Today—December 1—we join millions across the globe in remembering the lives lost to HIV and AIDS, honoring those living with HIV, and recommitting ourselves to justice, compassion, and public health. This year, federal agencies were instructed not to publicly commemorate World AIDS Day—ending a bipartisan tradition observed every year since 1988.

But this year, for the first time since 1988, the United States federal government has declined to recognize World AIDS Day.

This silence is not neutral.

This silence communicates something dangerous.
This silence tells people living with HIV and AIDS—and those who love them—that their lives are not worth naming, mourning, or fighting for.

And it comes at the very moment when:

• HIV/AIDS nonprofits are struggling due to federal cuts, demoralizing delays, and disrupted grants.
• Women-led and community-based HIV organizations are reporting severe impacts, with many reducing services or closing programs.
• Millions of Americans face skyrocketing health insurance premiums, threatening their access to lifesaving care.
• Millions more could lose SNAP benefits, forcing many to choose between medication and food.

This is not a time for the church to sit quietly inside our cozy buildings.
This is a moment for public witness, prophetic love, and embodied solidarity! 

For those living with HIV: We see you. You matter. You deserve joy, dignity, and abundant life.

For caregivers, families, activists, and advocates: Your work is holy.

We remember those we have lost, and we honor their lives and their legacy.

And for all of us in faith communities: silence is not our calling. Love is! 

Ways You Can Support the ONA Coalition on World AIDS Day 

1. Individuals: Join the Sustaining Circle. Monthly giving provides steady, year-round support. It helps us respond quickly to crises, offer coaching to churches in hostile environments, and build long-term resilience across this movement.

We didn’t unlock the full matching grant last week (all donations of up to $250 matched)—but  we were close ($195) and there is still time to join before the end of the year. Click Here to become a Sustaining Supporter.  

2. Congregations: Become a Sustaining Church.  

Congregations can give once or twice per year (June/December are common), or more if able. Many churches give at least $1 per active member, though any amount strengthens the work.

Sustaining Churches help us offer training, resources, and coaching at low or no cost to the ministries that need us most. Click here to fill out the form to commit to being a sustaining church.  

3. Give Through Our 2-for-1 Matching Grant (Now thru12/31/2025): We are excited to share that the Coalition has received a 2-for-1 matching grant: for every dollar donated, a generous supporter will give two dollars, up to a total of $10,000 raised. If our community contributes $10,000, the donor will add $20,000—providing $30,000 to strengthen this movement!

Every dollar you give becomes three:

$25 becomes $75

$100 becomes $300

$1,000 becomes $3,000

If our community raises $10,000, a generous donor will contribute another $20,000—bringing $30,000 to support this movement at a time when it is urgently needed.  Click here to help us raise funds towards this matching grant!

A Final Word

World AIDS Day has always been a testament to community—especially queer, Black, brown, poor, trans, immigrant, and disabled communities who refused to be erased.

If the federal government chooses silence, then the church must choose courage.

If the administration will not honor this day, then we will honor it—with our voices, our prayers, our dollars, our activism, and our love.

SILENCE = DEATH.
SOLIDARITY = LIFE.

Let us choose life, loudly and without apology.

In the struggle and the hope,

Rev. Derek Terry, Acting Executive Director
Open and Affirming Coalition United Church of Christ

Let’s keep this movement alive and strong.

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A $10 Gift Can Change Everything

Give Out Day ONA Donation Page

Click the link, bookmark it, and start giving on May 22!

Hope thrives where love is nurtured—and in a world where LGBTQ+ lives are under relentless attack, we need both now more than ever. That’s why the Open and Affirming Coalition of the United Church of Christ is inviting you to be part of Give OUT Day 2025, the only national day of giving for LGBTQ+ causes.

Early giving begins May 22, and Give OUT Day is June 5.

Together, we can transform lives and create a world where all are welcomed, affirmed, and celebrated. Every $10 gift strengthens the movement for LGBTQ+ inclusion in church and community, ensuring that love and justice prevail over fear and discrimination.

Our Goal: 5,000 Individual Gifts—Here’s Why It Matters!

Give OUT Day isn’t about raising the biggest dollar amount; it’s about the power of community. The prizes we’re aiming for are awarded based on the number of unique donations given between May 22 and June 5, 2025. That means each and every $10 gift plays a crucial role in helping us reach our goal.

Here’s how you can amplify your impact:

• Planning to give $100? Instead, donate $10 and give $10 to 9 friends—and ask them to give it to our campaign.
• Or better yet, take it one step further: give 9 friends $10 and encourage them to match it with a contribution of their own.

Every individual gift of at least $10, brings us closer to unlocking additional funds for this vital work. Together, we can make a lasting difference. Let’s do this

What your gift makes possible:

• Giving Hope by amplifying our advocacy work to create engagement that inspires and mobilizes change—like the recent rally in Washington, D.C., collaboratively organized with our ecumenical partners, the Collective of Queer Christian Leaders. 
• Growing Love by expanding the Open and Affirming Church movement—we’re at 1,915 churches and counting toward our goal of 2,000 by year’s end
• Giving Hope by growing our Open and Affirming coach network, equipping more churches to become ONA and live fully into inclusive ministry
• Growing Love by launching a microgrant program—small grants to help churches creatively live out their ONA covenants

Every act of kindness has the power to transform lives—and on Give OUT Day, a $10 gift can do even more. Only individual $10 donations count toward prize eligibility, making each small gift incredibly powerful. With just $10, you can help build just and inclusive communities where all people—especially our LGBTQ+ siblings—are seen, valued, and embraced. Together, let’s turn compassion into action and ensure that love always wins.

Give $10. Ask your friends to do the same.
Let’s reach 5,000 gifts—and keep giving hope, growing love, and building a future where everyone belongs.

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