Being a Black Gay Man

Jezreal Rodriguez Anderson
Program Coordinator

Anthony J AndersonI am tasked with writing an article about Gay Black men, one of the hardest things I must do to date. If I were asked a year ago, it would be the easiest thing in the world, back when my life revolved around being what I deemed a “Black Gay Man.” However, as of recently, I am at a loss for words when it comes to this idea of Black gay men. As much as I crave the community of other Black gay men, I also fear it. I fear that the relationships I build will hurt me and I fear that the life I always thought I wanted was something that did more damage than good.  


As funny as it sounds, when I got to college, I thought I was an anomaly. I thought as a Black Gay man I was the conundrum that people only heard about in myths. Up until this point, there were no Black Gay men in my life to befriend and as someone who went to a 100% African American school, I never found another man I could find solace in over my sexuality. TV shows like “Queer as Folk,” a program I snuck to watch, did not have Black gay characters and Davey Wavey, the white gay YouTube star I looked up to, did not discuss race, so going to college I was the only Black Gay man in the world and, oh, how that task. 


That all changed when I took a break from my white institution and engulfed myself into the world of the District of Columbia. During my break from school, I built strong relationships with some Black Gay men who became my idols. It was the first time I saw Black men who were fully comfortable in their own sexuality and I wanted it. It was not long after that I realized that the same people I looked up to were also the people who would let me down. 


As humans, we build ourselves based on the relationships we make. In 2021, being gay and being socially expressive is something that is still new in our world. We are in an era where we are still learning what it means to be Gay and what it means to be in a healthy relationship and, sometimes, we fall short of that. We as youth look up to individuals who are still looking for their own identity. The truth of the matter is, we go from being “straight men” to fucking them and there are issues that come with that.  


Even though I have spent four years being in the Black community, I can tell you I still say have no idea what it means to be a Black gay man. For me, sometimes it is putting away my sexuality for the greater good of the community or being so gay that other Black people do not even acknowledge it. For some, it is doing lines of coke in the bathroom with their good friend and for others it is praising God during Sunday worship. None of these experiences are right and none of these experiences are wrong but they are the reality. As Black gay men, we are not a monolith, we are individuals; that is the most important part of this story. 


A lot of Black gay men, including myself, will conform to what society deems a Black gay man is and then spend a lifetime trying to find our own selves. We look for the leaders in our community only to find they still cannot lead themselves. We look for intimacy through sex instead of just learning the importance of being in each other’s presence. It is time for us to find our own idea of what makes us Black and gay. 


Sometimes I say too much and sometimes I do not say enough for fear of judgment. Some days I crave the relationship of other Black Gay men and sometimes I crave the intimacy I never gave myself. This chapter of my life being a Black Gay man means being my own self and having a keen sense of that. If we want to stop HIV, we need to first stop denying ourselves from healing first. Many of us are battling mental health issues, substance abuse, sex addiction, financial instability, and many other demons that are very valid and real. I can say, in the past five years, as strong as my relationship has been with other Black men, I can count on one hand the times someone asked me, “when was the last time you took your meds,” but I can tell you the last time someone asked me for a line of coke, or even the last text received about a “wild” sex party (that I might have gone to). I do not fault any of these individuals because this is their narrative and story. However, right now as a black community, we need to assess what are healthy habits and what are vices we are using to cope with deep hurt.  


When you are searching for love, as all people do, sometimes we are willing to jeopardize our whole self to make that a reality. We will jeopardize our morals, our ideals, and, most importantly, ourselves for fear of being weak or alone. I know that is what I did until I realized that nobody could make me whole but myself. I found that all the unhealthy habits that were just for fun prior to COVID-19 became the same vices that I did alone when nobody was looking. I realized that all the love I thought I needed from others was not the love I give myself. To be honest, in 2021, we are not focused on how to stop HIV; we are focused on how to stop doing our vices before they kill us. If we do not forgive ourselves and understand that we are worth living for, then we will never see the importance of making sure we manage our HIV and take our PrEP. As Black gay men, no narrative is the same and to be empowered is to realize that, as an individual, you find it important to live a motivated life.  


In all, the Black Gay community has so much beauty and many niches that have and continue to shape society. I am really blown away by the Black gay leaders in the community who take noes and turn them into yeses. Even through our hurt and ostracization, we get up each day and try to survive in the best way, in a world that wants us dead. When I first started this journey as a Black Gay Man, I thought I was the only anomaly, but I come to realize every person in my Black Gay community is too. We are all hurt and we have all hurt other, yet we still love and forgive. We ignore our own hurt to let others shine and that’s the beauty of it. In every mess you can always find beauty, and I am just as messy as the rest and it’s what make all of us so great. During this Black History Month let’s work on holistic healing. Let’s work on facing our fears head on and to become the person we are meant to be. Let’s work on realizing as a Black Gay Man you hold the power to move mountains and shape history. That is what I want to see this Black History Month: healing and self-love!  

