Let's Kick ASS-Palm Springs

04/05/2026

Grateful for an unforgettable evening at the Glitz and Glam “Party for a Cause” hosted by the The Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation - REAF.

Thank you to Joe Seiler and Ken Henderson for your leadership and continued commitment to our community. Your support of Let’s Kick ASS Palm Springs (AIDS Survivor Syndrome, “LKAPS”) and the Palm Springs AIDS Memorial truly matters.

It was a pleasure to meet the evening’s wonderfully glitzy and glamorous hosts, Camerone Parker, Steve Campbell, and Rock Hall. You brought both heart and energy to a meaningful cause.

Deep appreciation as well to our LKAPS volunteers who showed up, supported the event, and helped make the night a success.

Moments like this remind us why visibility matters. HIV long-term survivors and people aging with HIV cannot be erased. We are here, and we continue to show up for one another.

If you would like to support this work, please visit:
https://LKAPS.org/Donate

02/16/2026

As more than half of people living with HIV in the United States are now over 50, HIV is increasingly part of the national aging policy landscape.

On the "Healthy Desert, Healthy You" podcast of the Desert Healthcare District, Jax Kelly, LKAPS President, discussed what this demographic shift means for service systems across the country.

The conversation explored how HIV services historically attempted to replicate supports already housed within aging infrastructure:

“instead of reinventing them there … it just made more sense to work within the aging services world.”

For decades, HIV services and aging services evolved in parallel, often without meaningful coordination. As a result, older adults living with HIV can fall between systems that were never designed to address their needs.

The discussion also examined how the Older Americans Act distinguishes between “greatest economic need” and “greatest social need.” Social need encompasses equity factors such as stigma, discrimination, and criminalization that continue to affect people living with HIV.

As Kelly noted:

“The case for it to be of greatest social need is probably indisputable.”

Recognition within aging policy frameworks shapes visibility, funding priorities, and cross-sector accountability. Reducing silos and strengthening coordination are national challenges.

Podcast link in comments.

12/28/2025

Thank you to Front Runners and Walkers Palm Springs! Their Palm Springs Pride 5K Run & Walk raised over $50k for local charities including Let's Kick ASS-Palm Springs. Accepting a check from Front Runners President Mark DeAngelis is LKAPS President Jax Kelly. Special thanks to Kenneth Vergonet and the rest of the LKAPS team of runners and walkers!

12/16/2025

🚨 Action Needed: Stand Against the Harmful Public Charge Rule

Let’s Kick ASS Palm Springs (AIDS Survivor Syndrome), “LKAPS,” proudly joins Justice In Aging and advocates across the country in opposing the Trump administration’s proposed public charge rule — a dangerous step backward that would harm older immigrants, disrupt the direct care workforce, and chill access to vital public benefits.

This proposed rule revives and expands past efforts to punish immigrant families for accessing the support they need to survive — including housing, food assistance, and health care. For long-term HIV survivors and older LGBTQ+ adults, especially those in immigrant communities, this policy would deepen existing inequities and create fear where support is needed most.

At LKAPS, we know that aging with dignity and surviving with HIV requires access — not exclusion. We will not stand silent while policies are used to stigmatize need and scapegoat immigrants.

We encourage partners, policymakers, and allies to join us in signing the organizational letter from the Protecting Immigrant Families (PIF) coalition before the December 19 deadline.

🖊️ Sign here: https://justiceinaging.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=727c211cf7b5afb21ea9dada3&id=be8c87cf8b&e=59add635f4

🗣️ Let’s fight back — in community, in coalition, and in solidarity.

12/08/2025

Let’s Kick ASS Palm Springs (AIDS Survivor Syndrome, "LKAPS") stands with our transgender and nonbinary community members. California has enacted a new law, SB 59: The Transgender Privacy Act, which strengthens privacy protections for people who change their legal name or gender marker.

Starting July 1, 2026, all new name and gender marker change court records will be confidential. Anyone who completed this process before that date can request confidentiality through a simplified procedure created by the law. Families of minors can also request confidentiality for earlier filings.

Equality California has released clear, accessible resources that explain how the law works and how to request protection of past records. If you would like the toolkit or webinar materials, email us at [email protected] and we will share them with you.

LKAPS remains committed to supporting the safety, dignity, and rights of all transgender and nonbinary people in our community.

12/07/2025

Let's take action! AIDS United

11/28/2025

A good read.

https://www.ebar.com/story/160644/News/News/Long-term%20AIDS%20survivors%20share%20their%20stories%20in%20%E2%80%98Children%20of%20Lazarus%E2%80%99?fbclid=IwdGRjcAOWDfJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xNzM4NDc2NDI2NzAzNzAAAR47ttM9IjEuKj4f-R3pB1t0vbxR7ujjtEu9UgH8Qk7Z_rK5zIfUE4IgmzIi5w_aem_hHXOEp1iJMb154gFvtYrQQ

There are moments when history tilts, not gradually but all at once, and the change is so abrupt, so without precedent, that those who survive it spend the rest of their lives trying to explain what it felt like – how the air itself seemed altered, how the light went out of familiar rooms.

11/15/2025

NMAC is accepting applications for the 2026 HIV 50+ Strong & Healthy Cohort! Empowering people aging with HIV to lead, advocate, and educate. Apply by Dec 15, 2025.

Apply Here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7KHGZX2

10/21/2025

📢 Medicare Open Enrollment Is Underway! Covered California begins November 1.

Open Enrollment for 2026 Medicare health coverage runs October 15 – December 7, 2025. During this time, you can review or change your Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plan for the coming year.

💡 Guidelines & Resources:
Justice In Aging published an excellent overview for advocates and consumers about Medicare Advantage and Covered California enrollment, including tips to avoid common pitfalls.

👉 Read here: https://justiceinaging.org/resources/open-enrollment-for-2026-coverage-through-medicare-advantage-basics-for-advocates/

🏢 Local Assistance:
The Cathedral City Senior Center has confirmed that HICAP’s Medicare counseling program continues as usual despite earlier reports to the contrary.

📅 The next HICAP session is Wednesday, October 22 at the Senior Center.

📞 To schedule an appointment, call (909) 256-8369 ext. 302.

If you or someone you know is reviewing Medicare options this season, these trusted resources can help ensure you make informed decisions and avoid scams or unnecessary costs.

10/18/2025

🚨 FINAL 3 TICKETS! See "The Inheritance Part 2" for ONLY $20! 🎭

LKAPS has a final few seats available for our group viewing of The Inheritance Part 2. We're opening these last tickets to the broader community!

When: Thursday, October 23rd at 7:00 PM

Where: Palm Springs Cultural Center (2300 E. Baristo Rd.)

The Deal: Get a seat for $20.00 (Regular price: $42.00).

These final tickets will go fast!

The Inheritance Part 2 – Palm Springs Cultural Center, 2300 E. Baristo Rd., Thu Oct 23, 2025 - First of all—don’t worry if you missed Part One!  We will quickly catch you up (and refresh the memory of others) so you can jump right into where this emotional wallop of a story left off. THE INH...

10/09/2025

Let's Kick ASS Palm Springs (AIDS Survivor Syndrome) is proud to be among the beneficiaries of the upcoming Palm Springs Pride 5k Run & Walk (https://runsignup.com/RaceGroups/181670/Groups/1840319).

Follow the link and join the team with your donation. Hosted by Palm Springs Front Runners & Walkers this event last year raised over $40,000 for local charities and this is the first year LKAPS is among them! Even if you don't run or walk the entire distance, your donation will help our local LGBTQ+ community.