AIDS Walk Arizona
AIDS Walk Arizona 2022 raised more than $230,000, surpassing the event’s fund-raising goal, as nearly 2,000 people spent a beautiful Saturday afternoon participating at Tempe Beach Park.
“Forty years after first discovering the virus, the battle against HIV/AIDS is not over,” said Aunt Rita’s Foundation Executive Director Jimmy Thomason. “We’ve made tremendous progress but our commitment to ensuring ongoing awareness, education, prevention and resources is as strong as ever. The money raised at AIDS Walk, and the incredible support we experienced, will go a long way in continuing our mission and bringing our vision to light.”
AIDS Walk Arizona
AIDS Walk Arizona 2022 was presented by CAN Community Health, a national organization dedicated to improving lives in the community and expanding the availability and accessibility of PrEP, a one-pill-a-day medication that reduces the risk of getting HIV by more than 99% when taken as prescribed.
Additional sponsors included Walgreens, which raised $27,000 through the annual wristband campaign; Gilead, featuring its product Bitkarvy; Sonora Quest Laboratories, sponsors of Kids for the Cause; and Tito’s Handmade Vodka, the Vodka for Dog People, sponsor of Paws for the Cause.
Elijah Palles and Regina Wells were AIDS Walk Arizona 2022 co-chairs.
With roots in Phoenix since 1988, Aunt Rita’s Foundation is dedicated to the elimination of, and suffering from, HIV and AIDS through collaborations with Arizona HIV service organizations and local and statewide government agencies.
About Aunt Rita’s Foundation
In our mission to end HIV in Arizona, Aunt Rita’s quietly began in 1988 with our first fundraising bake sale. Since then, Aunt Rita’s Foundation has provided millions of dollars to HIV programs and prides itself as the “Connector of the HIV Community” with gap-filling programs that include testing and collaborative initiatives. Partner agencies include Ebony House, The Bill Holt Clinic at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, CAN Community Health, Chicanos Por La Causa LUCES Program, HEAL International, HIV Care Directions, Valleywise Health, one n ten, Southwest Behavioral Health Services, Southwest Center, Shot in the Dark, Southwest Recovery Alliance and Terros Health. Aunt Rita’s distributes free Home HIV oral swap test kits through GetTestedAz.org and provides vouchers for confidential clinical testings at 100 Safeway stores and Sonora Quest locations statewide. Aunt Rita’s signature fund-raising events areAIDS Walk Arizona and RED is the Night and will commemorate World AIDS Day with a community-oriented Picnic in the Park. Aunt Rita’s Foundation also works with the Arizona Department of Health Services to increase awareness and education about HIV/AIDS statewide through HIVAZ.ORG. For more information, visit www.auntritas.org or call (602) 882-8675.
The bill, which is sponsored by Rep. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, would allow parents to sue school districts if teachers don’t comply. The bill also aims to allow parents additional access to certain medical records.
Kaiser argued in the House Education Committee on Jan. 25 that the aim of the legislation is to reign in surveys sent out by schools that have made headlines in a number of states and locally.
But out gay Rep. Daniel Hernandez, D-Tucson has pushed back against the bill.
Daniel Hernandez wants changes made to HB 2161
outvoices.us
“I still feel this bill is not ready for prime time,” Rep. Hernandez said, adding that he felt there was some merit to schools surveying students. “This bill could’ve been done without this inclusion or without the trivialization of transgender children.”
Kaiser initially said the bill was created via a “stakeholder group” and his “own inherent passion” for the issue. But when Hernandez pressed him on which stakeholders were involved in drafting the bill, Kaiser admitted he didn’t work with education groups or teachers, but with anti-LGBTQ advocacy groups—chief among them the Center for Arizona Policy, a conservative Christian lobbying organization that has pushed numerous controversial and bigoted bills since forming in 1995. CAP holds sway with most Republican lawmakers and Gov. Doug Ducey, and is widely considered one of the most powerful lobbying groups at the state Capitol.
