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The mission of Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC) is to end the HIV and STI epidemics in the South by promoting accessible and high-quality systems of [HIV and STI] prevention, treatment, care, housing, and essential support services.
We’ve done it before. When we started in 2001, the HIV epidemic in the South was largely ignored. In those early years, we were just a handful of extraordinary advocates working together to demand more resources to address the HIV and AIDS state of emergency in our states. We assembled a number of case studies and released the first-ever Southern States Manifesto in 2002. These case studies were presented nationwide, garnering national attention from the media, funders, and policymakers.
We then turned our attention to the Ryan White Program, determined to change the legislation to create more equitable funding for southern states. After three years of meetings, press conferences, and congressional hearings, H.R. 6143 was passed in 2006. The reauthorization included many significant changes including modifying the distribution formula from cumulative AIDS data to actual living HIV and AIDS cases, redirecting an approximate $30 million to the South.

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Southern AIDS Coalition Announces Danielle Houston as Executive Director

Southern Response to Government Shutdown

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Danielle Houston

Nayasia Coleman

Mardrequs Harris

Will Ramirez, MPA (He/Him)

SOS 2026 is a wrap, and we are still in our feelings about it. 🖤 To every person who showed up in Atlanta this week; whether you attended, spoke, exhibited, or simply brought your whole self into that room; thank you. You made SOS 2026 everything it was meant to be. The sessions, the healing circles, the Gala, the Soulful Queer Brunch, the connections made in hallways and over meals; that was all you. The magic of SOS lives in this community. And this community showed out. Now share the memories. Scan the QR code to download your SOS 2026 photos, share your favorites, and tag us so we can celebrate together. Use #SOS2026 and let the world see what collective action looks like. 📸: @jelijahphotos #SOS2026 #SavingOurselvesSymposium #BlackLGBTQ #SouthernAIDSCoalition

10 days. 🖤 In 10 days, we gather in Atlanta for the Saving Ourselves Symposium 2026! Get ready for four days of learning, healing, connecting, and celebrating the Black LGBTQ+ community in the South. The sessions are set. The speakers are ready. The community is coming. Are you? If you haven't registered yet, there is still time. You don't want to miss this. 📍 August 20–23, 2026 | Atlanta Marriott Northwest at Galleria 🎟️ Registration: $150 Link in bio to register. 🔗 #SOS2026 #SavingOurselvesSymposium #BlackLGBTQ #SouthernAIDSCoalition #ATL

You asked, and we listened. 📣 We've extended the deadline to book your room at the Atlanta Marriott Northwest at Galleria with our special conference rate. That means you still have time to lock in $129 per night at the official host hotel for SOS 2026. But don't sleep on it - rooms are going fast and this extension won't last forever. 📍 Atlanta Marriott Northwest at Galleria | Atlanta, GA 🛏️ Conference rate: $129 / night 📅 New deadline: Monday, August 10th Link in bio to book your room. 🔗 #SOS2026 #SavingOurselvesSymposium #BlackLGBTQ #Atlanta #SouthernAIDSCoalition

Mark your calendar. Something special is happening on August 20th! To kick off SOS 2026, the Southern AIDS Coalition is hosting a Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (SHAAD) Reception at Atlanta City Hall; in partnership with the Atlanta Mayor's Office, the Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, Gilead Sciences, and the COMPASS Initiative. SHAAD was founded by SAC as a day to unite, call attention to the HIV epidemic in the South, and honor the communities most impacted. The South accounts for more than half of all new HIV diagnoses in the U.S., and this reception is our collective response. Join us for an evening of community, connection, and collective action. 📍 Atlanta City Hall | Atlanta, GA 📅 August 20, 2026 | 6:00 – 9:00 PM We hope to see you there! #SHAAD #SHAAD2026 #SOS2026 #SavingOurselvesSymposium #BlackLGBTQ #HIVEquity #CollectiveAction #SouthernAIDSCoalition #Atlanta

We are proud to welcome back a partner who has been in this work for over 30 years. 📣 The Elton John AIDS Foundation is a Black Print Sponsor of SOS 2026, and their presence at this conference means something. Since 1992, they have raised more than $650 million to support over 3,100 projects in 102 countries, working to increase access to healthcare, tackle LGBTQ+ stigma, and move the world closer to ending AIDS. Their mission is guided by love, compassion, and humanity. So is ours. This is what long-term partnership looks like; two organizations committed to the same people, the same communities, and the same future. Join us in Atlanta, August 20–23, and be part of the collective action that makes it all possible. Link in bio to register. 🔗 📍 SOS 2026 | Atlanta, GA | $150 to register #SOS2026 #EltonJohnAIDSFoundation #EJAF #SavingOurselvesSymposium #BlackLGBTQ #HIVadvocacy

