Anyone who has attended an annual United States Conference on AIDS (USCA) has also faced a challenge upon returning home: How do you capture the scope of the event—the energy, inspiration, education, the sheer number of people!—when trying to describe it to other folks?
Thankfully, we now have social media to help us out. (And watch our video summary above with highlights from the conference!)
Search the hashtag #2017USCA and you could spend hours, if not days, scrolling through tweets, videos, pictures, quotes and more. You can also visit the conference’s website, 2017usca.org, for detailed information about the speakers, the exhibitors’ booths and workshops.
Sponsored by the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC), the 21st annual conference was held September 7 through 10 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Washington, DC. The following 15 tweets capture only a fraction of what transpired at #2017USCA, but they’ll give you a good overview—without wearing you out!
Paul Kawata (pictured below) is the executive director of NMAC. When he wasn’t speaking during a plenary session—sharing his truth, that AIDS advocacy can be lonely and depressing work at times—he was socializing and networking with the rest of us.
@pkawata
— Ms.Katt 06 (@kattnfb) September 9, 2017
NMAC being part of the difference we what to see. #2017USCA #2017USCAsmf #AIDS#HIV#Changetheworld pic.twitter.com/GDK1yi9yLb
The opening plenary session included speeches by U.S House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. During the session, it was announced that Gilead Sciences was donating $1 million to a fund to help HIV groups affected by hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
#2017USCA - Nancy Pelosi came to Congress to fight HIV. We must continue AND WIN @asaustin #TaSP #PrEPWorks #HIV pic.twitter.com/rBvt0pMdFu
— Paul Scott (@PaulScottASA) September 7, 2017
$1 million in funding from Gilead to help HIV organizations and patients impacted by Irma and Harvey announced at #2017USCA.
Protests are part of the lifeblood of USCA. At one point, transgender activists took to the stage to demand better representation.
An emotional reminder from the transgender community at the #2017USCA. #2017USCASMF pic.twitter.com/vcX0oZTYhd
— GMHC (@GMHC) September 8, 2017
Similarly, a plenary session on the power and leadership of women of color was interrupted when indigenous women demanded better representation—but not before a series of inspirational women shared their thoughts on leadership.
“There’s no single-issue struggle, because no one lives a single-issue lives,” Activist Linda Sarsour quoting from Audre Lorde. #2017USCA pic.twitter.com/R1PqB5MqjO
— Listen-Up_Iris House (@KEEPIt100nyc) September 10, 2017
Indigenous/ANHPI women demand inclusion during #2017USCA closing plenary session on Women of Color. #IndigenousWomenRise #NativeLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/eM2LOYLFSi
— Samantha Eldridge (@DCSamantha) September 10, 2017
Side note: Check out the expanse of the Marquis Ballroom, where the plenary sessions were held. Walking around the space can be awe-inspiring.
It was #highnoon .@NMACCommunity and #2017USCA time to #EndAIDS #community #commitment we’re in .@ETRASSOCIATES 716 pic.twitter.com/sp02FPLgXB
— John Henry Ledwith (@JohnHenry56) September 8, 2017
The “U=U” campaign—which stands for “Undetectable = Untransmittable”—took center stage more than once and earned a strong shout-out from Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health.
A historic moment! Dr. Anthony Fauci @NIH confirms at the US Conference on AIDS that we have enough science to say #UequalsU. #2017USCA pic.twitter.com/Q1GYdY9e38
— Bruce Richman (@BR999) September 10, 2017
Each year, NMAC sponsors youth scholars. As part of that initiative, scholarship recipients attend USCA.
#nmacyouth2017, #2017USCA @ViiVUS youth scholars 2017 pic.twitter.com/JVSIg3jL1U
— Linda H. Scruggs (@iamlhscruggs) September 11, 2017
But everyone at USCA is there to learn. You can attend daily workshops and classes—and peruse a hallway of poster presentations.
Standing room only; big, passionate group discussing #UndoingRacism #2017USCA. We need more spaces to act on these convos in our #HIV work pic.twitter.com/kTSFRSnhgx
— Olivia Ford (@o_g_ford) September 9, 2017
ICYMI POSTER! Gayming at Work: Creating Effective Engagement for YMSM of Color. ????
— Mpowerment Project (@MPCAPS) September 9, 2017
via SOMOS #Mpowerment FL @LatinosSalud #2017USCA pic.twitter.com/cY9o2IdvDB
But it’s not all work, work, work. Sometimes, it’s WERK! Saturday night included a trans ball, hosted by Casa Ruby!
2nd annual dc trans ball #2017USCA https://t.co/zvtH8sBdXD
— Gran Varones (@TheGranVarones) September 10, 2017
You never know who you’ll run into at USCA—from members of Congress to PrEP warriors!
The THRILLING @RepMaxineWaters at #2017USCA! pic.twitter.com/W9B1j4VQ7s
— GMHC (@GMHC) September 6, 2017
Cmon by and say HEY to #PrEPWarrior! At the MrFriendly booth @NMACCommunity’s event #2017USCA #UequalsU (+; pic.twitter.com/oLmtSMMP4t
— Mr Friendly (@MrFriendly) September 9, 2017
And throughout the day, you can stroll through the exhibition hall, where AIDS service organizations, pharmaceutical companies, advocacy groups, government organizations and more—including yours truly, POZ magazine—share information and network at nearly 80 booths.
To see more of what we experienced at USCA, follow POZ on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr.
#2017USCA Thanks @taebug and @MyFabDisease for stopping by the booth pic.twitter.com/maK8Rc3JMU
— POZ Magazine (@pozmagazine) September 8, 2017
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