Are We Ready?

Lauren MillerLauren Miller
Health Equity Program Coordinator

Are we ready to lose the chains of white supremacy that have bound Black folks and prevented us from reaching our greatest potential?

Are we ready to topple, desecrate, and destroy every idol, statue, and name inscribed that caused harm to black folks?

Are we ready remove to white supremacists from their seats of power; unapologetically?

Are we ready to restore the black communities left behind and destroyed by the crack epidemic?

Are we ready to close the jails and privately owned prisons that have capitalized off of black bodies?

Are we ready to right the wrongs caused by the medical community that have led to mistrust?

Are we ready to provide reparations to the ALL the descendants of enslaved Africans?

I am ready. I believe America is ready. And if you ain’t ready, I hope you get there soon or you will find yourself on the wrong side of history.

“We have nothing to lose but our chains”

For 400 plus years in America white supremacy has reigned and kept us all behind. WE all saw what happened at the Capitol. And the world saw it too, live and in color.

The revolution will not be televised……
but the insurrection of disgruntled hateful white supremacist will be
AMAN and AWOMAN

White Supremacy could no longer be hidden, burned, discarded, lynched, and erased from history.

It is now. It is us.

But we are not the same.

Our ancestors have taught us so well.

Marsha, Martin, Malcolm (thank you for your radicalism, your beauty, your sacrifice).

It is their voices that guide us as we fight to liberate every black body, and we don’t intend to leave nobody behind.

Mumia, Matulu, Janine (thank you for your radicalism, your beauty, your sacrifice)

My Journey with PrEP

Terrell ParkerTerrell Parker
Associate Program Manager

A few days ago, I started primary care with a new doctor. I recently relocated back to Indianapolis now that my job is virtual. When my doctor walked into the room, she asked me about the blood pressure medication I take, and then she asked…… “so I see you want to be prescribed PrEP, tell me about that?”

Me: “Well, I’m gay. I have receptive anal sex, and I sometimes don’t use condoms. This puts me at high risk for HIV, so I take PrEP.”

Doctor: “Okay, great.” (trying to mask her shock and surprise).

Me: “Have you ever prescribed PrEP?”

Doctor: “No, this is my first time.”

Me: “Well, you want to do an HIV test on me, full STI screening, check my kidneys, and…”

Doctor: Laughs.. “Thanks, but I asked a colleague and he walked me through the process already…”

Me: “Great, if other people in your practice need some education, I can refer you to a PrEP providers training program.”

The rest of the conversation went pretty well. I walked out of the doctor’s office with an order for PrEP called into the pharmacy less than a mile from my home. A few years ago, this was not my reality. As I drove home, I couldn’t help but reflect on how far I’ve come. I couldn’t help but recall the days before I had quality health insurance, before I had a car to easily make it to appointments, and before I had the education to advocate for myself.

My journey towards PrEP has been long. I first learned about PrEP attending an HIV prevention conference in 2014. Five years later, I finally began PrEP in November of 2019. Before coming to NMAC, I was a young professional just starting in the HIV workforce. Like many beginning professionals, I worked for a low salary and no health insurance benefits.

After learning about PrEP, I made it my mission to increase awareness in my local community.
I began educating anyone who would listen. I held community talks, focus groups, launched a PrEP campaign, and helped develop internal processes/external partnerships to increase PrEP referrals and navigation for young, Black gay/bisexual men and transgender women.

Even as I worked to increase PrEP access in my community, I faced the reality that PrEP was not accessible to me. No health insurance meant no PrEP. I knew, however, when I did have access to insurance, I was going to start PrEP—period. I just needed to hold on to my negative HIV status long enough to get a prescription.

PreP gives us the power to transform our narratives and rewrite history as Black gay men. Many of us have heard the CDC projection, “½ of Black gay, bisexual men will contract HIV within their lifetime” if current trends in HIV acquisition continue. PrEP is a powerful tool we MUST use to change this trajectory. We will only change this, however, if everyone who wants PrEP has the access, resources, and support to sustain PrEP uptake.

PrEP has been revolutionary for me. I think back to 2011, being madly in love with someone, and having that person tell me they could no longer be with me because they feared transmitting HIV to me. Fast forward 10 years, and I have proudly and openly dated people living with HIV with no fear of HIV transmission. PrEP gives us the power to take control and finally enjoy a health sex life free of fear and shame. I have never enjoyed sex and intimacy as much as I have since starting PrEP.

In honor of Black HIV Awareness Day, we must ensure everyone can be a part of the revolution. My experience today is still not the experience of most Black gay men I talk to who want to access PrEP like my friend, who told me this weekend his primary care doctor first refused to prescribe him PrEP and later tried to dissuade him due to him not “being a good fit” for PrEP. Thankfully, he did not listen. He persisted and now has an appointment to being PrEP this week.

