USCA is Sold Out!

The 2019 United States Conference on AIDS is sold out! The good news is that more people than ever want to learn about the federal plan to end the domestic HIV epidemic. Thank you for the overwhelming response. We understand this is an important year. I also know this is disappointing for some and I apologize for any inconvenience it causes. The online registration portal will stay open until August 23rd, then it will close. We will not accept any onsite registrations.

Our primary concern has to be for the safety of attendees. You can only fit so many people into the hotel before it becomes dangerous. For those attending, there will be lines. We will do our best to make them move quickly and we appreciate your understanding.

Consider attending the Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit. The meeting is December 3-4 in Houston, Texas.  The deadline to apply for scholarships is September 16th.

Child Care @ USCA
So many people living with HIV now have children. That is amazing and such a blessing. USCA offers child care for attendees from Playtime Sitters. This company is owed by Khadijah, who is part of the USCA Faith Coalition. Make your reservation in advance with Alison McKeithen. I remember a time when we focused solely on the medical needs of people living with HIV, so to have child care makes me so happy. I don’t think we could have imagined this reality in the early days of the epidemic.

Don’t Call Us “Other”
To plenary and workshop leaders, thank you for volunteering your time, talent and expertise. USCA is first and foremost a training opportunity. This year there will be 160 workshop, four plenaries, and long lines. When giving your presentation, please do not use “other” when speaking about American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asians, or Pacific Islanders/Native Hawaiians. While I understand our sample size may be too small to have good data, it’s better to note that fact than to label us as “other” in order to balance your percentages.

Please do not combine the transgender community with gay men. Once again, I understand if you don’t have that information because the data was not collected that way. It is better to note that fact in your presentation. This is not about being politically correct; it is about having real data to supports jurisdictional plans. How can we tell if we are ending HIV in the transgender community if we don’t have good data?

USCA Conference Planning Team
The Conference Operations Office is located in Marquis Salon 15 on Meeting Level 2.

TARA BARNES-DARBY
Director of Conferences
Tara is your contact for all conference-related information and has overall responsibility for USCA. Email: tbarnes@nmac.org Phone: 202.870.0460

ALISON J. MCKEITHEN
Conferences Manager
Alison is your contact for all conference related information, particularly questions about sessions, faculty, and special events. She is also your contact for all things workshop, poster, institutes, master series, and affinity sessions related. Email: amckeithen@nmac.org Phone: 202.930.2567

SHANTA’ GRAY
Conferences and Registration Coordinator
Shanta‘ is your contact for conference registration and scholarship concerns. Shanta‘ will be stationed at the “On-Site Solutions” booth at conference registration. Email: sgray@nmac.org Phone: 202.302.9720

GABRIELLA SPENCER
Conferences Program Associate
Gabriella is your contact for the Conferences Operations Office. She is able to receive and disseminate communications and assist in troubleshooting issues onsite. Email: gspencer@nmac.org Phone 202.738.0935

TERRELL PARKER
Associate Program Manager
Terrell is your contact for CAPs, programmatic questions, and overall troubleshooting. Email: tparker@nmac.org Phone: 202.977.5598

SAFISHA MANCE-THOMAS
Exhibits Coordinator is your contact for the conference exhibit hall. She can be reached through the Exhibitor Registration booth in the booth on the Meeting Level 4 of the Marriott Marquis. Email: smance@nmac.org Phone: Phone: 202.492.8278

Thank You 2019 Sponsors

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Workshops & Pathways
This year’s conference will offer 160 workshops via Pathways and Tracks. The difference between a track and a pathway are the number of workshops.  Pathways are limited to four, while tracks are significantly larger. Tracks also come from abstracts, while a pathway is curated by the host agency. USCA works hard to bring state of the art learning from agencies and presenters who are leaders in their field. Our workshops differ from scientific conferences because we ask the presentations use community learning styles and be interactive and open to questions. Attendees come to USCA with very different levels of understand.

2019 Pathways

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2019 Tracks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morning Worship Service
The Balm in Gilead will host morning worship services starting on Thursday at 7:00. AM. The location is the Scarlet Oak Room on the lobby mezzanine.

