Queer artists and LGBTQ+ allies made a strong showing at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards Sunday night, with several using their acceptance speeches to blast Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) brutal enforcement of immigration policies.
“Before I say thanks to God, I’m gonna say: ICE out,” Bunny said while accepting the award for Best Latin Urban Album. “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens. We are humans and we are Americans.”
“The only thing that is more powerful than hate is love,” he continued. “So, please, we need to be different. If we fight, we have to do it with love.”
Later in the night, Bunny closed his Album of the Year acceptance speech by dedicating the award “to all the people that had to leave their homeland, their country to follow their dreams.”
While accepting the award for Song of the Year alongside brother and songwriting partner Finneas, Billie Eilish delivered an even more direct call to action.
“As grateful as I feel, I honestly don’t feel like I need to say anything but that no one is illegal on stolen land,” she said. “I feel really hopeful in this room, and I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting and our voices really do matter, and the people matter. And f**k ICE, is all I wanna say.”
Similarly, queer singer-songwriter Kehlani, who won their first-ever Grammy for Best R&B Performance for their song “Folded,” used their speech to call on the powerful people at last night’s ceremony to “speak against all the injustice going on in the world right now.”
“I hope that everybody is inspired to join together as a community of artists, and speak out against what’s going on,” Kehlani said. “F**k ICE!”
Kehlani, Eilish, and Finneas were just a few of the high-profile stars to wear “ICE Out” pins at the Grammys. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, Carole King, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Rhiannon Giddens, and Songwriter of the Year winner Amy Allen were all spotted wearing the pins, which were distributed as part of a campaign organized by the American Civil Liberties Union, Maremoto, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and Working Families Power.
The night’s other big LGBTQ+ winners included British singer-songwriter Lola Young (Best Pop Solo Performance), Doechii (Best Music Video), and Cynthia Erivo, who won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance along with LGBTQ+ ally Ariana Grande for “Defying Gravity” from Wicked.
Lady Gaga scored trophies for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Dance Pop Recording. Following Bad Bunny’s win for Album of the Year, Entertainment Tonight asked the “Abracadabra” singer about why she appeared to tear up during his acceptance speech.
“I thought what he said was incredibly important right now and so inspiring,” Gaga told the outlet. “What’s happening in this country is incredibly heartbreaking and we’re so lucky to have leaders like him that are speaking up for what is true and what is right.”
Lady Gaga shares why she had such a tearful reaction to Bad Bunny’s historic Album of the Year win at the #GRAMMYs. pic.twitter.com/wFeJTBSGRC
Other queer and queer-adjacent highlights included out pop star Chappell Roan’s extremely revealing dress and a wild appearance by Cher. After accepting a special lifetime achievement award, the 79-year-old gay icon had to be called back to the stage by host Trevor Noah to present the award for Record of the Year. She then announced the late Luther Vandros as the winner, apparently misreading “Luther” by Kendrick Lamar and SZA.
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I’ve never taken comfort in the phrase, “HIV isn’t a death sentence anymore.” Yes, the phrase is meant to honor the hard-won victories achieved by HIV activists so that current generations of newly HIV-positive people could live long and fulfilling lives without fear, but the slogan is only as true if we have access to medication and social services.
The truth is that 4,496 U.S. residents died of HIV-related illnesses in 2023. Of them, 24% were women, 30% were over 55 years old, 43% were Black, and 56% lived in the South, where homophobia, lack of sex education, and poverty run rampant. And the current political situation will only increase those numbers.
It’s now more important than ever to learn lessons from past generations of HIV activists, understand the challenges presently facing today’s HIV advocates, and to forecast the promises (and perils) of future HIV developments in our country.
That’s why LGBTQ Nation’s February 2026 Issue examines the past, present, and future of HIV activism. It’s an issue that affects everyone — whether you yourself have HIV or know someone who is. And, in commemoration of Black History Month, many of our stories will elevate Black voices and experiences to share often-overlooked experiences in the struggle against HIV.
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Our cover story this month will look back at the history of Black HIV activism through an anti-racist lens with the assistance of Dr. Aishah Scott, a professor of Black studies and health sciences who is writing a book about the AIDS epidemic in urban Black America.
A cultural piece will examine groundbreaking films about Black people living with HIV and why they remain culturally significant today. We’ll look at how the current administration’s HIV policy is affecting Black communities, how advocates are combating HIV criminalization laws that disproportionately harm Black queer men, and report on a recent roundtable of leading Black HIV activists on the challenges ahead.