We must ensure everyone has access to adequate health insurance and informed care providers.

Putting PLWH First in Line for COVID Vaccine

The COVID vaccine roll-out is another gift from the Trump administration. They punted to states to implement vaccine roll-outs not understanding or caring that states were already overwhelmed managing COVID testing, healthcare, and deaths. NMAC is particularly concerned about access to the vaccine for people living with HIV. We have already heard reports of PLWH who were turned away from getting the vaccine because they were immune compromised, stories of PLWH who were told that taking antiviral meds was contraindicated for the COVID vaccine. Like so many in this country, people don’t know whom to trust.

Talking with a federal colleague, I was told that “people with HIV should be in the 1c vaccine category, if not 1a or 1b for another reason.” Unfortunately, the state by state roll out currently underway has resulted in different policies and timelines. As a result, NMAC made an appeal to the CDC asking them for clarification. Our movement needs to push to ensure PLWH are classified as 1a so they can have immediate access to the vaccine. This is particularly important because PLWH are aging and too many suffer from age advancement due to meds. There are also too many PLWH who are still immune compromised and need to move to the front of the line.

The Need for National Leadership

For the next two years, local health departments will continue to be overwhelmed by COVID and their roles in managing this disease. As we have seen, you can’t just leave it to states. Ending COVID or ending HIV takes national leadership. The federal government can’t just tell states it’s their responsibility to figure out how to get the vaccine into arms or to put together a plan to end the HIV epidemic in their region. Both movements are crying out for national leaders who tell the truth and who will stand with community on the frontlines of both epidemics.

COVID has shown us what happens when you don’t have the national leadership needed to guide the country through a terrible moment in history. Why should HIV be any different? There are too many people who are afraid to get the COVID vaccine. There are too many people who don’t trust PrEP. Our goal has to be about more than getting drugs into people. It’s also about understanding the systemic barriers that keep people from living their best life. As we have learned from Ready Set PrEP, just because the drug is free does not mean people will take it. While cost is always a factor, there are many other variables that must also be addressed. Ending the COVID or HIV epidemics is not only about meds. Until we understand and address the complex human challenges of race, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, we will fail in our efforts to get herd immunity for COVID or the numbers needed for U=U and people on PrEP to end HIV.

It breaks my heart to think of the people I lost to HIV in 1994-96. The time right before protease inhibitors and combination therapy was the stuff of night terrors. Now that we have a COVID vaccine, we just need to hold on until it is our turn. Unfortunately, that may be months for most of us. I’m fighting to find the courage to stay alive. I need you to fight with me.
Yours in the struggle,

Paul Kawata
NMAC

Welcome Chris Paisano to NMAC

Yá’atééh! Guwatzi hauba! Greetings to all in my Navajo and Laguna Pueblo languages. My name is Christopher J. Paisano but I go by Chris or CJP. My pronouns are he, him or bíí (in Navajo). I am pleased to begin working with so many talented, passionate, and caring individuals here at NMAC as the new Indian Country Coordinator to help build ESCALATE with Native American and Alaskan Native partners for Indian Country.

I come from Fort Defiance, Arizona on the Navajo Nation and from Oakland, California where I was born, with relatives from Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico.

Joining the NMAC community in such a unpredictable time for our country is challenging. My family recognizes this is a challenging time for all peoples, especially for Black, Indigenous people of color (BIPOC) and gender diverse individuals. Yet, working from home is a blessing in many ways; I get to stay on my Navajo Nation taking care of my dad, dog, and extended family members.

We on the Navajo Nation experience your anxiety, fear, and the commitment to preserving our personal and mental health care during this transitional time from one administration to the Biden/Harris Administration. We all have experienced uncertainty before and I hope this time around, we have better tools, understanding, and compassion to help all of us survive and thrive during this next year. That’s why I am excited to be working for NMAC as part of ending the HIV epidemic goal by 2030.

Introduced disease and viruses are basic biology that affects all human beings despite political or social lines. Tribal nations and Alaskan Natives have always been on the front line to these exposures. While many Native peoples have survived changes, sadly, many have not. Diseases introduced from across the world is more poignant in today’s world of Covid-19. We are so aware and notice the missing when so many lives could have been saved. This lament sounds familiar from the first initial AIDS cases in the 80s during the beginning days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. We should remember that resilience is our collective strength.

Currently, NMAC and our partners are developing a new HIV stigma reduction curriculum called ESCALATE. I am excited that active participation from all BIPOC and Gender Non-conforming partners includes Native American and Alaskan Natives.

