Gilead Sciences, Inc. announced a more than $200 million endowment to the Gilead Foundation to further the company's vision of creating a healthier world for all people. The Gilead Foundation, established in 2005, builds on the company’s longstanding commitment to supporting underserved communities around the world. It aims to create impact in the community and society by encouraging a culture of giving, engaging in local communities and exploring innovative approaches to complex social issues.

Dr. Theo Hodge, a physician and infectious disease expert with the Washington Health Institute in Washington, D.C., is all too familiar with the disproportionate impact HIV has on the Black LGBTQ+ community. He knows that one of every two Black gay, bi and other men who have sex with men in the United States is expected to be diagnosed with HIV in his lifetime, and he knows that Black men and women are significantly underrepresented in HIV trials.  

At its core, Gilead is committed to creating a healthier world for everyone, no matter the challenges ahead of us. As the Executive Sponsor of the Pride Alliance, I take very seriously the commitment to support everyone. This means fighting tirelessly for equal rights for every individual, regardless of the person’s gender, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation. As communities around the world celebrate Pride this month and as the Executive Sponsor of Gilead’s Pride Alliance, I am very pleased to share Gilead’s support for the passage of the federal Equality Act.

Lance Toma was looking for community. Raised in Hawaii, he came out as gay when he moved to Chicago as an adult and found work serving LGBTQ+ youth and adults there. However, at the time there were few resources specifically created for LGBTQ+ Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

“I could see there was such a dissonance about race,” Lance says. “I kept thinking ‘How can I serve my AAPI community?’”