Some people talk about change. Quinton Reynolds builds it from the ground up. 📣 We are honored to announce Quinton Reynolds as this year’s recipient of the SOS Founder’s Award; given in recognition of his extraordinary leadership and unwavering dedication to the Black LGBTQ+ community. Quinton is the Founder and Executive Director of Game Changing Men, a Certified Family Violence Facilitator, consultant, public educator, and a tireless advocate for Black transmasculine people, formerly incarcerated individuals, and TGNC communities across the South. His work is rooted in lived experience, collective care, and the belief that healing and justice belong to everyone. In receiving this award, Quinton joins a proud legacy of founders who have carried this community forward. And this August, we celebrate him in Atlanta. 🎉 Join us at SOS 2026, August 20–23. The Gala is where we make it official. Link in bio to register. 🔗 📍 SOS 2026 | Atlanta, GA | $150 to register #SOS2026 #FoundersAward #SouthernAIDSCoalition #BlackLGBTQ #SavingOurselvesSymposium

Your brand belongs in this room. 📣 SOS 2026 is calling on organizations and businesses who are ready to meet the Black LGBTQ+ community face to face. This is your opportunity to put your products and services directly in front of the people you serve; to build brand trust, gather real feedback, and share the passion behind what you do. Exhibiting at SOS means more than a table. It means connection. ✅ Increase your visibility ✅ Deepen your understanding of the community you serve ✅ Build trust through face-to-face engagement ✅ Two discounted conference registrations included ($125 each) Tables are limited. Don't wait on this one. Link in bio to reserve your spot. 🔗 📍 August 20–23, 2026 | Atlanta, GA #SOS2026 #ExhibitorOpportunity #SeekingVendors #BlackLGBTQ #SmallBusiness #ShopSmall #BlackOwned #WomanOwned #QueerOwned

Some people don’t just show up for the community; they show up in community. RaeShanda Lias is one of them. 🖤 We are honored to announce RaeShanda Lias as this year’s recipient of the SOS Fierce Advocate Award; given in recognition of her extraordinary leadership and unwavering dedication to the Black LGBTQ+ community. An entrepreneur, Army veteran, social media powerhouse with 3M+ followers, Out100 honoree, NAACP Image Award nominee, and recipient of the HRC Influence Award; RaeShanda has used every platform she’s been given to call people to action and give voice to those who feel drowned out. She joins a legacy of fierce advocates who have carried this community forward. And this August, we celebrate her in Atlanta. 🎉 Join us at SOS 2026, August 20–23. The Gala is where we make it official. Link in bio to register. 🔗 📍 SOS 2026 | Atlanta, GA | $150 to register #SOS2026 #SouthernAdvocate #RaeShandaLias #BlackLGBTQ #SouthernAIDSCoalition

We are proud to welcome back a familiar and valued partner. 🖤 @ViiVHealthcare is the Pride & Power Sponsor of SOS 2026, and this is a relationship we don't take lightly. As the only pharmaceutical company solely dedicated to HIV, ViiV has shown up for communities like ours time and time again; through long-acting treatment innovations, a deep commitment to quality of life, community investment that has reached over 33 organizations across the South, and direct support of our policy portfolio. Their investment in people and in the systems that protect them; especially young people, people of color, and those most often left behind; is what makes this partnership feel like home. Join us in Atlanta, August 20–23. Link in bio to register. 🔗 📍 SOS 2026 | Atlanta, GA | $150 to register #SOS2026 #ViiVHealthcare #SavingOurselvesSymposium #BlackLGBTQ #HIVEquity

Watch this. 💫 The magic of SOS doesn't disappear when the conference ends. It stays with us. It shapes us. It calls us back. This is SOS 2024; the sessions, the connections, the moments on the dance floor that reminded us joy is also part of the work. That is the archive we carry. That is the foundation we build on. And this August, we build again. Join us! Let's make magic together. SOS 2026 | August 20–23 | Atlanta, GA Registration is $150. Link in bio to secure your spot. 🔗 #SOS2026 #SavingOurselvesSymposium #ReliveTheMagic #BlackLGBTQ #CollectiveAction #SouthernAIDSCoalition

Big news! 📣 We are proud to announce @GileadSciences as the Collective Impact Presenting Sponsor of SOS 2026! This is a partnership rooted in real history and lasting impact. As a COMPASS Coordinating Center, SAC and Gilead have been working side by side to address HIV in the South long before today. 75% of people worldwide living with HIV receive a Gilead-innovated treatment regimen; and their $100M+ COMPASS Initiative has invested directly in Southern communities like ours. Their continued support of SOS ensures that the voices who are often silenced have a place to come together, dream, and strategize for the future. Join us in Atlanta, August 20–23 to help us amplify our collective impact for Black LGBTQ+ Southerners. Registration is $150. We hope to see you there! Link in bio. 🔗 #SOS2026 #GileadSciences #COMPASS #BlackLGBTQ #CollectiveAction #HIVEquity

