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- The (Bi)weekly Kiki | Feb. 8
The (Bi)weekly Kiki | Feb. 8
Meriden Pride Community Center
Valentine’s Day is this Saturday! It’s not too late to do something special. Show your love while supporting the Meriden Pride Center with a Candy Gram❣️
Each Candy Gram includes:
6 carnations
3 chocolate heart pops
A personalized message
Hand delivery
⏰Orders close 2/11. Order now: https://docs.google.com/forms/u/2/d/1USRQgvgvDcnYlWchTZzrceFn7qse1etlOGoEKTfRkKM/edit?usp=drivesdk
With love,
-The Meriden Pride Team
Table of Contents
This moment in Queerstory 🪶
National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
February 7 was National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
The first National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD) was in 1999 and began as a grassroots-education effort to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS prevention, care, and treatment in communities of color.
While Black community leaders, activists and organizers have worked alongside our allies to reduce HIV and AIDS in our communities and mitigate the seroconversions (new HIV diagnoses), Black Americans remain disproportionately impacted by HIV.
There are nearly 1.2 million people in the U.S. living with HIV. Of those 1.2 million people, about 440,000 are Black. Despite making up only 12% of the population, Black Americans account for around 40% of all people living with HIV in the United States. This disproportionate number of Black Americans living with HIV can be attributed to inadequate access to education, testing, prevention, healthcare, racism, discrimination, socioeconomic status, and many other risk factors and structural obstacles.
Key HIV prevention efforts:
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEP) is medicine taken to prevent HIV in someone who is not currently living with HIV. PrEP is highly effective for preventing HIV when taken as prescribed.
Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U) indicates that a person living with HIV who is receiving treatment and has an undetectable viral load cannot sexually transmit HIV. Research shows that people living with HIV who were informed of #UequalsU by their health care providers reported better adherence, mental and sexual health, and viral suppression. Awareness days like NBHAAD are crucial in educating the public about HIV facts and information, such as U=U.
Source: GLAAD.org
February Events 💘
Order via this form.
Please check our Facebook pages to RSVP to events. If you’re not already a member, join the private group for Meriden Pride. (Main FB page | Private group)
2/13 & 2/14, Candy Gram deliveries! Order via this form. (Order deadline 2/11)
2/11, Craft Night: Valentine’s Day Cards. 5-8 p.m. @ Meriden Pride Center
2/25, Gayme Night: TCG Night. 5-8 p.m. @ Meriden Pride Center
Observances
(7) National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
(16-22) Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week
(28) HIV is Not a Crime Awareness Day
Visit our Food Pantry, Coat Closet, and School Supply table!
We have tons of freebies at the center right now! Stop in during our weekend hours from 12-4 p.m. and take what you need.
How you can help:
Volunteer to staff the center
Join our committee
Volunteer Opportunities 🙌
Connect with the local LGBTQ+ community! We’d love to have your help at events. Please fill out a volunteer form if you would like to volunteer with us.
Right now, we need volunteers for:
Staffing the center with a committee member on Saturdays and Sundays
Staffing the health fair on May 16 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Email us at [email protected] if you have any questions. We are stronger together!
About the Community Center 🌈
The Meriden Pride Community Center offers a wide range of free resources and support services to empower and assist the community, including:
Sexual health supplies such as male and female condoms, dental dams, and lubrication
Free at-home COVID-19 test kits, Narcan overdose prevention kits, and blood glucose meters for health monitoring
Assistance with applications for heating and renters’ reimbursement programs
Personalized help connecting to broader city and state services
Borrowing books from our LGBTQ+ library
Complimentary internet and printing access
Committed to holistic support, the center strives to address immediate and long-term needs through its inclusive and accessible offerings.
Community Center Hours
Saturdays, 12-4 p.m.
Sundays, 12-4 p.m.
Donate to the Center 💝
Every donation fuels our mission to uplift the Greater Meriden LGBTQ+ community through free, accessible programming that celebrates identity, fosters belonging, and sparks joy. From inclusive workshops and peer support networks to vibrant Pride events and educational resources, we create safe spaces where LGBTQ+ individuals can thrive. Led entirely by volunteers, our work is powered by your generosity—ensuring queer voices are heard, stories are celebrated, and no one faces barriers to connection. Together, we’re building a world where everyone can live authentically, proudly, and without compromise.