For NMAC, ending the domestic HIV epidemic is our mission slayer, our raison d’etre. We will lead with race to ensure that plans to end the epidemic work in all the communities highly impacted by HIV. This only works when government and community collaborate. There is much that divides us and sometimes I’m surprised we’ve made it this far. Biomedical HIV prevention has given us real pathways, but we need to reach communities that are stigmatized, marginalized, and disenfranchised. People living with HIV are core to the solution and must be prioritized, particularly the 400,000 PLWH who have fallen out of care or are unaware of their HIV status.

Yours in the struggle

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Kawata*
*POZ Magazine was gracious to print a special run of the magazine for USCA. I am not on the cover, but they are doing this wrap for the meeting. 30 years is a long time and I am proud to stand with NMAC in our fight to end the HIV epidemic.

 

 

Understanding The United States Conference on AIDS

Are you excited for this year’s United States Conference on AIDS? To help you navigate the meeting, here is some of the back story. This year’s meeting will focus on the federal plan to end the domestic HIV epidemic. On October 1,, 2019, 57 jurisdictions will start to build plans to end the HIV epidemic by 2030. The promise of biomedical HIV prevention gives real pathways to significantly reduce the number of new cases. The goal is to have fewer than 3,000 cases per year by 2030.

For the newbies to USCA, here’s some of the back story. The meeting is the largest community-based HIV conference in America. Around 3,000 folks will join us this year. Thirty-five percent of the attendees are people living with HIV. Sixty-five percent are people of color. USCA works hard to reflect the HIV epidemic in all of its diversity.

For some people, their first time at USCA can be a little scary and overwhelming. This year there are 160 workshops, four plenaries, and long lines at registration. To help you navigate, join us for the USCA Orientation Webinar on Wednesday, August 14th at 3 PM (Eastern).  Register now.

Attendees are both providers and the people jurisdictional plans need to reach. In the larger world, many of our attendees are stigmatized, marginalized, and made to feel less than. At USCA they are prioritized, heard, and made to feel like the color of their skin does not matter. There will be protests. Protests are in the DNA of our movement and something that NMAC supports. Learning to speak truth to power without violence is an important lesson for people who live on the margins. From the civil rights movement to the women’s movement to the LGBTQ movement to ACT-UP, this is how we are heard.

The Opening Plenary will feature interviews with the federal leaders who wrote the plan. It will be NMAC’s version of the Sunday Morning talk shows with Dr. Redfield (CDC), Dr. Fauci (NIAID), Rear Admiral Weahkee (IHS) and Dr. Cheever (HRSA). Saturday’s plenary is a celebration of People Living with HIV & U=U. Sunday’s closing plenary will be about PrEP and how to reach the communities that have not seen the promise of this science.

Training Opportunity
First and foremost, USCA is a training opportunity with 160 workshops. The conference uses a smartphone app to keep everyone informed. Go to  Google Play or Apple app stores to download the app. CDC and HRSA have pathways of workshops:

  • Centers for Disease Control and PreventionPrEP and SSP Strategies to End HIV: Successes and Challenges
  • Supporting Linkages, Retention and Rapid Antiretroviral Therapy (ART)
  • How do we DIAGNOSE HIV Infections as soon as possible?
  • Partnering for Public Health Response to End the HIV Epidemic
  • Building on HRSA Programs’ Infrastructure Supporting Ending the HIV Epidemic
  • Community Engagement and Involvement of People with HIV
  • Innovation through Implementation Science
  • HRSA Ending the HIV Epidemic Listening SessionI.R.S.A. Resources and Services Administration
  • Sesion para escuchar: Como acabar con la epidemia de VIH

Other pathways include: Faith, Fast Track cities, Health Care Providers, Hepatitis, Health Care Access, the South, STDs, Structural Interventions, Treatment/CFAR, and U=U. The 2019 Tracks include: Biomedical HIV Prevention, Ending the Epidemic, Gay Men, Leadership, Opioid Epidemic, PrEP for CBOs, People Living with HIV, Public Policy, Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming, Trauma-Informed Care, Women and Youth.