ESCALATE is devised to eliminate stigma against those living with HIV and to create welcoming environments for people living with HIV to continue receiving HIV treatment in their communities. NMAC has identified stigma as the leading cause that keeps many from accessing HIV treatment or from knowing their HIV status. Stigma then is a major barrier that allows HIV acquisition to increase within not only our Native communities, but throughout the world at large. Our collective goal is to use ESCALATE to end the HIV epidemic by 2030.

While NMAC does have existing members from the Native American and Alaskan Native community as partners, we are always searching for other engaging community leaders in Indian Country to help give us feed back on ESCALATE. NMAC will continue to create, revise, and adapt the ESCALATE curriculum and associated trainings to be an effective tool for our Native community members.

NMAC aims to unveil the ESCALATE curriculum at the U.S. Conference on HIV AIDS (USCHA) in Washington, D.C. in 2021. I know with the hard work and collaboration from the Native community, we will have a powerful tool to ending stigma in Indian Country, but tools for our local community leaders to continue using to keep the fight growing so that by 2030, HIV will no longer be the epidemic it is now.

As my K’awaika hanuu (Laguna Pueblo) family says to me and I will share with you, “Hashjimé! Uumé!” Be strong! Or in Navajo: Yéégo! You can do it!

I look forward when we will be able to look around the family table and see all our family, friends, and neighbors represented and celebrating life as we used to do in song, dance, and laughter. I am sure this is true in your family communities, as well.

Ahé’héé! Dawaa’ é! Thank you!

A Change is Gonna Come

A President’s Inauguration is usually a joyous moment of celebration, at least for the winning party. Because of COVID, unemployment, and the raid on Congress, there is little happiness or the mood to celebrate. I just want this inauguration to be over as quickly and safely as possible. There is lots of work to be accomplished.

The Biden’s administration number one priority has to be COVID and getting control of the pandemic while rapidly getting out the vaccine. If we’ve learned anything from this experience, we learned that we weren’t ready and too many people died because of it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a long way to go to repair its relationships, both internally and externally. I asked the Biden transition team focused on the CDC to make sure the new director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, addresses the toxic culture of racist aggressions outlined in a July 2020 New York Times article. NMAC supports their request that the director declare “racism a public health challenge.” Not only will that go a long way to heal internal issues, but it will also put the CDC in alignment with the Biden administration.

President Biden says racial justice will be a priority for his administration and NMAC says prove it by ending the HIV epidemic. How will this White House priority transform HIV services to align with this presidential priority? What is HHS, CDC, HRSA, HUD, SAMHSA, NIH, et al., doing to meet these new administration’s values? NMAC challenges all federal agencies to show how their HIV funding is addressing the President’s call for racial justice.

NMAC applauds President Biden’s nomination of Dr. Rachel Levine to his Assistant Secretary of Health. She will be the first out transgender federal official to be confirmed by the Senate. Federal offices with significant HIV funding should follow his lead by hiring people living with HIV, people of color, LGBTQ, and especially people of trans experience as federal employees. If Black Trans Lives Matter, then there should be Black Trans people in leadership positions at HHS, CDC, HRSA, HUD, SAMHSA, NIH et al. NMAC is concerned that too many federal offices with significant HIV funding have too few staff from the communities hardest hit by HIV. How can you build programs that reach community when community isn’t on your team? One of the unfortunate lessons from COVID, like HIV, is that, while the viruses don’t discriminate, the lack of healthcare and prevention infrastructure can kill you.

COVID has shown us that we must call out these inequities. We cannot stay silent and expect things to change. Because the Democrats control the White House and Congress, we have an opportunity to make real change. However, it’s only a two-year window. With Speaker Pelosi’s 2022 retirement, I worry for our future. We will never have another Speaker who will be as friendly to the HIV community as she was. Our community owes her a great debt of gratitude.
Yours in the struggle,

Paul Kawata
NMAC

“Annoy Them…Survive”

Scary Times

I hesitated to write this week’s Ending the HIV Epidemic e-newsletter. Like too many of us, I am angry, scared, concerned, but mostly I am pissed off.  Pissed off because they made me afraid. Afraid because too many things outside of my control can go wrong. I feel helpless and I hate feeling helpless.

At the same time, too many are dead from COVID, particularly within communities of color. There is a vaccine, but the roll-out is another gift from the administration. I know that many in our diverse communities are afraid to get the shot. I understand. Look around us. The world is going to hell in a handbag (I love that phrase) and you want me to take a vaccine that was developed too quickly. No sir, I am not your canary in the mine. For me, I trust Dr. Fauci. If Dr. Fauci says I should take the vaccine, that’s good enough for me. During these difficult times, we have to believe in something, and I believe in science.

The federal government needs 75% to 80% of Americans to get the shots. They will have to rebuild lots of trust with community to reach those types of numbers. That same trust is needed for federal PrEP and U=U efforts to succeed. Too many initiatives (DEBBI) don’t work because they were not centered in community.  Trust is core to the solution; without it we are just another failed attempt to make a square peg fit into a round hole. When the Biden administration says Black Lives Matter, NMAC says prove it by ending the HIV epidemic.

