Amida Care Organizes DC Advocacy Day

On July 15, Amida Care and our community partners organized a successful advocacy day in Washington DC.  Over 60 participants took part in the activities.  Participants included several Amida Care staff members and Member Advisory Council representatives. We were also joined by several community-based organizations, including Callen-Lorde, Housing Works, Harlem United, Acacia, Apicha, Sun River Health, Alliance for Positive Change and Latino Commission on AIDS. Three national organizations (AIDS United, Families USA and Positive Women’s Network-USA) also joined us for various meetings.

Throughout the day, we had contact with every member of New York’s Congressional Delegation (House and Senate) and had direct meetings with 20 representatives and both New York Senators.

We brought a clear message to the New York Congressional delegation, calling on each representative to work with their colleagues to:

• Sustain federal support for critical HIV prevention services, reducing disparities, and advancing our shared goal of ending the HIV epidemic.
• Protect Medicaid: We called on lawmakers to fix or repeal H.R.1 and address its harmful cuts to the program. These reductions will have significant consequences for the health and well-being of New Yorkers who rely on Medicaid for essential healthcare services, including HIV prevention.
• Stand with the LGBTQ+ Community: We voiced our strong opposition to the recent attacks on transgender healthcare and the broader LGBTQ+ community from the Federal government, and we emphasized the importance of protecting access to gender-affirming care, to ensure that every person can live with dignity, safety, and equal opportunity.
• Invest in Community Health by ensuring that community-based health centers have access to funding to serve their communities.
• Support President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) by directing funding to these vitally important programs.

One of the most encouraging aspects of the day was the opportunity to engage with both Republican and Democratic offices. While perspectives differed on issues, our conversations were thoughtful, respectful, and focused on the real-world impact that policy decisions have on individuals, families, and communities throughout New York.

As we move forward, we plan to build on the success of the July 15th Day of Advocacy and strengthen our advocacy efforts – both in Washington, DC, and in Albany.

Read more about our advocacy day in Gay City News.