World Aids Day Commemorated with Memorial Walk

A memorial walk is scheduled to take place in observance of World Aids Day. Residents of Wolverhampton are expected to convene to “honour and remember” individuals impacted by HIV and AIDS, while also increasing understanding of the disease’s effects. Alex Poller, the Wolverhampton LGBT+ hub coordinator, stated that the event offers “a chance to connect, a chance to socialise and share because for some elders in the community they will remember the height of the disease.” The procession is set to commence at 14:00 GMT on Sunday, originating from the bandstand at West Park, Wolverhampton. It will conclude with a vigil conducted by Decon Linda Gilson at the Aid’s Memorial Tree. The diseases HIV and AIDS gained worldwide recognition in the 1980s, having affected close to 75 million individuals. The organization of this event has been undertaken by Wolverhampton Methodist Circuit, the City of Wolverhampton Council, and Wolverhampton LGBT+. Alex Poller commented, “I’m by no means a queer elder, but old enough to understand why it’s important for people who didn’t get to experience those things to understand why what we’re doing now is important and where it comes from.” He further added, “It’s an opportunity to learn about the rich queer history in Wolverhampton that many people may not know about, like West Park having an AIDS memorial tree planted in the 80s which I wasn’t aware of until last year.” For updates, follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. This content is copyrighted by BBC 2024. All rights are reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding their external linking policy is available.