Citizens of the world, use your digital camera, cellphone or any other photo-taking device to participate in the annual photo shoot, “A Day With HIV.”

On Friday, Sept. 21, people from across the globe are invited to document their lives for the third annual “A Day With HIV.” People, whether HIV-positive or not, can participate in this collective photographic portrait designed to remove the stigma of HIV and to advance international understanding and compassion.

SAN DIEGO -- Being Alive HIV/AIDS Services has a chance to win a grant from Chase Community Giving Fund.

Supporters of Being Alive San Diego are urged to go online and vote.

“The deadline is Sept 19 so please take a moment to vote,” said Shannon Wagner, executive director.

Supporters can go online HERE and look for the vote button and then do a search for Being Alive. It takes about 30 seconds to vote and if you share the giving fund you can receive an extra vote.

Being originally from Northern Ireland, there is a special place in my heart for Bill Clinton. His particular interest in the sectarian conflict in Ireland changed history. During his Presidency, he had many close advisors who worked tirelessly to end the religiously based conflict that scarred all of us from that troubled little island.

With the music of “Fiddler in the Roof” playing in the back of my head, this week I have been dreaming about what we could do with $1.5 million to win global equality.

My international network of friends has been working on a three-year grant proposal focusing on the intersection of LGBT oppression with HIV. For every person we place on life-saving medications (ARV’s), two people become newly infected somewhere on Earth. Meanwhile, draconian laws remain on the books of 76 countries where it is illegal to serve criminalized populations including LGBT people.