“I’m not sure what education group I’d go to, because they’d be against this," Kaiser told Hernandez.
Kaiser also consulted Family Watch International, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated an anti-LGBTQ hate group. That group is backing another piece of legislation that would ban books that have “sexually explicit” content and that critics say would effectively make it illegal to teach about homosexuality.
Punishing Teachers
Supporters of HB2161 said it was necessary to punish teachers in order to bring transparency to schools, who they said have been asking “inappropriate questions.” Some said the $500 fine for school districts in the bill’s language was not large enough — Rep. John Fillmore, R-Apache Junction said that was a “drop in the bucket” for a school district and asked Kaiser if he’d agree to increase the amount.
Jeanne Casteen, the executive director of the Arizona Secular Coalition and a former teacher, worried about how the reporting function of the bill would impact child abuse. Teachers are mandatory reporters, and Casteen said that every time she had to report child abuse, it was being inflicted by a parent. Under Kaiser’s bill, she said, a teacher would also have to notify the parents—the likely abusers—that the child informed them of the abuse.
“I keep hearing about parental rights, but what about the rights of these students?” Casteen said.
Although the bill cleared the committee with Republican support, Rep. Joel John, R-Arlington, acknowledged there may be situations where a student may be more comfortable confiding with their teacher than with a parent. He suggested that the changes to the bill will be in the area of outing students to people who are essentially hostile towards them.
In addition to Kansas City, Cupid’s Undie Run will take place in 37 other cities across the United States including Chicago, Nashville, and Phoenix. More information regarding the event can be found here: https://my.cupids.org/cur/city/kansascity
Registration for the 2022 Cupid’s Undie Run is open! While there is still a lot of uncertainty about what the future holds, organizers remain optimistic that we will be able to party pantless in-person come in February. The focus remains on fundraising to find a cure for neurofibromatosis (NF). Organizers are continuing to monitor all national, state, and local public health guidelines in order to give you the Cupid’s event you know and love, while ensuring the safety of our runners, event directors, staff, and volunteers! If you have questions, please contact info@cupids.org.
2022 CITIES
Don’t see your city? Not to worry! This year, you can join from anywhere! Just select “Virtual Runner” when you’re registering.
ATLANTA, GA • 2/12/2022
AUSTIN, TX • 2/26/2022
BALTIMORE, MD • 2/12/2022
BOISE, ID • 2/12/2022
BOSTON, MA • 2/19/2022
BUFFALO, NY • 2/12/2022
CHARLESTON, SC • 2/19/2022
CHARLOTTE, NC • 2/12/2022
CHICAGO, IL • 2/19/2022
CINCINNATI, OH • 2/12/2022
CLEVELAND, OH • 2/12/2022
DALLAS, TX • 2/12/2022
DAYTON, OH • 2/19/2022
DENVER, CO • 2/12/2022
DETROIT, MI • 2/12/2022
JACKSONVILLE, FL • 2/12/2022
KANSAS CITY, MO • 2/12/2022
KNOXVILLE, TN • 2/12/2022
LOS ANGELES, CA • 2/19/2022
MADISON, WI • 2/19/2022
MINNEAPOLIS, MN • 2/12/2022
NASHVILLE, TN • 2/12/2022
NEW YORK, NY • 2/12/2022
ORLANDO, FL • 2/19/2022
PHILADELPHIA, PA • 2/19/2022
PHOENIX, AZ • 2/19/2022
PITTSBURGH, PA • 2/19/2022
PORTLAND, OR • 2/12/2022
RALEIGH – DURHAM, NC • 2/19/2022
RENO, NV • 2/12/2022
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CA • 2/12/2022
SEATTLE, WA • 2/19/2022
ST. LOUIS, MO • 2/12/2022
ST. PETERSBURG, FL • 2/5/2022
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA • 2/12/2022
WASHINGTON, D.C. • 2/12/2022
WILMINGTON, DE • 2/26/2022