Paycheck Protection Program Latest Round

When putting together this piece, it seemed wrong not to acknowledge the insane situation called life in America; however, its real purpose was to discuss the second round of the Paycheck Protection Program that opened yesterday on January 11th. While it is very similar to the last PPP, please work with your bank to understand the details. Once again it is first come first serve. Once the money runs out there are no guarantees of more funding.

In some way, that’s how I am coping. I have no control over the Proud Boys, but I can make sure that NMAC survives. As my friend Lark Lands used to say, “Annoy them… Survive.”
Yours in the struggle,

Paul Kawata
NMAC
Paul Kawata

Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit Program Committee Members

Program Committee Members 

Carmarion D. Anderson-Harvey 

Carmarion D. Anderson-Harvey is a vibrant and visible trans woman of color with a passion for inclusion and equality for all. Carmarion is the Alabama State Director with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) under the Project One America initiative. Carmarion became the first trans person of color to serve in a leadership role with HRC in the organization’s history. Before joining HRC and relocating to Alabama, Carmarion worked in the field of Public Health and Education in Texas, managing both local and national prevention initiatives focusing on HIV/AIDS and other health disparities that impact marginalized communities. Carmarion is the founder and previous Executive Director for Black Transwomen, Inc., which is the first national non-profit organization with a 501 (c)(3) with a programmatic focus to uplift the voices, hearts, and souls of black trans women and in alliance with the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition. Carmarion also brings a wealth of experience in faith spaces, currently serving as the National Co-Minister and South Regional Coordinator for TransSaints ministry of The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM). Carmarion was born and reared in Dallas, Texas, with family roots from Natchez, Mississippi. Carmarion is a wife, has one son, four bonus sons, and three adorable grandchildren. 

 

Natalie Sanchez 

Natalie is a third generation Mexican-American born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. She is a two time BRUIN with a Master in Public Health degree from UCLA’s Executive MPH Program and holds a Bachelor degree in Sociology. She is well-known for her work as creator, Executive Producer, and writer of the award-winning telenovela web series “Sin Vergüenza” which addresses HIV in Latino communities. Natalie has created and led some of the largest and most successful multicultural HIV campaigns as well as implemented a combination of public health strategies to reduce HIV infections in Southern California. Sin Vergüenza, Ask Me About PrEP, Free to Be campaigns have become prominent HIV educational tools among community health organizations across the country aimed at reducing HIV health disparities. She is not only a leader in HIV but has broken into the film industry where she has used film for public health messages and had created a space showcasing Latinos and LGBTQ persons as main characters in their own lives. Natalie is the Director of UCLA Family AIDS Network where she manages a network of providers serving women, infant, children and youth living with HIV in Los Angeles. 

 

Lucas Rojas 

Lucas Rojas (he/they) is a Latinx transmasculine identified individual who works at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in the Center for Transyouth Health and Development in Health Services, Clinical and Behavioral Research, specifically with transgender/non-binary/gender non-conforming youth and young adults as well as in data analysis and is the Director of Research for the Non-Binary & Intersex Recognition Project. They also serve as the National Director of Operations for FLUX aiming to raise the profile of Trans and Gender Non-Conforming community. They have a background in Mathematics, Statistics, HIV&STI testing and as a former client is an advocate in the transgender community. 

 

Louis Shackelford 

Louis Shackelford is an External Relations Project Manager in the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) Leadership and Operations Center at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA. As External Relations Project Manager, Louis’ primary focus is implementing stakeholder engagement strategies in HIV vaccine clinical trials domestically and globally. These strategies create opportunities for consultation with key stakeholders and communities to inform the design and implementation of HVTN studies. Consultations optimize the inclusion and participation of populations and communities who bear the greatest burden of HIV.  

 

Carlos Rodríguez-Díaz 

Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz is public health scientist with twenty years of experience in HIV research. His work has focused in the areas of community health, sexual health promotion, and health equity through actions on the social determinants of health. He has served as lead in several programs and studies addressing health inequities among populations made socially vulnerable including Hispanic/Latinxs, incarcerated populations, and LGBTQ individuals in Puerto Rico, the United States of America, and the Caribbean Region. Dr. Rodriguez-Diaz is Associate Professor of Prevention and Community Health and Director of the Community-Oriented Primary Care Program at The George Washington University-Milken Institute School of Public Health and Adjunct Professor at the University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus. He completed post-doctoral training in HIV and Global Health Research, a PhD in Public Health with a major in Community Health Education, and a MPH in Health Education. He has also completed post-graduate training in health policy, human rights, and health diplomacy. 

