Tags: In honor of women’s history month, we’re honoring the lives of female figures lost to HIV.
Joan Baker was an activist, and San Francisco’s first “out” HIV-positive lesbian. After being diagnosed with HIV following a test she received in an act of solidarity with a friend, Baker became a fierce advocate for women living with HIV—using her voice to challenge stigma and a system that told her she could not exist.
Ilka Tanya Payán was a Dominican-born actress and immigration attorney who became a prominent HIV/AIDS activist in the United States. Payán publicly disclosed her HIV status on national television and became a prominent educator an advocate for immigrants living with HIV.
Katrina Haslip was an HIV educator and activist who was an essential part of the campaign to expand the government’s recognition of AIDS to include symptoms that women experienced. After being diagnosed with HIV while incarcerated, Haslip began a program to support the needs of incarcerated women living with HIV.
Elizabeth Glaser was an AIDS activist and mother who co-founded the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. After Glaser contracted HIV through a blood transfusion and unknowingly passed the virus onto her children, she became a vocal advocate for the needs of women and children living with HIV.
At Face to Face, we are committed to honoring the legacy of those we’ve lost by doing the work that saves lives today. That means providing access to free HIV testing, prevention tools, and support.
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