Our History
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In late 1984, Birmingham’s gay and lesbian help
hotline began receiving telephone calls about a new disease that was
affecting many people in the community. Community leaders met to address
the growing need for information and support for people experiencing
this disease. In May of 1985, Birmingham AIDS Outreach was incorporated
as a volunteer-driven not-for-profit with the mission of providing
emotional support services and education to those affected by HIV
and AIDS.
When BAO was first formed, an overwhelming majority
of its clients were middle class gay white men. Because HIV was a
new disease and the stigma attached to the disease lead to blatant
discrimination, many young men did not have a support system in place.
BAO was formed to provide emotional support, information, and financial
assistance to offset the financial impact of the disease.
Today,
BAO is a professional agency with a full-time staff of nine providing
client services and prevention education programs in the greater
Birmingham and surrounding areas. In the past 20 years, HIV has spread
throughout the community, crossing racial, ethnic, socio-economic,
religious, and sexual orientation boundaries.
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