 

Brandon A. Harrison 

Brandon Harrison is a Project Manager and Trainer on the Performance Improvement team at the Primary Care Development Corporation (PCDC). Brandon provides training and technical assistance to health care organizations across the country. He has served in leadership positions implementing sexual health programs across the country in communities most impacted by health disparities. Throughout Brandon’s career, he has been diligent in raising awareness to issues such as stigma, HIV/AIDS, LGBTQ issues, violence, sex work, and other issues affecting vulnerable communities. Brandon remains a leader, supporter, and role model encouraging others to continue their resilience. 

 

José Ramón García Madrid 

Jose Ramón García Madrid was born in San Buenaventura, Chihuahua, Mexico, and immigrated to the United States with his family at two years old. Growing up as a part of the undocumented immigrant community in Phoenix, Arizona is an experience that continues to inspire José’s personal and professional life. He is equally committed to work that empowers Black, Latinx and Indigenous communities who identify within LGB, Trans, Queer and Gender Non-Conforming communities. He is also currently a second-year law student at the University of Colorado in Boulder. 

 

James Krellenstein 

James Krellenstein is a twenty-nine years old infectious disease activist focusing on scaling up effective interventions to dramatically reduce the spread of infectious diseases in the United States. At 18, he designed and built the nation’s directory of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) providers. In college, following his own experience with antiquated HIV testing technology, he played a pivotal role in successfully pressuring the CDC and FDA to expedite the introduction of the first rapid point of care fourth–generation HIV test nationwide. In New York, James identified a previously unknown reduction in delivery of critical HIV testing and prevention services and helped lead a successful effort to increase the city’s health budget by tens of millions of dollars to reverse this. In 2017, James discovered a pattern of alleged anti–competitive practices by the nation’s largest manufacturer of HIV medications, which led to a class–action antitrust lawsuit currently being litigated in Federal Court in San Francisco. In 2018, he co-founded the PrEP4All Collaboration, which is pressuring the federal government to end the monopoly on Truvada and Descovy, the only drugs currently approved for PrEP. As part of the PrEP4All, he headed up a team that identified and publicized the existence of taxpayer–owned patents protecting PrEP, resulting in a Congressional hearing over the price of PrEP, a Government Accountability Office investigation, and a federal lawsuit by the United States government against the current manufacturer of PrEP. Most recently, he co-founded the COVID-19 Working Group, where he headed up a successful effort to expedite the initiation of social distancing in New York City. He holds degrees in physics as well as natural science and mathematics. 

 

Sean Bland 

Sean Bland is a Senior Associate at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law at Georgetown University Law Center and works on HIV/AIDS law and policy initiatives. Sean manages diverse projects to assist policymakers and HIV community stakeholders assess policy options for sustaining and adapting the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and implementing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative. He also leads projects related to the deployment of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among communities of color and adolescents and the impact of laws and policies on the health and safety of people who engage in sex work. Sean holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and German Studies from Yale University. 

 

Milton E. Rodríguez Padilla 

Milton Rodríguez Padilla is an educator in public health from the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus. He is currently part of the Sex+TEAM, a research group part of the Public Health School focused on sexual health and advocacy for LGBT+ populations. Milton has dedicated recent years to HIV prevention through increasing PrEP awareness, HIV research, and implementing interventions towards the wellbeing of LGBT+ youth’s in Puerto Rico. He also co-authored “Incurrectas”, a book aiming to rescue the stories of prominent women of Puerto Rico and is currently a graduate student of the LGBT Policy and Practice Program from the George Washington University. 

 

Rona Siskind 

Rona Siskind, MHS works at the Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, NIH, focusing on community engagement, training, and communications in HIV vaccine and prevention, and more recently, COVID-19 research.  She is an active member of Community Partners, which facilitates global community representation in NIAID’s HIV/AIDS research, and the Legacy Project, which works to increase awareness of and support for HIV research among historically underrepresented communities. She also convenes the Cross-Network Transgender Working Group to promote transgender awareness and inclusion. Ms. Siskind serves on the ACTIV-2 COVID-19 Community Advisory Board, COVID-19 Prevention Network Community Working Group, and CoVPN Community Engagement Planning Team, working to ensure that COVID-19 research is inclusive of the diverse communities hardest hit by the pandemic. 

 

Sheldon Raymore 

Sheldon Raymore is a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and lives in New York City.  Since 2014 their mission has been to increase HIV/AIDS awareness, sexual health education, and accessibility of PrEP services for the Two–Spirit community and beyond.  They are the creator of www.PrEPahHontoz.com which provides an enriching awareness experience, with culturally competent and appropriate methods of increasing PrEP awareness. The PrEPahHontoz Tipi project decreases social and cultural stigma’s associated with HIV/AIDS, and HIV Prevention. It also disseminates correct information about HIV and it’s history in the Native American community, while utilizing “culture as prevention.” They currently volunteer for the American Indian Community House, serve on a Native American “Ending the Epidemic” Advisory Group with the AIDS Institute of New York State and serve on NMAC’s Native Constituent Advisory Panel (CAP). 