Several of our pieces will also focus on women, another oft-overlooked community still impacted by the epidemic, including tales of the lesbians who bravely cared for queer men during the epidemic’s worst days; a look at Zelda Rubenstein, the celebrity ally who helped raise awareness of HIV at a time when few celebrities publicly spoke about it; and an assessment of how HIV continues to impact women today.
Our edition will also provide clear-eyed reasons for hope as well, examining the astonishing stories of people who’ve been cured of HIV, the role that injectable PrEP will play in drastically reducing new infections, and the latest developments in the continued race for an HIV vaccine and cure.
The stakes remain high, and we’re at a crossroads: The federal government wants to turn back the clock, but it’s facing headwinds from visionary activists fighting for a more humane future.
We only arrived at this moment because of the generations of queer HIV activists and researchers before us — many of whom were forced to innovate and create solutions for community care when the government couldn’t have cared less.
It’s this humanity and vision that can see us through to a future where HIV is just another manageable illness and healthcare is for everyone.
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The biographical show followed the rise of the transgender entertainer and media personality in the 1980s and 1990s before she was diagnosed with HIV. While her on-screen portrayal is a step in the right direction of representation of people living with HIV, it revealed how much more humane and consistent such representation could be.
It’s hard to fathom that almost 40 years after the HIV epidemic, on-screen representation of people living with HIV remains so sparse and uninspired. The situation is even worse for Black people living with HIV.
However, a few films have left their mark on HIV and Black representation, and create a path towards a more inclusive future. So, here are 10 essential films about the Black community, HIV, and why they remain culturally significant today.
In 2009, Precious became one of the most talked-about films of the year. The Lee Daniels-directed film, adapted from author Sapphire’s novel Push, follows Claireece Precious Jones (played by Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe in her feature film debut), a teenager experiencing poverty, illiteracy, HIV, pregnancy, and parental abuse in 1980s New York City.
With a star-studded cast that included Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz, Paula Patton, and Mo’Nique, who won Best Supporting Actress for the film and became the fourth Black woman to receive the award, Precious became a critical and commercial success. Precious received numerous awards, lauded for its ensemble performances and its uncompromising examination of despair, adversity, grief, and hope.
While not the easiest watch, Precious shines a light on Black youth living with HIV and how a lack of access to resources and education leaves them vulnerable.
Tongues Untied (1989)
Marlon Riggs’ revolutionary 1989 documentary, Tongues Untied, examines the spaces and identities Black queer men inhabit and the unique blend of racism, homophobia, and stigma they experienced during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis of the late ‘80s/early ‘90s.
Explored through interviews, dance, music, poetry, and performances by writers Joseph Beam and Essex Hemphill, Tongues Untied sparked conversations about Black queer men defying the unique oppression they face. From rejection within queer spaces centering white gay men, apathy towards anti-Black crimes, and traversing the complexities of Black masculinity, Tongues Untied reveals hidden harms within an epidemic disproportionately ransacking the Black LGBTQ+ community.
New York drag queen Consuela Cosmetic in the film Mirror, Mirror | screenshot
1996’sMirror, Mirror is a poignant look into the last year of life of Consuela Cosmetic, a Black, transgender, New York City-based performer and sex worker.
Directed by Baillie Walsh, Mirror, Mirror details the trials and tribulations of navigating ‘90s society while living with HIV. The documentary details Consuela’s daily survival, peppered with humor and wisdom that create a unique window into their world. During that period, with conservative Rudy Giuliani as mayor, many at the margins of society faced police brutality, restrictive sexual health resources, and hostility towards their sexual expression.
Cosmetic died of AIDS-related complications during the film’s post-production, but Mirror, Mirror still leaves a lasting impression.
Life Support (2007)
Queen Latifah’s acting breathes life into filmmaker George Nelson’s 2007 directorial debut Life Support. The film follows Ana Wallace (Latifah), a woman living with HIV who works at a Brooklyn-based nonprofit educating her community about safer sex. Wallace also struggles to rebuild her relationship with her daughter, Kelly (Rachel Nicks), while striving to protect her from the same instability, systemic mistreatment, and substance abuse that led Ana and her husband, Slick, to contract HIV.
Nelson brings the real-life story of his sister, Andrea Williams, to the silver screen, highlighting how HIV education and treatment impact the Black community, disproportionately impacted by the epidemic.
Featuring Tracee Ellis Ross, Wendell Pierce, and produced by Latifah and Jamie Foxx, Life Support earned Latifah a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an NAACP Image Award.
Yesterday (2004)
In 2004’s Yesterday, filmmaker Darrell Roodt takes a powerful look at the impact of HIV on South Africa. Through the eyes of the film’s titular character, Yesterday follows a young mother (Leletia Khumalo) living with HIV who is striving to see her child, Beauty (Lihle Mvelase), attend her first day of school.
