National AIDS Strategy call to action issued at National Equality March

Ronald Johnson, Deputy Executive Director of AIDS Action Council, delivered a rousing speech at the HIV/AIDS Rally & Vigil at the National Equality March (held over the weekend of October 10-11, 2009). The march marked the first time in nearly ten years that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender Americans and their allies converged on our nation's capital from around the country to advocate for their rights.

Amidst calls for pro-equality measures long left sitting on Congress's shelves, Johnson's speech highlighted a recent success of HIV/AIDS activists, including many LGBT activists: President Obama's commitment to creating a National AIDS Strategy through the Office of National AIDS Policy.

The call to action now, Johnson said, is ensuring that the process for creating the strategy meets to goals of the framework hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals contributed to creating through the Coalition for a National AIDS Strategy.

Click below to read his speech in full.