There is NO printed program book. Past evaluations said printed program books were not environmentally responsible and usually get thrown away. The best way to stay informed about USCA is to download the conference app. Go to Google Play or Apple app stores to download it. A PDF of the program book that you can download will also be available on the USCA website.

Building A Movement
Ending the epidemic in America requires a movement of people working collaboratively towards a common goal. USCA builds that movement by bringing together the diverse communities highly impacted by HIV to talk, train, and argue. What makes the meeting both dynamic and challenging is our diversity as marginalized people in America.

Unfortunately, HIV disproportionately impacts people who live outside of the mainstream. To end the epidemic, we must reach communities that don’t trust the government or the systems that are put in place to help. Can you blame them? Daily we hear that we are less than, not valued, or disposable. The people who make it to USCA are empowered, but they work with, support, and speak on behalf of too many who are disenfranchised.

That is the great paradox. To end the epidemic, we need people living with HIV to stay in healthcare and be adherent to their meds. PLWH daily face discrimination, stigmatization, and criminalization from the systems that now needs them to end the epidemic. If we do not celebrate people living with HIV and their capacity to be undetectable, how will our efforts succeed? It is difficult to celebrate people you do not know.

Some believe we just need to link people into healthcare and get them on meds. If only it were that easy. While that might work in the mainstream, it definitely does not speak to people who suffer from the trauma of racism, homophobia, sexism, transphobia, and addiction. When NMAC says this will be one of the biggest tests of our leadership, we mean it. Not only do we have to work across systems, but we also have to work with people who have different values, beliefs, and ideals.

Family Reunion
At its foundation, USCA is a family reunion. We celebrated that fact two years ago and it is still true today. The world can be a lonely and harsh place for people who are different. USCA is a place that celebrates what society shuns.

We celebrate the diversity of our family. If you cannot stand with that commitment, then please don’t attend the meeting. Like all family reunions, there are disagreements. NMAC believes our disagreements makes us stronger, but sometimes it moves beyond disagreements to bullying. That’s where we draw the line. Bullying, harassment, and violence are never OK. As marginalized people, we live in that reality every day. USCA is a safe space where differences are honored and privilege is minimized.

In other words, USCA is not your typical HIV meeting, but HIV is not your typical disease. On October 1st our nation will start planning to end the HIV epidemic in America. Plans are due by the end of the year. Who sits at the table and the agencies that implement the plans will make the difference between success or failure. It’s up to us to fight for our communities. Thank you for joining us this very important year.

Yours in the struggle,

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Kawata 
30 Years of Service

 

Welcome to USCA 50+ Scholars for 2019 (Pt. 2)

HIV 50+ - Strong & HealthyThe HIV 50+ Strong and Healthy Program offers support and engagement opportunities for those HIV-positive and over the age of 50 who struggle with isolation and the need to overcome depression. The HIV 50+ program allows them to reinvent themselves and become active and productive individuals in the community. The program is composed of 51 individuals who either work with or are HIV positive and over the age of 50 years old. The program consists of educational webinars, mini-grant and internship opportunities, sponsorships to conferences and involvement at the United States Conference on AIDS (USCA).

Congratulations to this year’s scholars! Since we have 51 Scholars, we will recognize them in two parts.

Nancy Duncan is 61 years old and has been living and aging with HIV for 34 years now. She is very grateful to have made it through the difficult years before the anti-viral medications that came out in the mid-nineties because at that time, she didn’t think she was going to make it!  She has been blessed to be able to see her son grow to up to become an amazing adult. She currently has some health issues but is thriving pretty well now and has been doing HIV testing and counseling and peer work for many years. Living with HIV has given her the chance to meet so many wonderful and inspiring people over the years and she looks forward to many more years of good health and happiness to come!

Nancy Shearer is a Filipina woman diagnosed with HIV in March 1997. Ever since she was diagnosed, she has dedicated herself to advocating for the rights of HIV+ individuals. She was also a grantee of a mini grant where she hosted a  Social event for heterosexual men and women focusing on connecting with their peers facing the same challenges.

