and HIV and AIDS-related stigma. This year’s event marked the 35th anniversary of World AIDS Day, bearing the theme “Remember and Commit.”
“Today we remember the impact this epidemic has had on our community,” said Valentina, addressing the theme directly in her welcome remarks. “We remember those who fought for recognition when the rest of the world was content to let us die. And we commit to compassion, empathy and solidarity in the face of adversity.”
The first World AIDS Day was held in 1988 to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS and honor the lives affected. Though much progress has been made in the decades since the onset of the epidemic, its impact is still being felt among the LGBTQ+ community and the world at large.
“Since the 1980s, the Los Angeles LGBT Center has been on the frontlines of both caring and advocating for people living with HIV and AIDS,” said Center CEO Joe Hollendoner. “Our team of health experts and advocates, spread across multiple sites throughout the city, offer a comprehensive range of services, including testing, treatment, prevention, education, and more.”
We come together and continue to fight against fear and silence, against discrimination and stigma.”
Sister Harlot D Lite, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
At the event, representatives from the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence gave a blessing and shared a brief overview of their work with and on behalf of the community—including the publication of a safer sex pamphlet that their organization distributed when informed, effective guidance was hard to come by.
Introducing the Sisters’ touching tribute was RuPaul’s Drag Race alum and Queerceañera honoree, Valentina, who recalled “When our government turned its back on us during the peak of the AIDS crisis, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence stood up to educate, advocate, and care for the LGBTQ+ community. And they continue to do the same to this day.”
“We are present for the ones we have lost. We are present for the ones who have survived,” said Sister Harlot D Lite. “We are present for the undetectable and for those that are on PrEP. We are present for the ones born with. We are present for newly diagnosed, and for those who do not know their status at the moment. We come together and continue to fight against fear and silence, against discrimination and stigma.”
Carlo Giovanni, the Center’s Chief People Officer and two-time AIDS/LifeCycle participant, also spoke at the event, sharing a few words about his relationship with the Center. He recalled attending the Center’s all-staff meeting earlier this year, where Cynthia “Cyndi” Harrison, a nurse practitioner with 24 years of service at the Jeffrey Goodman Special Care Clinic, was honored with the first-ever Sharon Franklin Brown Award for Employee Excellence.
“When I got to the all-staff, my first reaction was, That person looks familiar,” Giovanni said. “It dawned on me that it was Cyndi who sat me down 21 years ago and gave me my diagnosis of HIV. My life was shattering in front of my eyes. I was 16. I had no support network. But Cindy sat next to me—I don’t know for how long. She just sat next to me and held my hand.”
I am a direct byproduct of the Center. I am a byproduct of what we all do.
Carlo Giovanni, Chief People Officer, the Los Angeles LGBT Center
Today, Giovanni oversees the Center’s workforce of more than 800 employees. He describes his job as working to make the Center “the most appealing place for LGBTQ+ people to come and work.”
“The Center was there for me. Cyndi was there for me,” he continued. “Part of why I am the Chief People Officer today is because of that moment. When Cindy sat next to me, she gave me hope. She allowed me the grace to say that this is not the end. I am a direct byproduct of the Center. I am a byproduct of what we all do.”
Photos by Zev Woolley
Photos by Zev Woolley
Photos by Zev Woolley
Photos by Zev Woolley
Photos by Zev Woolley
Photos by Zev Woolley
Photos by Zev Woolley
Photos by Zev Woolley
Photos by Zev Woolley
Photos by Zev Woolley
Photos by Zev Woolley
Photos by Zev Woolley
Photos by Zev Woolley
Photos by Zev Woolley
