Each year, the City of West Hollywood recognizes World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day originated at the 1988 United Nations World Summit of Ministers of Health on Programs for AIDS Prevention and recognition takes place each year on December 1.

World AIDS Day is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV/AIDS, to show support for people living with HIV, and to commemorate people who have died from AIDS-related illnesses. Annually, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) unites the efforts of agencies, governments, nonprofit organizations, community groups, and others around the globe to join a campaign around specific themes related to AIDS. This year, communities will commemorate #WorldAIDSDay under the theme, Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response and the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on leaders and citizens to champion the right to health by addressing the inequalities that hinder progress in ending AIDS.

Overcoming Disruption, Transforming the AIDS Response highlights the urgent challenges posed by a historic funding crisis that threatens to reverse decades of progress in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Cuts from international donors have severely disrupted HIV prevention services, while community-led initiatives, which are essential for reaching marginalized populations, are being sidelined. At the same time, punitive laws targeting same-sex relationships, gender identity, and drug use are compounding the crisis, making lifesaving services increasingly inaccessible. With political leadership, international solidarity, and human-rights-centered action, the world can still end AIDS by 2030.

The City of West Hollywood and its community partners will recognize World AIDS Day 2025 with events and programming, as follows:

A panel of the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display at the City of West Hollywood’s Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard from Monday, December 1, 2025 through Monday, December 15, 2025 courtesy of the National AIDS Memorial. Considered the largest community arts project in history, the AIDS Memorial Quilt helps the global community remember the unique lives and stories of those we’ve lost to HIV/AIDS. The Quilt was conceived in November 1985 by long-time human rights activist, author, and lecturer Cleve Jones with the goal of creating a memorial for those who had died of AIDS-related illnesses, and to thereby help people understand the devastating impact of the disease. The first meeting of devoted friends and lovers of some of the nearly 1,000 San Franciscans who had been lost to AIDS by the mid-1980s served as the foundation of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. Today, there are roughly 50,000 panels dedicated to more than 110,000 individuals in this epic 54-ton tapestry.

Community members are invited to the first World AIDS Day gathering at STORIES: The AIDS Monument to bring people together to honor lives lost to AIDS-related illnesses and to uplift the voices of those living with HIV and AIDS. The World AIDS Day event is free and open to the public. It will take place on Monday, December 1, 2025 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The event will begin at the AIDS Monument, located in West Hollywood Park at 647 N. San Vicente Boulevard at 5:30 p.m. The program will feature readings by the APLA Health Writers Group, which is a collective founded in 1989 for HIV-positive writers and their allies. It will be curated by former City of West Hollywood poet laureate Brian Sonia-Wallace. Following the program, a reception will take place at ONE Gallery, located at 626 N. Robertson Boulevard, which is a short walk across the park, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The reception will include refreshments and access to the newly opened Herb Ritts: Allies & Icons exhibition, which highlights portraits of artists and activists who shaped the fight against AIDS.

This World AIDS Day event is co-sponsored by APLA Health, ONE Institute, and the Foundation for The AIDS Monument, in collaboration with the City of West Hollywood. Please RSVP in advance via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-aids-day-2025-tickets-1975124687108.

The Alliance for Housing & Healing, a program of APLA Health (formerly AIDS Project Los Angeles), will lay flowers on the bronze plaques embedded in the sidewalk along the West Hollywood AIDS Memorial Walk on Santa Monica Boulevard from Crescent Heights Boulevard to N. Robertson Boulevard. The City of West Hollywood was one of the first government entities to provide social services grants to local AIDS and HIV organizations and, throughout its history, the City has directed millions of dollars to fund HIV/AIDS direct services, education, and public awareness efforts. The West Hollywood Memorial Walk was created in 1993 to honor people who were lost to the AIDS pandemic, with new plaques being added regularly.

The 25th Annual Paul Andrew Starke Warrior Awards will take place on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. at the City of West Hollywood’s Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. The Warrior Awards event is free and open to the public, and no RSVP is required. Limited parking will be available at the West Hollywood Park 5-Story structure.

The Warrior Awards recognize outstanding employees and volunteers from local agencies that provide HIV/AIDS and substance abuse prevention and care services.  These individuals embody courage, compassion, and resilience, standing on the frontlines to protect health, restore dignity, and uplift lives. By recognizing their extraordinary commitment, the Warrior Awards not only celebrate their achievements but also inspire others to join the fight against stigma, illness, and addiction – reminding us all that true warriors are those who serve with heart and purpose.

This year’s event will feature Drag King performer Spacee Kadett, an award-winning drag king with more than 18 years of drag performance experience. Also participating are Steven Reigns, former West Hollywood Poet Laureate, and Hernán Molina, the City’s Government Affairs Liaison. The event will posthumously honor Russell Ybarra with the Lifetime Achievement Award.  In addition, this year’s Warrior Awards honorees are: Miguel Arevalo, AIDS Healthcare Foundation; Jack Crozier Inman Jr., Life Group LA; Rob Lester, Men’s Health Foundation; Maricor Lopez, APLA Health; Alexandra Magallon, TransLatin@ Coalition; Chloe Opalo, Los Angeles LGBT Center; Andrew Ramos, C.I.T.Y x1 Youth Group; and Jim Scott, Being Alive.

The onset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic had a significant impact in West Hollywood. The disease’s elevated infection rate among gay men caused a devastatingly high number of deaths in the city. The City of West Hollywood was one of the first government entities to provide social services grants to local HIV/AIDS organizations. The City of West Hollywood sponsored one of the first AIDS awareness campaigns in the country in October 1985 and the City’s response to the AIDS crisis has been recognized as a model for other cities, nationally and globally.

The City of West Hollywood actively participates in the development of programs that can bring awareness about the HIV/AIDS epidemic and services to people living with HIV/AIDS. In January 2015, the City announced its vision to become an ‘HIV Zero’ city. The City is currently implementing its HIV Zero Strategic Initiative. 

For more information, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Human Services Division at wehocares@weho.org or at (323) 848-6510. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing dial 711 or 1-800-735-2929 (TTY) or 1-800-735-2922 (voice) for California Relay Service (CRS) assistance.

For up-to-date information about City of West Hollywood news and events, follow @wehocity on social media, sign-up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar. Receive text updates by texting “WeHo” to (323) 848-5000. West Hollywood City Hall is open for walk-in services at public counters or by appointment by visiting www.weho.org/appointments. City Hall services are accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via website at www.weho.org.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.