On World AIDS Day last year, the New York City Council—in cooperation with local AIDS service organizations—launched “I Talk Because…” a YouTube-based social networking AIDS awareness campaign inviting New Yorkers to share why they feel it’s so important to discuss HIV with their friends and loved ones.

AIDS advocates such as actor Alan Cumming, actress Rosie Perez (pictured), New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Gay Men’s Health Crisis CEO Marjorie Hill, PhD, have already shared their testimonies.

“The conversation about HIV/AIDS must be revived, and we need to take this message to the places people now occupy: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,” Quinn says. “HIV/AIDS has personally affected me and thousands of New Yorkers, and we must get this conversation back to where it used to be.”

The next step? How about inviting people from all over America to participate in this campaign?

For more info and to learn how you can participate, visit youtube.com/user/italkbecause.