Community members held a vigil honoring victims of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Bixby Park on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1.
It has been 40 years since the AIDS epidemic first began in 1981. Since then, approximately 700,000 people have died of HIV/AIDS in the United States.
“People are still afraid and concerned to talk about HIV, STIs, getting tested, having that safe conversation,” said Ismael Salamanca, director of Health and Wellness Services at the LGBTQ Center.
Though treatments like PReP show progress, Salmanca said, “I don’t see that stigma stopping anytime soon.”
This year, 34 Long Beach residents died of HIV/AIDS complications, according to data from the care program at St. Mary’s Medical Center.
According to Director of Health and Human Services Kelly Colopy, 4,400 Long Beach residents live with HIV and 124 new infections were detected in the past year.
While HIV infections are decreasing in the white community, Colopy said, Black and Latinx communities aren’t seeing those same reductions.
“This means that despite tremendous progress, and the number of new infections and deaths going down, we still have more work to do to get zero new infections in our city,” Colopy said.
Councilmember Cindy Allen took the stage to note that “it’s not just enough to say that we welcome all people” and that those claims have to be backed up “with services, funding and recognition.”
The names of victims were read aloud as Salamanca resonated a Tibetan singing bowl for each name.
During the vigil, attendees were encouraged to light each others’ candles and recognize each other, “that they’re here with you today, to acknowledge today,” Salamanca said.
After all the candles were lit, a troop marched down Cherry Avenue to Ocean Boulevard and down to the beach, where 100 red ribbons were set up in memory of AIDS victims across the world.
At the memorial, attendees were invited to call out the names of loved ones who had passed from HIV/AIDS and then blow out their candles.