C2EA’s AIDSVote 2012 Platform is consistent with our five guiding principles regarding HIV & AIDS treatment, prevention, research, housing and respect for people living with HIV & AIDS. These principles are our core values and remain constant, no matter the election year.

This is an important election year especially as we consider where we are with the HIV & AIDS epidemic. We demand a country in which the lives and health of individuals, workers, families and communities are prioritized over ideology and the interests of the wealthy and corporations. We have the science, the treatments, and the resources to end the HIV epidemic, but do we have the political will?

*New science and decades of research shows we can halt the pandemic. *Condoms, sterile syringes, HIV treatment that prevents transmission, stable housing, bio-medical prevention tool-kits and more — we can protect our communities. And we can end violence and ensure the rights of LGBT people, women, youth, people of color and members of other marginalized communities. But that doesn’t fill campaign coffers, so we don’t get the funding needed to end AIDS – even though it would save money as well as suffering. We demand better.

12-Point AIDSVote 2012 Platform:

HIV+ LEADERSHIP: – Meaningful inclusion of people who representing the epidemic, especially people living with HIV & AIDS in all policy and decision making bodies and processes.

TREATMENT ACCESS: – Access for all in the U.S. to medical care and treatment, including ending the AIDS Drug Assistance Program waiting lists. – Treatment for 6 million people by 2013 from PEPFAR; global plan for 15 million by 2015.

U.S. HEALTH CARE REFORM: – Ensure everyone has access to insurance coverage and the health services they need; at minimum fully implement the Affordable Care Act.

FULL FUNDING: – Ryan White Care Act, Medicare Expansion, HIV prevention programs, NIH and CDC budgets, and the HOPWA Housing program must all be fully funded. – The US must provide at least $2 billion per year for the Global Fund, including $2b from the US, and at least $8 billion per year for PEPFAR
(HOW? A 0.005% Financial Transaction Tax on speculators for the fight against HIV/AIDS, health and social services in the US and worldwide, and stop rampant speculation.)

FAIR TRADE: – A halt to all Free Trade deals that put drug companies’ profits and patents ahead of people’s lives.

JUST DRUG POLICY: – End laws that criminalize people who use drugs. Instead, protect and fund harm reduction programs, sterile syringe access and treatment options to eliminate new infections among injection drug.

PREVENTION: – Reach all those in need with tools to halt infection by 2015: male and female condoms, sterile syringes, microbicides and the newest anti-retroviral drugs for PLWHAs – especially mothers. Target the dollars to reach those most at risk and ensure every program is evidence- and justice-based, and address HIV plus reproductive health.

TUBERCULOSIS & HEPATITIS SCREENING & TREATMENT: – Support the scale up of anti-TB/HEPATITIS programs, globally to cut deaths of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) from TB by 80%.

HOUSING: – Pass S. Res 162 expressing the sense of the Congress that the lack of adequate housing must be addressed as a barrier to effective HIV prevention, treatment and care, and that the United States should make a commitment to providing adequate funding for developing housing as a response to the AIDS pandemic.

HUMAN RIGHTS: – The end to discriminatory laws that limit access to prevention and care for affected communities including people living with HIV, LGBT and queer people, sex workers, post incarcerated, immigrants, and people who use drugs, including the repeal of HIV criminalization statutes.

RESEARCH: – Increase investments to find a cure, better and cheaper treatments, more effective prevention methods and a vaccine. This includes development and delivery of ARV treatment for prevention, safe medical male circumcision, pre-exposure prophylaxis, and microbicides.

NATIONAL HIV & AIDS STRATEGY: – Build on the National HIV & AIDS Strategy by including information on women, youth, housing and geographic need to update the implementation plans to end the epidemic.

The C2EA AIDSVote 2012 Candidate Questionnaire is a valuable, non-partisan tool for learning what positions city, state, national, and Presidential candidates take on HIV & AIDS issues ranging from full funding and implementation of the National HIV & AIDS Strategy to ending laws that criminalize people living with HIV & AIDS. The questionnaire responses are used by C2EA members, allies, partners, and supporters to evaluate candidates positions and is posted to the AIDSVote 2012 Races page.