WORLD AIDS DAY CEREMONY 2022

On Thursday, December 1st 2022 the Red Ribbon raising ceremony was held on Parliament Hill to observe World Aids Day. The ceremony aimed to commemorate those living with HIV/AIDS and provide them with support, with this year’s theme being “Equalize”, along with remembering those who were lost due to the disease. It also addressed the stigmas around AIDS, and how inequality was one of the defining factors in how detrimental the disease truly is.  

In addition to the raising of the flag, the ceremony included enlightening and empowering speakers, such as Aboriginal HIV activist Trevor Stratton, Ottawa’s Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches, HIV physician Dr. Jason Brophy, and more. 

Organizer and Executive Director of AIDS Committee of Ottawa Khaled Salam said in his opening speech this was “a time for reflection on what we have achieved…and a time to recommit to what we must still accomplish to eradicate HIV/AIDS.” Following Salam’s speech, Indigenous educator Sharp Dopler and folks began Indigenous singing and drumming. 

African drummer Eric Sarah also performed at the ceremony, illustrating that the AIDS epidemic is “…psychological and systemic.” For example, he said, “you don’t want to give work to someone because of HIV, and you don’t bring resources for that person, what do you want that person to be? Or to do? That is inequity.” Sarah reinforces the idea that AIDS is not an isolated or individual issue, and that it is made exponentially more dangerous due to things like lack of proper education, distribution of resources, and alienation of those living with the disease. 

Aboriginal HIV activist Trevor Stratton spoke about the criminalization aspect of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, speaking about how the non disclosure of one’s status, despite the fact that most people cannot transmit HIV, can lead to serious punishment. 

Stratton declared that “the law has not caught up and that is stigma, discrimination, and criminalization.” In Canada, not disclosing one’s status can lead to them being charged with agravatted sexual assault, which has a jail time from 6 months to 14 years. 

This day serves as a reminder to those of us who are not directly affected by HIV/AIDS to provide support to our community members who are, and to recognize that above everything, the issue with AIDS is mainly systemic and is due to inequity, discrimination, and stigma towards not only the disease, but also whose who are affected by it.

You can support AIDS organizations by speaking about it, educating yourself, raising awareness, and by donating to local and international organizations. 

https://bit.ly/WADResourcesACO

http://aco-cso.ca/support/

https://www.hiv.gov/federal-response/pepfar-global-aids/global-hiv-aids-organizations

WORLD AIDS DAY CEREMONY 2022