Olympian reflects on HIV diagnosis

Louganis says empathy is vital as World AIDS Day memorializes 32 million lost

A ceremony Friday in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park marked World AIDS Day by memorializing the 32 million people lost worldwide to the disease and offering support to the estimated 1.2 million HIV survivors in the U.S. today.

The event at the National AIDS Memorial Grove marked the 35th anniversary of World AIDS Day, held annually on Dec. 1 to raise awareness of the pandemic.

Longtime HIV survivor and LGBTQ activist Greg Louganis, a five-time Olympic medalist for diving, recounted how his diagnosis in 1988 changed the course of his life during a conversation with National AIDS Memorial CEO John Cunningham as part of the ceremony.

“The most important thing is speaking up and speaking out. The more people get to know you, the more we lessen the stigma,” Louganis said. “Every person is so much more than the label we give each other. It is really key that we connect on a human level and be empathetic to the challenges that each of us have.”

The event began with a performance by an Aztec dance troupe, followed by an invocation and opening remarks by Cunningham and Daniel O’Day, chairman and CEO of HIV drugmaker Gilead Sciences of Foster City.

The ceremony featured the presentation of the Hope and Inspiration Award to Lashanda “Tootie” Salinas, who helped change Tennessee laws covering people with HIV after she was forced to register as a sex offender when an ex-boyfriend said she exposed him to the virus.

“There is still so much stigma

and misinformation around HIV/AIDS, including outdated laws that criminalize and take away basic human rights just for having the disease,” Salinas said. “Through education and advocacy, we can make great strides to change that.”

After the ceremony, attendees were invited to the AIDS Memorial Grove’s Circle of Friends for a reading of nearly 4,000 engraved names of lives touched by AIDS, including Louganis.

The event was preceded Thursday night by Light in the Grove, an annual fundraiser for

the memorial grove featuring colorful displays, performances, tributes, food and a display of sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, which honors lives lost to the disease.

“We commemorate the 35th anniversary of World AIDS Day by doing what we do best — uplifting the voices that contribute to the broader, intersectional narrative of health and social inequities that defines the AIDS movement,” Cunningham said.

Photos by Jessica Christian/The Chronicle Olympic Gold Medal diver Greg Louganis listens to speakers during the annual World AIDS Day observance held Friday at the National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

Flowers and candles sit in the middle of a circle with the names of those who lost their lives to AIDS during the 35th annual World AIDS Day observance.