 

 

Nikki Calma aka Tita Aida, is a familiar name to the Bay Area communities for the past twenty years. She is a tireless and proud transgender community leader in the Asian & Pacific islander LGBTQI community and the transgender community. She is currently the Director of HIV Services and Community Programs at San Francisco Community Health Center (formerly API Wellness).

 

 

Patricia (Pat) Kelly is a native New Yorker who currently resides in Orangeburg, SC. She is aging gracefully and gratefully soon to be 65 years young and surviving and thriving 34 yrs. She was diagnosed with HIV in 1985 and AIDS in 1998. She is the mother of three, grandmother of eight and great grandmother of seven. Pat is also the founder of A Family Affair HIV and AIDS Ministry of Victory Tabernacle Deliverance Temple. She serves on several boards and is actively involved in the HIV arena locally and nationally.

Porchia Dees is from San Bernardino, CA. She currently serves in the Los Angeles area as a Prevention Specialist for an organization called AIDS Project Los Angeles. She was born HIV positive in 1986 and has been thriving with this condition for 32 years strong now. Helping others and giving back to her community is her passion. Public speaking and advocating for HIV/AIDS has become her calling, and has been working on trying to become better at speaking out, educating, and articulating her experience with the world.

Randal Lucero has held the position of Board Member with several well-known national HIV organizations, where he has worked for over 12 years advocating for individuals and communities affected by HIV. Volunteerism has always been in the forefront of his professional experiences.  As the founder of the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services HIV Advocacy Network and the State Consumer Representative to the NMDOH HIV Services Clinical Quality Management Committee he has made an extensive impact within the rural Southwest HIV community. Randal describes himself as a person living with HIV who strives to learn as much as possible and translate the knowledge into lay terms for others to understand the complexities of living with HIV.

Reggie Dunbar II is the Founder and CEO of Poz Military Veterans USA Intl.
He served in the US Army Vietnam Era Veteran where he served in the JAG (legal) Core. He serves as the second vice chair of the Metropolitan Atlanta HIV Health Planning Services, a community advisory board member of Emory Clinical Trials and the Atlanta Legal Aid Society.

 

 

Rob Ingwerson lives in Beaverton, Oregon with his partner of 24 years. He currently is working at Cascade AIDS Project as an HIV Peer Support Specialist. Rob also does HIV testing for all at the main offices as well as testing in different community events. He is involved with AIDS Walk every year. Rob is very excited to attend this year’s USCA as a representative for the Aging HIV community.

 

Rob Cooke has been living in Washington, D.C. for 20 years, from the Norfolk VA area. He is thankful and blessed that he has been healthy undetectable for 21 years. He is presently apart of the Washington DC Regional Planning Commission on Health and HIV, working with the Community Engagement and Education Committee and the Community Advisory Board with Unity Health Clinics in the District. He is also actively involved with CNHED, Communities for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development with “Housing For All” Campaign, LEDC, Latino Economic Development Center for Tenant Rights, and Manna Inc.(nonprofit housing assistance) board of directors.

Robert Cornelius is the financial coordinator at Cempa Community Care, which provides primary and infectious disease care, mental health counseling, health maintenance, peer navigation and more for people living with and affected by HIV located in Chattanooga Tn. When not crunching numbers for the organization, he spends his time spreading awareness about the virus. Robert is currently working on programs for long-term survivors who are 50 and older, including planning for retirement—a milestone many in his community thought they might never reach. Over the past 20 years, his advocacy work has impacted the lives of people living with HIV from all walks of life and of all ages.

Rob Pompa, LCSW currently serves as Behavioral Health Specialist in a hospital based HIV clinic and is an advocate and activist for PLHIV.   Rob currently serves on the Pennsylvania Special Pharmaceutical Benefits Program Advisory Council, the State of Pennsylvania HIV Divisions’ HIV Planning Group and as co-chair for assessment committee, the AIDSNET Coalition Regional MSM Prevention Planning Group, as well as a member of the Consumer Advisory Board for CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention Behavioral and Clinical Surveillance Branch Medical Monitoring Project.  Rob is thrilled and grateful to be a member of the NMAC HIV 50+ Strong and Healthy cohort.

