HRC LA Meets with State Senator on HIV/AIDS Funding

One of California’s valuable allies, State Senator Curren Price (26th Senate District) met with LGBT leaders and activists on Wednesday, September 23. HRC Los Angeles was represented by Bob Mason, co-chair of the political committee.

Although the meeting was designed to illicit feedback on a variety of issues facing our community, most of the discussion focused on HIV/AIDS funding, or rather, the critical lack of it. As a result of decisions by the California legislature and Governor, LA County faces a crisis in HIV/AIDS healthcare. Tens of millions of dollars have been lost due to budget cuts. Many programs, built over a span of decades, have simply vanished. Prevention and early identification of HIV programs, as well as youth programs, have been eliminated or sharply curtailed. Given that the lilfetime cost of treating AIDS exceeds $600,000 per person, the community faces a ticking time bomb of explosive healthcare costs. The cuts in programs and healthcare services will be particularly hard felt by minority communities in African American and Latino American communities, communities represented by Senator Price.

Senator Price took a bold and proactive step in addressing local LGBT issues with this meeting. He and his staff are committed to maintaining an on-going relationship with LGBT leaders to address the crisis in LGBT healthcare. HRC welcomes the opportunity to be a part of this key local effort.