 

Megan Canon 

Megan Canon, MPH, is a passionate public health leader with over twelve years of experience championing HIV prevention and PrEP in Colorado, California, and Texas. She currently is the Biomedical Intervention Coordinator at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment where she oversees PrEP, PEP, and syringe access programming for the state. Previously, she worked at the Houston Health Department as their PrEP Program Coordinator and at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation where she founded PrEPfacts.org. Megan holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Colorado of Boulder and a master of public health degree from the University of California Berkeley. 

 

Moctezuma García 

Dr. García is an Assistant Professor at San José State University and specializes in health inequities, intersectionality, social stratification, infectious diseases, sexual and gender minorities of color. Research endeavors have focused on mixed-methods approaches exploring HIV-related risk and protective factors for sexual and gender minorities of color throughout the United States. He was responsible for developing and implementing a culturally informed community–based program to detect and respond to HIV cluster outbreaks (Molecular HIV Surveillance) among Latino/a/x for the Houston Health Department. Dr. García was also a consultant for UNICEF and international agencies addressing human rights issues for highly vulnerable populations. He is currently part of an interdisciplinary team at the University of Chicago developing a community–based COVID-19 intervention for highly vulnerable populations throughout the United States. He has a Ph.D. from the Graduate Center at the City University of New York and an MS from Columbia University School of Social Work. 

 

Melissa Turner 

Melissa M. Turner, MSW, LICSW, MPA, chair of the HPTN Community Working Group and HPTN Executive Committee member, has been integrally involved in patient care management and HIV clinical trials for more than 20 years. She is a clinical social worker in the Infectious Diseases Section at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Melissa is also the community advisory board liaison at the George Washington University HPTN CRS and community engagement specialist for HIV research trials at the local and international level for U.S. National Institutes of Health-funded clinical trial networks. She recently joined the community working group for the newly formed COVID Prevention Network (CoVPN). Melissa specializes in community education, bridging the divide between science and community, and works to integrate community needs and perspectives in all aspects of clinical trial design from conception, implementation, and results dissemination. 

 

DeMarc A. Hickson 

DeMarc has nearly 20 years of public health experience, having worked with federal, academic, and non-profit agencies. As an alum of Norfolk State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics and Ph.D.-level Biostatistician, he has completed a variety of certifications and trainings, including the HPTN and MACC Scholars Programs. Dr. Hickson is an avid “urban farmer” and traveler. 

Planning for a New Administration

Last week President-elect Biden officially committed to reinstating the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) at the White House. Now is the time for the HIV community to weigh-in, particularly since this leader will be the President’s representative in our struggle to end the HIV epidemic (EHE) in America. NMAC hopes the Biden administration will consider ending HIV as an integral component of their commitment to racial justice in America.

Here are some of the critical skills that NMAC hopes for the leader of ONAP:

  • Integrate EHE efforts with the Biden administration’s commitment to Black Lives Matter,
  • Passionate leader living with HIV from community,
  • Expand office to focus on the syndemic epidemics of HIV, STDs, and Hepatitis,
  • Work with the Office of Budget and Management (OMB) and Congress to ensure full funding of EHE efforts,
  • Understand the complexities and challenges of HIV Implementation Science,
  • Use the imprimatur of the White House to bring community and federal agencies together to figure out real EHE solutions,
  • Full and active voice on the Domestic Policy Council,
  • Voice in the HIV movement for the President, and
  • Voice of the HIV movement in the White House.

This list is far from comprehensive. What would you add? Let me know because NMAC is writing another letter to the Biden transition team this week. However, our work cannot be limited to ONAP. The President-Elect has already begun announcing his nomination for senior leadership roles and will appoint new leaders immediately after the inauguration. The civil servants will craft the way that we not only do business in Washington, but how America will function both domestically and around the world. We want to encourage each of you to get involved in building our country – from employment to advocacy. Our voices and our bodies are needed to End the HIV Epidemic. Now is our time.

2021 Virtual Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit
The 2021 Virtual Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit is March 30-31, 2021. This year the conference prioritizes implementation of of PrEP and U=U as the core services for ending HIV. While there is a COVID vaccine on the horizon, it is not in time for this year’s meeting. However, NMAC hopes we can have the 2021 United States Conference on HIV/AIDS in person in Washington DC on September 9-12. It will be an important opportunity to introduce members of the Biden administration to the HIV movement. We are closely monitoring the roll-out of the COVID vaccine and hope to make a final determination about meeting “in-person” in February.