Robert Riester is a Denver native and 30+ year HIV long-term survivor, and HIV/AIDS Activist and Advocate, both locally and nationally, and pleased to be part of the NMAC 50+ Strong & Healthy program family. He is currently a Program Coordinator for the Denver Element at Mile High Behavioral Health Care, including the Positive Impact program with a focus on HIV and Aging and Ryan White services administration, and works collaboratively with other HIV/AIDS organizations. Robert is currently serving on his third term with the Denver HIV Resources Planning Council and first appointed term to the Denver Commission on Aging, bringing the voice of HIV & Aging to the table.

Shirl Kirskey was born and raised in the Washington, DC area. She is an Administrative Assistant by trade. She moved to Jacksonville, Florida over 30 years ago working at a local hospital for 14 years when she was diagnosed. She is 56 years old and has been positive for 25 years. She is a mother of three daughters.

 

 

Stephen Addona is a long-term AIDS survivor, certified peer specialist and founder of RE-START, Central Florida’s largest HIV support group. The focal point of Stephen’s work is HIV and Aging. His primary goal is to set the standard in how to mature well while living with the virus. “It’s an art,” he says, “I sculpt both my body and mind daily, through use of my personal wellness plan.  Exercise, nutrition, abstinence from tobacco and substance use, and continuously challenging the mind are critical in maintaining quality of life.”

Steven Vargas, Program Coordinator with AAMA (Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans) began helping people living with HIV in 1989, has been living with HIV since 1995, and was recognized as one of Poz Magazine’s “100 Long Term Survivors” in its annual “Top 100” December 2015 issue. Steven is a board member of Houston’s OH Project which preserves the experiences of Houstonians impacted by HIV, and is serving a four year term as a Community Member representative to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents.  He has been the recipient of the 2016 L. Joel Martinez Memorial Award from Legacy Community Health and last year received the 2018 HIV Community Activist Award from Houston’s African American State of Emergency Task Force.

Sylvester Askins was diagnosed in June 1990 in Washington, DC. He currently lives in Portsmouth, VA and works as a Consultant. In this role he assists other persons living with HIV to re-enter the workforce and begin their journey to “Endependence.”

 

 

Thomas J. Villa is a member of and longtime advocate for the LGBT community, an accomplished leader and successful business executive. He has thirty years of success building and leading new teams and new businesses, primarily in healthcare and community engagement, most recently as co-founder of Impacto LGBT to serve the LGBT Latinx community of Northern Virginia. As a long-time survivor of HIV, Tom is a member of the Community Advisory Board to the BELIEVE HIV Cure Initiative, the NIH Precision Medicine InitiativeTM pilot group, and participates in various clinical trials focused on ending the HIV epidemic. Tom continues his lifelong participation in community service with a special focus on promoting health equity and civil rights.

Timothy Lunceford-Stevens has worked at the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) in the Education Department in 1983 working on Prevention. He joined ACTUPNY in the founding year 1987. He is currently on a citywide LTS AIDS Service Planning Council, working to make sure LTS are not left alone in New York. With his SAGE membership, he worked last year to make sure the LTS nationwide were able to stay connected with Equality Bill.

 

Todd Dickey is the HIV Services Manager at The Gay & Lesbian Center of Southern Nevada, a.k.a. The Center. He has been in the Las Vegas Valley since 1976 and has been HIV positive for 28 years. Living with HIV can be a challenge for most, adding in stigma and fear can often times add in a layer of complexity that can be overwhelming for some. He has the honor of connecting with people living with HIV on a daily basis and sharing with them his experience with HIV and letting them know that they are not alone.

