LLEGó—the National Latina/o Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Organization—has been awarded $5.75 million in grants from the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support the organization’s HIV prevention programs.
The money will largely fund two unique components of LLEGó’s work. One is Avanzando, a training program which strengthens the cultural and language competency of community organizations which provide HIV prevention services for Latinos. The other is Horizontes, a leadership-building training program. Latinos make up 13 percent of the U.S. population but 19 percent of Americans living with AIDSC. The CDC reported a more than 26 percent increase in HIV diagnoses among Hispanics in 29 states from 1999-2002.