The It Gets Better Project is excited and honored to introduce you to the newest member of our Board of Directors — Carl Baloney Jr.
Carl currently serves as Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer for AIDS United, a national organization with a mission to end the AIDS epidemic in the United States. A longtime advocate for vulnerable populations, Carl has focused much of his career on developing innovative policy solutions that benefit disenfranchised communities across the country, with a particular focus on the rural south.
As a board member for both the National AIDS Housing Coalition and Planned Parenthood Advocates for DC, Maryland & NoVa, Carl has expanded his ability to lead through collaboration. In his role with AIDS United, Carl leads the organization’s federal HIV advocacy and its more than 55 member organizations through 35 key issue areas ranging from access to care, harm reduction, sex workers rights, racial justice and housing.
As a parent, Carl is also passionate about the mental health and well-being of youth. He is joining the board of the It Gets Better Project at a critical time when lawmakers across the country are targeting LGBTQ+ youth with restrictive, discriminatory legislation in record numbers.
“As a gay black man from the south, I appreciate how critical it is that people feel seen and heard in their families and communities. This is also particularly important for the development of young people. While working on comprehensive sexuality education policy earlier in my career, I saw first hand the negative impact of policies that erase some young people because of who they loved or how they identified. As an advocate and a parent I won’t sit on the sidelines while our nation’s LGBTQ+ youth are being told they don’t matter by misguided policy makers and leaders in their communities.”
Please join us in welcoming Carl to the It Gets Better Project family.