Mr. Trevor D. Bradley is 50 plus and has been in passionately involved in HIV prevention and education since 1998. He helped co-found Brothers United, an HIV prevention, education and advocacy agency in Indianapolis. Trevor became the first person to hold the position of HIV Prevention Program Manager for Communities of Color at the Indiana State Department of Health. He has been an MSM Advisory member for the CDC, lecturer, trainer and advocate for Communities of Color for over 20 years. Trevor is involved with several civic and non profit organizations, but has a fondness and place in his heart for real HIV prevention.

William H. Chastang has been a HIV Consumer Advocate since Feb. 2005. He believes his quest will not end until there is a cure.  He encourages all who have an HIV diagnosis to “Live in the moment” because we are not victims but survivors.

 

 

William Hall is a Tlingit Indian from Southeast Alaska and has been living with HIV/AIDS for 33 years. He is a community advocate for the Native American Community in Seattle. He is also co-chair of the Seattle Planning Council and has volunteered with defeatHIV, a CAB to Fred Hutch Cure Research for AIDS for five years now.

 

 

Zeke Garcia is a community health worker and health educator risk reduction specialist. He regards himself as conduit of hope; a custodian of culture living the HIV + dream for the past 20 years. He is devoted to a life of healing, empowering and connecting.

 

 

Nadine Ruff, MSW, is an LGBT activist and the founder of Divinely You, a support group for transgender people based in New Haven, CT. She works for APNH, a non-profit organization in New Haven, as the Program Coordinator of Aging Positively, an evidence-based intervention for people living with HIV who are age 50 and older. As a social worker, Nadine uses her clinical and community organizing to strengthen vulnerable communities.

Welcome to USCA 50+ Scholars for 2019 (Pt. 1)

HIV 50+ - Strong & HealthyThe HIV 50+ Strong and Healthy Program offers support and engagement opportunities for those HIV-positive and over the age of 50 who struggle with isolation and the need to overcome depression. The HIV 50+ program allows them to reinvent themselves and become active and productive individuals in the community. The program is composed of 51 individuals who either work with or are HIV positive and over the age of 50 years old. The program consists of educational webinars, mini-grant and internship opportunities, sponsorships to conferences and involvement at the United States Conference on AIDS (USCA).

Congratulations to this year’s scholars! Since we have 51 Scholars, we will recognize them in two parts.

Alexa Elizabeth Rodriguez is originally from Usulután, El Salvador. Her passion is defend Transgender and people living with HIV rights. She founded the first working and support group for people living with HIV and Trans Women, in her hometown “Mi Nueva Familia” (My New Family). Alexa has continue her work in the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) with many organization including DC Health Department. She is the Director of the Trans-Latinx DMV a Two-Spirit led organization that centers the needs of Black & Indigenous Trans-Latinx people living in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia, that function as regional Chapter of The National Trans-Latin@ Coalition. Alexa has been awarded with many recognitions.  She has been an activist for 16 years fighting for the rights of the HIV positive and members of the transgender community. As a transgender and HIV positive individual, Alexa will continue to fight to make sure her community does not fail.

Angel Luis Hernandez was born and lives in Puerto Rico. Diagnosed with AIDS in 2003, with a poor prognosis, it took him 6 years to “get out of the closet” of HIV. Since 2010, Angel has been involved as a community representative in various local, national and international boards and organizations. As advocate, he believes there is still a need for education around HIV, and still much more work to do to address the social determinants of health of persons living with HIV and AIDS. A key element of Angel’s advocacy work is to empower and support persons living with HIV and AIDS. As HIV Community Educator, he has received scholarships to attend various national and international conferences. Angel helps members of the general community understand the science of HIV and AIDS to ensure community concerns are considered.

Angelica Gallegos, Case Management Supervisor, has been employed with Access and Information Network (AIN) in Dallas, TX since 2017. She has her master’s in social work from Texas A&M Commerce and a Bachelor’s in Social Work from Texas Woman’s University. She is currently on the Dallas HIV Task Force and the Latinx Task Force Work Group. Angelica has worked in the social work field for 6+ years, advocating for service, justice and the dignity and worth of each individual.