The 2021 Summit will give out 1,500 scholarships to the virtual meeting. People living with HIV and people on PrEP will be prioritized. Click here to apply. NMAC understands the central role they play in ending the epidemic. The 2021 Summit goal is to bring leaders from the various target communities together with the staff responsible for EHE program implementation. Hopefully they are the same people, but too often this is not true. NMAC thanks Gilead for being the Presenting Sponsor for the 2021 Summit.

NMAC’s Hill Champions Event
Thank you to everyone who attended NMAC’s Hill Champions fundraiser. If you were unable to join us, please watch the event for free here. NMAC thanks Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congresswoman Barbara Lee for the leadership our movement needs from them. It will be a very heavy lift to get full funding for our efforts to end the HIV epidemic.

NMAC needs your support as we get set to work with the new Biden administration. Please text NMAC to 50155 to donate. Thanks to a $20,000 matching challenge from NMAC board members Norm Nickens and John Hill, your donation will be doubled. We were able to increase HIV support by hundreds of millions of dollars in the Trump administration. Imagine what we can do during the Biden presidency. Thank you for your support and please be safe during these stressful times.

Yours in the struggle,

Paul Kawata 
NMAC

To President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris

NMAC logo

Congratulations on your historic win! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen yet again how much more racial and ethnic minorities are impacted by health emergencies. NMAC looks for your administration to prioritize racial justice and reconciliation. Vice President-elect Harris is uniquely positioned to speak to America’s longstanding and present-day systemic racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia. The heightened attention to the Black Lives Matter movement has once again shone a light on the systemic racism that African Americans face daily. Now we call on the Biden administration to offer meaningful change and sustainable solutions.

For NMAC, it’s hard to put into words the historic nature of the election of a woman born to Black and South Asian immigrants to be our Vice President. She represents us. In the United States, Blacks are the most HIV-impacted race of women in the United States. Your administration has committed to ending the HIV epidemic by 2025. NMAC and the entire HIV movement looks forward to making that a reality.

Solutions for ending the HIV epidemic must focus on race and dismantling systemic racism. The Biden era is an opportunity to reset the course of our work to end the HIV epidemic and to build solutions that are community-led and focused. Here are some of NMAC’s near term recommendations:

Transition Period
The HIV movement hopes to work with your administration on key presidential appointments in positions like the Assistant Secretary for Health (ASH), as well as presidential staff at the CDC, FDA, HRSA, CMS, HUD/HOPWA, IHS and SAMHSA and to identify leaders who believe in science-based and evidenced solutions who will rebuild the community’s trust in government.

NMAC, like many HIV organizations, also recommends the new administration reestablish the Office of National AIDS/HIV Policy as part of the White House Domestic Policy Council. This act will reaffirm your commitment to end the HIV epidemic. The President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS should be housed back in the White House and we urge you to fill the many open slots. When filling the seats, we hope you will prioritize people living with HIV, especially from the diverse communities that are most impacted by the virus.

After Inauguration
On day one, NMAC asks the new administration for executive orders that reverse the Trump Administration’s efforts that directly or indirectly affected the communities highly impacted by HIV. For example, we cannot allow the elimination of trainings to address racial bias and its impact on our constituents. Now is the time to reassert the dignity, rights, and access to healthcare for BIPOC, women, and/or LGBTQ+ communities, particularly the transgender/non gender-conforming communities. For too long we have been minimized and made to feel not part of the American dream.

NMAC understands that every administration wants its own plans and strategies. President George H.W. Bush first signed the Ryan White CARE Act. President George W. Bush had the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. President Clinton appointed the first White House AIDS Czar. Under President Obama, the first National HIV/AIDS Strategy was created. President Trump’s administration expanded to a national effort on Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE). NMAC believes that an amalgam of these plans should be the blueprint for the Biden administration. Your administration must address the systemics in order to End the Epidemics of HIV, STIs, and Hepatitis. It’s time to think big by working to end three (3) epidemics.

The work starts with your FY21 budget. We urge you to fully fund efforts to end the HIV, STIs, and viral hepatitis epidemics. Additionally, we request full funding for the Ryan White program and HOPWA and a renewed commitment to finding an HIV vaccine and cure. HIV, STIs, and viral hepatitis sit at the intersection of many of your administration’s priorities, including healthcare, racial justice for BIPOC, LGBTQ+ communities, drug pricing, expanded access to healthcare through the Affordable Care Act, and a public health option. The HIV community also looks to work closely with your administration to stop the criminalization of HIV transmission. Health conditions should not make someone more liable to criminal prosecution.

NMAC is closely monitoring the “nature” of your 2021 Inauguration. Will it be virtual or in-person? Either way, as we’ve done in the past, NMAC in coalition with other HIV organizations, will host an inauguration event. We hope you or a member of your senior team can join us to celebrate your inauguration.

Congratulations, we look forward to working together.

Yours in the struggle,

Paul Kawata 
NMAC