Happy Juneteenth! 🖤✊🏾 Freedom has always required us to gather. To organize. To show up for one another. That truth is as old as our history, and it's the same truth SOS was built on. This August, we're gathering again. SOS 2026 is our invitation to grow personal impact into collective action in community with one another; to carry the legacy of Black resistance and resilience into every session, every conversation, and every connection we make in that room. 📍 August 20–23, 2026 | Atlanta, GA 🎟️ Registration: $150 Our freedom story is still being written. Be a part of writing the next chapter with us. Link in bio to register. 🔗 #HappyJuneteenth #Juneteenth #SOS2026 #SavingOurselvesSymposium #BlackLGBTQ #CollectiveAction #BlackFreedom #SouthernAIDSCoalition #BlackResilience

This could be you. 👆🏾 Swipe to see it: attendee or speaker, the room is waiting for you. SOS 2026 is your invitation to expand your personal impact into collective action alongside your people. 📍 August 20–23, 2026 | Atlanta, GA 🎟️ Registration: $150 Got a framework, program, project, or topic our community needs to see? Workshop opportunities for this year's programming are limited. Email sos@southernaidscoalition.org to be considered. This is your sign. Register, submit, and show up. 🖤 Link in bio to register. 🔗 #SOS2026 #SavingOurselvesSymposium #ThisCouldBeYou #BlackLGBTQ #CollectiveAction #SouthernAIDSCoalition

13 years. 13 years ago, Marvell L. Terry II had a dream for what was possible; and look at us now. 13 years of showing up, showing out, and showing the world what community looks like when it's rooted in love and collective power. 🖤✊🏾 SOS turns 13 this year, and we're bringing it all back to Atlanta, August 20–23, 2026. If you've been to SOS before, you already know. And if you haven't? This is your year. Drop your favorite SOS memory in the comments. 👇🏾 A session that changed how you think. A friendship that started in the hallway. A moment on the dance floor you'll never forget. We want to hear it all. Then make sure you secure your spot for SOS 2026. Early registration is $150 through July 31. Scan the QR code or click the link in bio. 🔗 #SOS2026 #SavingOurselvesSymposium #BlackLGBTQ #SouthernAIDSCoalition #CollectiveAction #TBT #ATL

45 years ago today, the CDC published a quiet notice about a mysterious illness. The world wasn't paying attention. The people living through it were. Today is HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day. We honor everyone who survived what followed - before treatments, before answers, before the world caught up. You are the reason this movement exists. We see you. #HLTSAD #HIVLongTermSurvivors #SouthernAIDSCoalition #EndingTheEpidemicSouth #PrideMonth

Registration is OPEN. 🗓️ SOS 2026 is coming to Atlanta, and it's time to secure your spot. The Saving Ourselves Symposium is where the Black LGBTQ+ community in the South comes to learn, heal, connect, and celebrate. This year, we're centering Collective Action for Collective Impact; because we've always known that when we move together, we change things. 📍 August 20–23, 2026 🏨 Atlanta Marriott Northwest at Galleria 🎟️ $150 Registration Cost Your registration includes a ticket to the Gala AND the Soulful Queer Brunch. Yes, we said both. Grab your spot before the early bird rate is gone. Link in bio to register. 🔗 #SOS2026 #SavingOurselvesSymposium #BlackLGBTQ #SouthernAIDSCoalition #CollectiveAction #HIVEquity #BlackHealthMatters #ATL2026

SOS is BACK! Mark your calendars and save the date for August 20-23, 2026! For more information, scan the QR code or go to southernaidscoalition.org/sos-conference.

Two weeks ago, the U.S. House passed legislation to extend the enhanced ACA premium tax credits. Those subsidies have now expired, and families across the South are already feeling the impact through higher premiums, coverage disruptions, and renewed uncertainty. The Senate returns to Washington, D.C. next week. We urge senators to take up the House-passed legislation and act without delay. More than 60% of ACA Marketplace enrollees live in the South. When affordability protections lapse, access to care, HIV prevention, and treatment continuity are put at risk. We urge people across the South to contact their Senators as they return to D.C. and make clear that extending the ACA premium tax credits is essential and urgent. #HIVintheSouth, #ACASubsidies, #ProtectCoverage, #SouthernHealth

