FOSTER CITY, Calif. & WASHINGTON– Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, today announced that Gilead will provide a $3.2 million grant over two years to support communities disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic in the United States, particularly communities of color. Gilead will directly fund the efforts of the HRC Foundation – HRC’s educational arm – aimed at ending the HIV epidemic, as well as fund the organization’s Transgender Justice Initiative.
This innovative initiative builds on core strengths of each organization, including Gilead’s long-standing efforts to address healthcare disparities and HRC’s leadership in advancing justice for LGBTQ+ communities for more than 40 years. It also builds on HRC’s commitment to programmatic work that actively challenges systems, laws and policies that disproportionately disadvantage LGBTQ+ people of color. Through this initiative, HRC will launch a public education campaign to change the narrative by focusing on dismantling stigma and discrimination while developing and advancing an inclusive public policy that addresses non-discrimination measures and healthcare disparities among LGBTQ+ communities.
“Too often, institutional racism and anti-LGBTQ+ bias have been barriers to comprehensive HIV prevention and treatment strategies,” said Alphonso David, President of the Human Rights Campaign. “This grant will allow the Human Rights Campaign to work directly with community partners, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and youth serving professionals – especially those in Black and Latinx communities in the South and around the country – to increase awareness of HIV treatment and prevention options in order to reduce health disparities, and combat the discrimination and stigma that too often leads to fatal violence against transgender women of color.”
“Gilead is committed to promoting social justice and racial equity for the patients and communities we serve, as well as for our own employees,” said Daniel O’Day, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gilead Sciences. “The grant to HRC builds on our commitment to advance equity in healthcare, particularly in Black communities and other communities of color that are disproportionately affected by HIV and other diseases.”
Stigma, homophobia and transphobia, racism, and lack of access to appropriate healthcare services are barriers to comprehensive HIV prevention and care. This particularly impacts the 1 in 4 Latino gay and bisexual cisgender men and 1 in 2 Black gay and bisexual cisgender men who will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. The funding from Gilead will enable HRC to work directly with these communities in the Southern U.S. and around the country, with partners including Us Helping Us in Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland; Brotherhood Incorporated in New Orleans; TruEvolution in Riverside, California; Arianna’s Center in Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico; Community Health PIER in Greenville, Mississippi; and BU Wellness Network in Indianapolis. In addition, through this work, HRC will partner with more than 30 Historically Black Colleges and Universities to supplement their efforts in providing HIV prevention education and resources to students. The funding will also support HRC’s Transgender Justice Initiative, which seeks to address the urgent needs of the transgender community, with specific attention to individuals deeply impacted by racism, sexism and transphobia.
HRC will host a virtual summit on February 23 featuring Alphonso David, HRC President and Shanell McGoy, Director, Public Affairs at Gilead, as well as advocates and community-based organization leaders, to discuss the efforts to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S.
