People With Aids Coalition Of Long Island, Inc.

Causes: AIDS, Health

Mission: The People With AIDS Coalition of Long Island, Inc. is founded on the principal that PWAs are not victims but simply people with AIDS. And that understanding that critical distinction enables us to go about the business of living creatively with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

We believe that all people both infected and affected by HIV infection, to whatever extent, have the right to be integrally involved in treatment, and in all aspects of the response to AIDS, that self-empowerment is an essential tool in this struggle.

Self-empowerment is not only important and beneficial to the individual, but offers great benefit to the struggle, and to the community at large. This benefit is based on the understanding that we have a unique perspective on the issues involved and that through our experiences we have resources that only we can offer. Our goal as an organization is to tap the gifts, talents and experiences of PWAs and those concerned affected so that we can contribute to our own lives as well as those around us.

PWAC-LI, Inc. will network with other people both infected and affected regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, gender, age, disability, and sexual or affectional preference. We are born of, and inextricably bound to the historic struggle for rights civil, feminist, disabled, lesbian, gay, and human. We will not be denied our rights.