Valley AIDS Council will be holding an event Tuesday to commemorate National Coming Out Day and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community at the Main Event Center in Pharr.
“This is an important day for everyone, not just the LGBTQ+ community, because we are celebrating families and promoting safe, inclusive and loving spaces for our LGBTQ+ individuals so that we can live our authentic lives without fear,” said Wally Cantu, CEO for Valley AIDS Council.
The release notes that coming out can be overwhelming and scary, but it can also be the first time that LGBTQ+ people are able to be truly open with those closest to them.
Although coming out is not a one-time event and not a big deal for many, VAC continued to say that it is a unique experience that continues to be a huge challenge for people due to bullying, physical attacks, hate, abuse and harassment, which has led to anxiety, suicidal thoughts and self-harm.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place Tuesday, from 6 to 9 p.m.
There will be food, games and prizes during the event at the Main Event Center in Pharr, located at 500 N. Jackson Road, Suite C.
The day was founded in 1988 by psychologist Richard Eichberg and gay rights activist Jean O’Leary to raise awareness of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and its civil rights movement, the release stated. They chose Oct. 11 to mark the anniversary of the second major National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987.
According to the release, National Coming Out Day is observed throughout the United States and other countries around the world.
“Whether it’s October 11 (National Coming Out Day), October 15 (National Latinx HIV Awareness Day), or any other day, it is important to remind Latinos of the importance of knowing their HIV status,” Cantu stated in the release.
VAC has been providing HIV services since 1987 and revealed in the release that they will be celebrating its 35th anniversary with a Gala on April 8, 2023.
“While HIV continues to be a serious threat to the health of Latino communities, it is now a chronic and manageable condition with medication available for treatment and prevention,” the release stated. “Stigma and discrimination are among the biggest barriers to HIV testing and treatment and contribute to late testing and delayed initiation of medications for treatment and prevention.”
With clinics in Harlingen, Brownsville and McAllen, VAC is the primary provider of status-neutral HIV services including prevention, education, testing, medical care and supportive services in the region. The clinics are open from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the late clinic on Tuesday running until 8 p.m.
VAC urges people to get tested, know their status and take charge of their health. In the release, they said to call their clinics to learn about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or the new long-lasting HIV injectable medication that treats and prevents HIV.
For more information regarding the event, VAC said to contact Steven Cano at [email protected] or call (956) 507-4930.
