This month, I encourage everyone to keep an eye out for the upcoming E-vite for our annual National HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day Dinner, which will take place on Wednesday, June 24 at the Mizell Center. This gathering continues to be one of the most meaningful events on the LKAPS calendar, bringing our community together to honor the resilience, history, and ongoing contributions of HIV long-term survivors.
We are especially honored that this year’s program will include speakers from the Richmond Ermet Aid Foundation (REAF), whose decades of support for HIV/AIDS organizations and causes have had a lasting impact on communities throughout California and beyond. We are also pleased to welcome longtime HIV/AIDS activist Danny Kopelson, a familiar and beloved presence in the Palm Springs LGBTQ and arts communities, who will share reflections from his many years of advocacy and community involvement.
I also want to extend our sincere gratitude to Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) for increasing its recent grant support to LKAPS from $1,500 to $2,500. We are deeply appreciative of the many grantors, community partners, and supporters who continue to invest in our work and help sustain programs that build connection, visibility, and support for HIV long-term survivors.
Thank you, as always, for being part of this community. I look forward to seeing many of you at the Mizell Center later this month.
Warmly, Jax
Jax Kelly, President Let’s Kick ASS Palm Springs (AIDS Survivor Syndrome) JaxKelly@LKAPS.org
Social Events
Social Committee Meeting via Zoom. Wednesday June 17th @ 5:00 PM Join Here!
A look back to HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (2021). Community member Bob Hultz put together this video with community members reading 40 years of milestones.Join us June 5 at sunset for a community candlelight vigil at the Desert Healthcare Wellness Park, west of the Meditation Circle, as part of the national Seven Days in June: Health Is Primary campaign. Together, we will honor HIV long-term survivors, remember those we’ve lost during the 45 years since the first reported AIDS cases, and stand in solidarity to protect healthcare access for our communities, families, and loved ones. www.sevendaysinjune.org
The Roundtable
The Roundtable is our weekly drop-in discussion group, where we make connections and build community through conversation. Peer coordinators facilitate discussions of topics both serious and fun that include and allow everyone to participate.
Got a topic that’s been on your mind? Send your idea to the roundtable team and join the conversation!
SUMMER IS COMING! So, the ONLINE Roundtable will meet MONTHLY on the LAST Tuesday ONLY, starting in May…
June 2026 Topics:
June 4 – What have you found are the unique aspects of aging with HIV? What has surprised you on your journey of growing older and aging with HIV?
June 11 – Are you worried or concerned about memory issues now or in the future? What steps can you take to help improve your memory?
June 18 – In what ways have you become more virile and/or sexual as an older man?
June 25 – Has there been progress in improving the lives of long-term HIV survivors? Where are we now in dealing with that and where are we headed?
BONUS TOPIC: TUESDAY June 30 ONLINE – What are some social opportunities and venues in the Valley that you have accessed and can recommend? What suggestions do you have for getting out and meeting people?
Palm Springs Lanes 68051 Ramon Rd, Cathedral City, CA 92234
Knowing Me, Knowing You
Our community is built on the strength of our shared history. “Knowing Me, Knowing You” is our dedicated space for members to share their personal HIV journeys—the challenges, the triumphs, and the resilience that defines us as long-term survivors.
Read & Submit: You can read the latest stories from your fellow members and submit your own story online all in one place. You don’t have to be a professional writer to participate; your voice and your journey are what matter most. Sharing your story helps ensure that no one in our community feels they are walking this path alone. Share your story here!
A Queer Arcana: Art, Magic, and Spirit
Thursday, June 18th 4:45 PM
We’ll be getting a group tour of A Queer Arcana: Art, Magic, and Spirit by our volunteer docent Vinnie. There is plenty of nearby parking We’ll send the evite with all the details.
LKAPS Coffee
Sunday, June 21st – 10:00 AM
Ristretto, an easygoing cafe for coffee, tea & pastries plus sandwiches & salads in a casual storefront.There is plenty of parking in their lot.
Ristretto 500 S Palm Canyon Dr #100, Palm Springs, CA 92264
Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day Dinner
Wednesday, June 24th 5:00 PM
Join your LKAPS friends for a dinner at The Mizell Center. Speakers from The Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation (REAF) and Fellow activist and community advocate Danny Kopelson! Watch for the eVite with all the details.
Potluck/Pool Party
Sunday, June 28th 3:00 PM
David Smith will be having his annual June potluck/poolparty. It will be at David’s home in the Cathedral Cove. Watch for the Evite and Thank you David!
Community Events
The Positive Life Series
Tuesday June 2, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
DIABETES AND METABOLIC ISSUES WITH HIV
People aging with HIV face higher diabetes risk due to inflammation, aging, and ART. Join Dr. Amanda Rittenberg for insights and Q&A.
Mizell Center 480 S Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
Pals Circle
Every Monday 6 – 7 PM
Circle is an informal weekly zoom drop-in for connection and support. There is no agenda, no topic – like getting together at grandmother’s house every week. Enjoy! It’s powerful.
A Death Café is a group-led open conversation about death and dying. It is not counseling or a bereavement group; and there is no agenda, specified topics, or designated outcomes.
Mizell Center 480 S Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262
HIV Wellness Initiative
Monthly TM Courses
TM courses are offered about once/month in Palm Springs, for those living with HIV (and their caregivers) the course fees are fully covered by grants and scholarships. There’s no charge to participate.
June 5: HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD) Purpose: This day honors the resilience of those who have lived with HIV for decades–specifically those who were diagnosed before the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAART) in 1996.
HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD) was created in 2014 by Tez Anderson, founder of the advocacy group Let’s Kick ASS — AIDS Survivor Syndrome.
Significance of the Date: June 5 was chosen because it marks the anniversary of the first official report from the CDC in 1981, (this year marks 45 years) which described the five cases of what would later be known as AIDS. This date is widely considered the start of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
LGBTQ+ Pride Month is celebrated globally every June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan and recognize the culture, history, and ongoing civil rights struggles of the LGBTQ+ community. Find Southern California Pride dates
7 Days in June: From June 1 to June 7, local organizations and advocates from across the country will demand that local, state, and federal representatives clearly articulate how they will:
Improve affordability and access to care and treatment.
Sustain and strengthen biomedical research.
Protect and modernize domestic and global public health infrastructure.
Provide stability for seniors, veterans, rural communities, people with disabilities, working families and others reliant on accessible, affordable healthcare.
Local groups and advocates will organize town halls, panel discussions, forums, demonstrations, marches, rallies, vigils, interfaith services, and other tactics, as appropriate for their organizations and communities.
Donate your HIV Meds
Donate your not needed HIV Meds at the Positive Life Series monthly. Bring your not needed HIV meds to the Positive Life Series (The first Tuesday of the Month) and give to Jeff Taylor. They are donated to an HIV Clinic in Mexico.
You don’t have to receive ALL emails from lkaps.org. You can choose which ones you would like by updating your email preferences. You can also update your phone number and your birthdate along with wether you would like to be included in the directory. There is always a link at the bottom of every email.
Submit to the Newsletter
Anyone is welcome to submit ideas, stories, photos and videos related to social connection, education, and advocacy for people aging with HIV to our monthly newsletter. Please send to news@lkaps.org by the 25th for inclusion in the following month’s newsletter.
Support LKAPS
Let’s Kick ASS Palm Springs sponsors inclusive social activities for people deeply affected by HIV. We are all races, genders, HIV+ and HIV-. Some of our members are outgoing, others are introverted or have been isolated. There are no requirements about participation, we encourage you to come out and meet us.
