WASHINGTON | Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando) was awarded the Legislative Leadership Award at The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation’s AIDSWatch in D.C., according to a press release issued March 27.
Smith was selected for his HIV advocacy and, more specifically, for his part in helping to convince Publix Supermarkets to cover the HIV preventative drug known as PrEP for their employees.
Publix had come under fire last February after claims from employees that they were being refused coverage for the drug under the company’s prescription benefit plan.
Smith’s intervention had the supermarket chain reverse course less than 24 hours after the two groups met.
“Our recent success with encouraging Publix to change their employee health plan to begin offering PrEP is a great example of how we can get things done when politicians are unresponsive to important issues facing our communities,” Smith said in the press release. “I am extremely humbled to be recognized by The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation for our work to educate the private sector on both the modern science of HIV transmission and on how they can be responsible corporate partners to local, state and federal HIV prevention strategies. I remain committed to using my role as an advocate to educate the public and to help eradicate the HIV epidemic once and for all.”
Smith took to social media to thank the foundation, saying in part “Over 500 HIV advocates are now ready to lobby on #CapitolHill! We can be the generation to see an end to AIDS! Good luck advocates! It’s back to Puerto Rico for me! #AIDSWatch.”
AIDSWatch, presented by The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, is the nation’s largest annual constituent-based national HIV/AIDS advocacy event. AIDSWatch brings together hundreds of people living with HIV and their allies to meet with members of Congress and to educate them about the important issues at stake for people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. AIDSWatch is implemented as a partnership between AIDS United, the Treatment Access Expansion Project and the US People Living With HIV Caucus.
Image courtesy Rep. Smith’s Facebook page.
