To commemorate Pride Month and National HIV Testing Day, the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services HIV/STI Program will host Pride in the Plaza, an outdoor LGBTQ+ health and wellness community resource fair.
The free event will run from 1 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 27, at Veterans Plaza in downtown Silver Spring, according to a County press release.
Pride in the Plaza, which will open with a pride flag-raising ceremony at Veterans Plaza, will conclude with an evening “Mini-Ball” voguing competition in partnership with Speak Out & the Capitol Ballroom Council.
The event will showcase a diverse cross-section of local non-profit organizations and artists tabling to share information about their services for the county’s LGBTQ+ communities. Music, dancing, and other interactive activities will occur, and free, on-site HIV testing and prevention education will be available throughout the event.
“Pride in the Plaza represents the County’s ongoing commitment to LGBTQ+ health and wellness,” Melvin Cauthen, administrator for the HIV/STI program, said in a statement. “This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first cases of HIV in the United States. LGBTQ+ health encompasses so much more than HIV, but this epidemic persisting over four decades with increasing disparities shows us the danger of a ‘one size fits all’ public health approach. We are committed to fighting HIV equitably.”
In addition to Pride in the Plaza, health officials are also launching “Do it For Montgomery County,” a comprehensive, inclusive LGBTQ+ sexual health campaign created as part of the County’s Plan to End HIV.
The “Do it For Montgomery County” sexual health campaign features a new website, new social media platforms, bus, metro, and digital ads and includes multicultural, inclusive LGBTQ+ messaging on HIV testing, treatment, and prevention.
The County’s HIV/STI program provides free HIV testing, free and low-cost HIV treatment, pre-exposure medication PrEP, and STI testing and treatment at the Dennis Avenue Health Center, located at 2000 Dennis Avenue in Silver Spring. Call (240) 777-1760 to make an appointment or visit DoItForYouMC.org for more information.
Montgomery County Graphic
In honor of Pride Month and National HIV Testing Day, join us at Pride in the Plaza, an outdoor LGBTQ+ health and wellness community resource fair from 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday, June 27.https://t.co/D9hSjjjp96 @MCDHHSDirector @MontgomeryCoMD @MoCoCouncilMD pic.twitter.com/UomH2cUdpA
— Montgomery County DHHS (@MoCoDHHS) June 11, 2021