February 03 2026, 08:15 
I’ve never taken comfort in the phrase, “HIV isn’t a death sentence anymore.” Yes, the phrase is meant to honor the hard-won victories achieved by HIV activists so that current generations of newly HIV-positive people could live long and fulfilling lives without fear, but the slogan is only as true if we have access to medication and social services.
The truth is that 4,496 U.S. residents died of HIV-related illnesses in 2023. Of them, 24% were women, 30% were over 55 years old, 43% were Black, and 56% lived in the South, where homophobia, lack of sex education, and poverty run rampant. And the current political situation will only increase those numbers.
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It’s now more important than ever to learn lessons from past generations of HIV activists, understand the challenges presently facing today’s HIV advocates, and to forecast the promises (and perils) of future HIV developments in our country.
That’s why LGBTQ Nation’s February 2026 Issue examines the past, present, and future of HIV activism. It’s an issue that affects everyone — whether you yourself have HIV or know someone who is. And, in commemoration of Black History Month, many of our stories will elevate Black voices and experiences to share often-overlooked experiences in the struggle against HIV.
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Our cover story this month will look back at the history of Black HIV activism through an anti-racist lens with the assistance of Dr. Aishah Scott, a professor of Black studies and health sciences who is writing a book about the AIDS epidemic in urban Black America.
A cultural piece will examine groundbreaking films about Black people living with HIV and why they remain culturally significant today. We’ll look at how the current administration’s HIV policy is affecting Black communities, how advocates are combating HIV criminalization laws that disproportionately harm Black queer men, and report on a recent roundtable of leading Black HIV activists on the challenges ahead.
Several of our pieces will also focus on women, another oft-overlooked community still impacted by the epidemic, including tales of the lesbians who bravely cared for queer men during the epidemic’s worst days; a look at Zelda Rubenstein, the celebrity ally who helped raise awareness of HIV at a time when few celebrities publicly spoke about it; and an assessment of how HIV continues to impact women today.
Our edition will also provide clear-eyed reasons for hope as well, examining the astonishing stories of people who’ve been cured of HIV, the role that injectable PrEP will play in drastically reducing new infections, and the latest developments in the continued race for an HIV vaccine and cure.
The stakes remain high, and we’re at a crossroads: The federal government wants to turn back the clock, but it’s facing headwinds from visionary activists fighting for a more humane future.
We only arrived at this moment because of the generations of queer HIV activists and researchers before us — many of whom were forced to innovate and create solutions for community care when the government couldn’t have cared less.
It’s this humanity and vision that can see us through to a future where HIV is just another manageable illness and healthcare is for everyone.
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