Image
AGLM logo

We Won't Die Quietly

Submitted on Jul 3, 2025 by  MariaHIVMejia
Image
AI-generated image of a woman with a sword, and the words "We Won't Die Quietly".

Lea este blog en español

Last night, I rewatched How to Survive a Plague, the powerful documentary by Peter Staley. I've shared it many times over the years so others can understand the history of how brave gay men, women, and their allies fought relentlessly for their lives while a negligent government let a generation die in silence. Watching it again last night reminded me: maybe this was no coincidence.

Because here we are again.

Another cruel, monstrous bill is threatening to take healthcare away from millions of us including myself. Medicaid, Medicare, and programs that help children, disabled people, elderly citizens, survivors of domestic violence, and so many others are at risk - all to give billionaires yet another tax break.

How can those in power sleep at night knowing what this will cause? How can anyone watch their fellow humans suffer, families going without medicine, elders being pushed out of nursing homes, children with special needs left without care, and still call this justice?

This isn't about policy.
This is an attack on life itself.

We've seen this before. And like the brave members of ACT UP, I believe we must rise again. We must fight back again and again until we physically can't anymore.

This country dares to speak of "independence" while millions are held hostage by poverty, racism, ableism, and greed. What kind of freedom is that?

Jesus himself was poor. He lived humbly, walked with the marginalized, healed the sick - not for profit, but out of love. Those who push this deadly agenda and call themselves "Christian" have forgotten the very essence of what they preach.

If aliens exist, and I believe they might, I wouldn't blame them for leaving this planet behind. Sometimes I wish I could too. Because this world, this system, is broken. But even in my devastation, I know I was born to fight. I have fought to stay alive and I will continue!!!!!

Because healthcare is not a privilege. It is a human right. WTF

We won't stay silent.
We won't back down.
We won't let our people die without a fight.

Much love and light 🙏
And all the fire of those who came before me.
María HIV Mejia

 

Image
Blogger Maria HIV Mejia and logo for A Girl Like Me.

Submitted by boseolotu
0

Dear Sister María,


 

Your words pierced through my spirit like lightning. 🔥

That I don’t know how to describe or express my feelings about this.


 

Reading your reflection brought both deep sorrow and renewed strength. The parallels you drew between the history of the AIDS epidemic and the current attack on healthcare are not just chilling—they are prophetic. You reminded us that injustice may evolve in its methods, but it remains rooted in the same deadly silence, greed, and disregard for human life.


 

Thank you for daring to feel, to rage, to hope—and to fight.


 

As a fellow woman of faith, I found myself nodding when you wrote of Jesus. Yes, the Christ who healed without charging a fee, who walked among the rejected and oppressed, who broke every social and religious boundary to bring love—that is the Jesus we follow. And it’s exactly that love that demands we not stay quiet.


 

You reminded me that advocacy is not a side mission—it is survival. And in your fire, I see the flames of those who came before us, and those yet to come.


 

We will rise. We will fight. Because we must.


 

In love, in solidarity, and in unwavering hope,

Let’s keep the fire of HOPE alive 


 

Image

Members of The Well Project community at USCHA 2022.

Become a Member

Join our community and become a member to find support and connect to other women living with HIV.

Join now >

MariaHIVMejia's recent blog posts

banner

Do you get our newsletter?

¿Recibe nuestro boletín?

Sign up for our monthly Newsletter and get the latest info in your inbox.

Suscríbase a nuestro boletín mensual y reciba la información más reciente en su bandeja de entrada.

Browse Blogs by Theme

Recent Blog Posts

Our Bloggers