Stories from the Frontline: Rainbow Grantees

Closing remaining gaps in stigma, discrimination and prejudice is vital to securing the holistic health of the LGBTQ+ community. With the support of the Gilead Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant, the Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBTQ+) Hotline Association looks to expand its focus to engage the family, friends and peers with the aim to create a more understanding and inclusive society for the community and PLWH.

Accelerating access for hard-to-reach communities to sexual health education and testing is mission critical to ensure no one is left behind in the fight to eliminate HIV. With the support of the Gilead Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant, Taiwan AIDS Foundation has successfully expanded its Anonymous Mobile Testing Program and HIV outreach and education, especially for rural Taiwan.

As the only organization run by people living with HIV/AIDS in South Korea, KNP+ has supported others in the community to navigate stigma to bring education and hope. Through support from the Gilead Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant, KNP+ has enhanced its counselling, outreach and advocacy offerings to ensure people living with HIV/AIDS do not feel alone in their journey and create a world without discrimination.

Despite global medical advances and an advanced healthcare system in Singapore, stigma remains one of the biggest challenges to ending HIV there. Support from the Gilead Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant allowed AfA Singapore to strengthen community education and advocacy to break down all forms of HIV/AIDS stigma, bringing Singapore a step closer to ending the HIV epidemic by 2030.

Andrew Chidgey, Chief Executive at Hong Kong AIDS Concern, talks about the work the organization does and how. With the support from Gilead Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant, they continue to help social workers, teachers and parents help young people with sexual health questions.

According to the Korean Association for AIDS Prevention, the perception of AIDS in South Korea is worse today than in 2008. Tony Park, Love4One Founder & President, discusses the challenges surrounding PLHIV in South Korea, his hopes for them, and efforts driven by Love4One to help the community.

Alice Chan, CEO of Society for AIDS Care Hong Kong, describes the goals of the organization as they roll out a mobile application for youths, and urge HIV+ patients to seek treatment.

When COVID-19 hit, Rainbow Grantee, Voluntary Health Services (VHS) – which is primarily a hospital – had to ensure continuous support to the communities they work with, especially to the vulnerable and marginalized transgender and MSM groups. Dr Joseph Williams, Director of Projects at VHS in Chennai, India, introduces the VHS-Gilead Trans Life Project and shares measures taken to adapt to the pandemic and relief efforts provided through the Gilead Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant.

In Pakistan, Atta Ul Haq Khaderzai, CEO of the Youth Association for Development (YAD), talks about YAD’s youth and community awareness programs, and leveraging technological innovation to safely and discretely reach populations affected by HIV/AIDS.

Take a look inside Rainbow Queer’s office and services as Jeffrey, a social worker, introduces the organization, and its annual International AIDS Candlelight Memorial for this year, which features an empowering Drag Queen Love Ambassador Race.

Love Foundation launched, across their social media channels, its Speak Out campaign to help increase HIV education and awareness across the young population in Thailand. Learn more about the campaign as Teak Sowaprux, Co-founder of Love Foundation shares, the hopes of the organization to normalize the conversation around HIV and their efforts towards creating an open space for HIV information and knowledge sharing.

Leow Yangfa, Executive Director of Oogachaga explains how the Asia Pacific Rainbow Grant helped support the organization in their mission to build resilience in the LGBTQ+ community in Singapore.