Yesterday is a powerful examination of how HIV affects communities, and through its lens, we peer inside South Africa’s HIV epidemic. The country has the largest population of people living with HIV, reaching 8 million, with 96% of those being Black South Africans. Additionally, South African women between the ages of 15 and 49 have a higher HIV prevalence rate than men of the same age, making Yesterday’s story even more impactful.
Produced by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Oscar-nominated, Peabody Award-winning film is the first of its kind to be presented entirely in the Zulu language.
Ailey (2021)
Groundbreaking choreographer Alvin Ailey’s immense talent lives on in his namesake, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. That talent and its vessel are the subject of the 2021 documentary Ailey.
With unheard audio interviews from the famed choreographer and archival footage, Ailey removes the veil that has shielded the enigmatic artist and follows his journey as a dancer, choreographer, and activist. Ailey founded his eponymously-named dance theater in 1958. With the Civil Rights Movement in the background, Ailey built a platform for Black culture to be seen in its holistic beauty and for Black dancers to have professional dance opportunities that were seldom presented.
His efforts culminated in his magnum opus, Revelations, which drew on Southern roots, Black traditions, and gospel to celebrate the fortitude of Black Americans. Ailey passed away due to HIV-related illness in 1989. His legacy lives on, however, in the paths opened for Black dancers who can now see themselves performing center stage.
Paris Is Burning (1990)
Jennie Livingston’s feature film, Paris is Burning focused on New York City’s ballroom culture. Ahead of its time, Paris Is Burning centers ballroom houses — such as House of LaBeija, House of Ninja, and House of Xtravaganza — alongside each house’s iconic “mothers,” like Pepper LaBeija, Willi Ninja, and Angie Xtravaganza.
The documentary details community building within the various houses and humanizes an underground queer subculture with characters navigating drug use, sex work, HIV, and housing instability.
While Paris is Burning isn’t directly about the impact of HIV, its pervasiveness is felt when you consider that Angie Xtravaganza, Dorian Corey, and Willi Ninja all passed away after its filming due to complications with HIV. Their legacy lives on in the children of their ballroom houses who continue to redefine the beauty, talent, and familial bonds of this vibrant community.
The Lazarus Effect (2010)
Another entry examining the impact of HIV on African countries is 2010’s The Lazarus Effect.
The film follows the stories of four Zambians — a young husband and father, a young mother, and an 11-year-old child — all of whom are living with HIV, as well as an HIV peer educator who lost her children to the epidemic. With the help of antiretroviral therapy, the documentary demonstrates how those impacted by HIV gain a new lease on life, using as a metaphor the Biblical story of Lazarus returning from the dead.
Directed by Lance Bangs, produced by HBO and U2 singer Bono’s HIV-focused nonprofit (RED), and executive produced by Oscar winner Spike Jonze, The Lazarus Effect was just as much of a documentary as a call-to-action. The film featured a promotional campaign — featuring actors Penelope Cruz and Hugh Jackman, pop-rock band the Jonas Brothers, and rapper Ludacris — highlighting what you can buy with 40 cents, the cost of antiretroviral therapy.
The documentary’s importance strikes a hopeful chord, considering that South African countries bear the brunt of the epidemic.
Deepsouth (2012)
The United States’ “Bible Belt,” albeit full of anti-queer animus, is also home to vibrant LGBTQ+ communities deeply impacted by HIV. The 2014 documentary Deepsouth focuses on the stories of a queer college student, a nonprofit founder, and an activist who are all affected by the increasing HIV rates in the American South.
The film’s narrative-forward storytelling and lack of call to action cause the viewer to focus on the minutiae of the subjects’ everyday lives with HIV, with the disease solely in the background.
Deepsouth screened at the Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival and the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, winning several festival awards.
Even with advancements in HIV education, prevention methods, and treatment, Deepsouth is a poignant reminder that the American South still constitutes the majority of HIV infections in the United States, and that access to these advancements is still hindered by political oppression.
Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters (2020)
During the height of the HIV/AIDs crisis in the late 1980s, acclaimed gay choreographer Bill T. Jones created the powerful four-part ballet D-Man in the Waters.
Originally created as a ballet about the movement of water, it evolved into an evocative, physical manifestation of the fear, shame, anger, and hope that came from Jones witnessing members of his Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company fall to the disease, including his partner and co-founder Arnie Zane and dancer Demian “D-Man” Acquavella, both of whom passed away in their thirties.
Jones created D-Man in the Waters at the height of the HIV epidemic in the ‘80s, yet the performance is a testament to Black, queer resistance. With Jones insisting on Acquavella being present at the D-Man’s premiere, it also memorializes a beloved dancer who inspired its creation.
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