ACA subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year, and time is running out! Today in Congress, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers took steps to force a vote on extending the ACA premium subsidies in January, signaling growing concern about rising health costs. While it was a victory, this does not guarantee an extension, and millions, especially across the South, remain at risk. If Congress doesn't extend, premiums will jump for millions, threatening access to care, HIV prevention, and treatment continuity. We still have time to make our voices heard. Use the tools below to see how much your costs could rise, then contact your representatives and urge them to extend the ACA subsidies now! See your projected costs (KFF Calculator): https://bit.ly/3KORJMb Tell Congress to extend the ACA subsidies: https://bit.ly/4plqGKM #ACASubisidies, #HIVintheSouth, #PublicHealth,

, Today, we continue our state-by-state series on how federal CDC funding cuts to HIV, Diabetes, and Cancer programs are impacting the South. This time, with a focus on Mississippi. Mississippi has one of the highest HIV diagnosis rates in the country and relies heavily on federal public health funding to support prevention, testing, treatment, and community-based care. Cuts to CDC programs threaten already fragile health infrastructure and risk widening health disparities across the state. Funding for these programs is determined through the federal appropriations process, and decisions made in Congress have real, on-the-ground consequences for communities. Understanding the process is the first step; advocacy is how communities protect public health funding. Join the SAVeHIV Funding campaign to fight to protect critical HIV funding. Visit the site https://lnkd.in/g89zq66y to learn more. #SAVeHIVFunding #PublicHealth #HIVintheSouth #CancerPrevention #Diabetes #ProtectPublicHealth

Today, we begin our state-by-state series on how federal CDC funding cuts to HIV, Diabetes, and Cancer programs are impacting the South. Starting with Alabama (available in English and Spanish). These cuts threaten prevention, testing, treatment access, and community health infrastructure in a state already facing significant health challenges. Funding for these programs is determined through the federal appropriations process, and decisions made in Congress have real, on-the-ground consequences for communities. Understanding the process is the first step; advocacy is how communities protect public health funding. Join the SAVeHIV Funding campaign to fight to protect critical HIV funding. Visit the site https://savehivfunding.org/ to learn more. #SAVeHIVFunding #PublicHealth #HIVintheSouth #CancerPrevention #Diabetes #ProtectPublicHealth #SouthernHealth #HealthPolicy #CommunityHealth

ACA subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year. Congress has less than two weeks left to act! If Congress doesn’t extend the subsidies, premiums will jump for millions, especially across the South. Use the tools below to see how much your costs could rise, then tell Congress: Extend the ACA subsidies now. Watch the video to see how easy it is to check your estimate and contact your lawmakers. See your projected costs (KFF Calculator): https://bit.ly/3K0RJMb Tell your elected officials to extend the subsidies: https://bit.ly/4plqGKM #ACASubsidies #PublicHealth #HIVintheSouth

Congress is on the verge of allowing ACA premium tax credits to expire, and the South will pay the highest price! Congress opened the government without extending the ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credits. If not extended before the end of the year, millions could face dramatic increases in monthly health insurance costs, further putting coverage out of reach for families already struggling with rising costs and disrupted safety-net services during the shutdown. Those most impacted by HIV could lose access to PrEP, viral suppression medications, primary care, and life-saving labs. States like Texas, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina will be hit the hardest, with some communities facing uncertainty about how they will absorb these increases. It’s time for Congress to extend the ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credits. Your voice matters. Contact your lawmakers today. #ACASubsidies, #HIVintheSouth, #PublicHealth

The Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC) today issued a statement following the Senate’s decision to end the longest government shutdown in history, a deal that reopens the government but fails to protect Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies. “Reopening the government was necessary, but doing so without safeguarding the ACA premium subsidies comes at a steep cost,” SAC said. “By delaying negotiations on these subsidies, Congress has deepened the harm already experienced during the shutdown.” During the 40-day shutdown, Southern families endured delayed or partial food assistance, disrupted health services, and growing unemployment in states with large federal workforces. In Mississippi, hospital closures and underfunded clinics pushed essential care further out of reach, while the federal data blackout left states and providers blind to real-time needs. The South bore the brunt of this crisis, a region already facing higher uninsured rates, fragile rural hospitals, and limited safety-net capacity. The decision to separate reopening from the ACA subsidy vote only compounds the region’s vulnerability. Without swift action, subsidies will expire at the end of 2025, driving up premiums by 26–30%, reducing coverage, and threatening 340,000 jobs nationwide. SAC calls for a whole-of-government response paired with robust state and local investment. Congress must act quickly to extend ACA premium subsidies and adopt measures that prevent future shutdowns. SAC also urges Southern state leaders to build contingency plans that protect nutrition, health care, and employment programs when federal funding stalls. Read SAC’s full statement here: https://southernaidscoalition.org/southern-aids-coalition-statement-on-govt-shutdown/ #HIVInTheSouth

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