Racism, homophobia, and transphobia make the work at AHP as vital now, as it was forty years ago. In 1984, in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, a group of concerned mental health practitioners founded the AIDS Health Project; their mission was to help AIDS patients and their loved ones who were suffering from the terror, uncertainty, loneliness, and grief associated with this new, devastating disease. The homophobia and AIDS phobia targeting the community in those days increased the despondency for those fighting for their lives and propelled our founders to do everything they could to care for and strengthen those affected.
Throughout the years, including a name and mission change, AHP has grown and expanded to agilely meet the needs of LGBTQ+ community members living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS. As the epidemic has changed, the organization has changed, by building programs and developing services to respond to the changing needs of the community. AHP has been a bedrock of advocacy for clients, the community, and their funders. The Alliance Health Project has a rich and storied history, and they are looking toward their future with purpose and determination. According to Jen Shockey (they/them) Provider Education and Training Manager, “a lot has changed in forty years but LGBTQ+ people face a backlash of conservatism with a record number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills (over 500 were introduced in the US in 2023. These attacks lead to social stigma, societal discrimination, violence, and psychological distress among our...