 

Arthur Jackson is a respected and innovative national community educator of HIV Prevention, Education and Care Services, in Indianapolis, Indiana, working as the Linkage to Care Coordinator for BU Wellness Network. Born and raised in Orange, New Jersey, Art graduated from Orange High School in 1983 and attended Penn State University. Moving to Harlem, New York, Art has witnessed the evolution of HIV/AIDS from its inception to how we are currently living and dealing with this virus today. Since being diagnosed in January 1989 Art has tried to be an avid and dedicated fighter for those living with this disease.

Bryan Jones has been thriving with AIDS for 35 years an advocating half that time . He is a Founding Steering Committee Memeber of U=U and has spoken internationally on U= U. He performs a one man theatrical conversation entitled A.I.D S….- And I Die Slowly throughout the U.S and abroad. He us the proud recipient of the Equitas Health Trailblazer Award for lifelong committment to the LGBTQ community and HIV. Bryan was chosen this year by the Body .Com as one of their Game Changers in HIV Advocacy. Mr. Jones is the Founder of the Dirt Advocacy Movement And has been working on Modernizing HIV criminalization laws for several years.

Carlos Carmona is an HIV long-term survivor of 29 years and an activist and advocate for people living with HIV (PLWH) for over 15 years. He currently resides in San Antonio, Tx and continues to be a voice for the HIV community breaking down stigma and bringing awareness about HIV.

 

 

Cecilia Dennis is currently located in Phoenix, AZ is a Building Leaders of Color Trainer of Trainers, PWN-USA AZ State Lead, and serves on Maricopa Integrated Health System Community Advisory Board. Currently, Cecilia provides effective risk reduction education in group and one-on-one settings, along with public speaking. She also hosts community events, disseminates materials, and conducts HIV/STI testing.

 

Christine Kapiioho is a Native Hawaiian and Okinawan. She lives on the island of Maui and in September 2019 she will have worked for Maui AIDS Foundation for 10 years. She started as a case manager with 50 clients and in 2012 became Director of Client Services and works with two caring, competent medical case managers for 150+ clients. She is honored to be selected as a scholarship recipient and hopes to continue to bring innovative information to her clients, especially her 50+ year old clients on the islands of Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

David “Jax” Kelly is the president of Let’s Kick A.S.S. (AIDS Survivor Syndrome) – Palm Springs Chapter (LKAPS.org). He has been thriving with AIDS since 2006. He is a member of Cleveland AIDS Clinical Trials Unit Community Advisory Board.

 

 

Dawn Breedon is an HIV positive motivational speaker, Certified Life Coach, activist, and author of REMEMBER TO BREATHE. Dawn continues to educate herself to help others pull through adverse situations. She graduated with honors from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania with a Masters of HumanServices Degree, where she was inducted into the Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society for Social Sciences. Dawn holds a certificate in Evidenced Based Coaching from Fielding Graduate University.

Denise Drayton is a 68-year-old Mother of Christal and George, Grandmother to Kevin and Cameron.  She tested HIV positive on September 1993.  She is the community Liaison for ACRIA Centers on Aging at GMHC. She is dedicated to providing HIV prevention education to those at risk for HIV. She is also a Faithful servant of Healing Touch HIV Ministry at Emmanuel Baptist Church.

 

Diana Goodie is currently employed as a Medical Case Manager/ Ryan White Eligibility Specialist at East Carolina University Adult Specialty Care. Diana has been actively involved in working with PLWH for more than 18 years and has developed a passion for serving the aging population as evidenced by her advocacy & supportive efforts. She has become a Certified Dementia Practitioner and is currently pursuing certification in Gerontology. Diana is committed to empower, educate and reduce barriers that effect PLWH in Eastern North Carolina.

Emilio Apontesierra-Paretti is an asylee from Colombia with a masters degree in Education in Guidance Counseling. He focuses his work in Public Health as a Certify Community Health Worker, particularly the issues of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care. Aponte was the Chair of both, Latinx and MSM Advisors Groups of the Broward County HIV Prevention Planning Council until he leave Florida Department of Health in Broward in January of 2019. Currently is the Behavioral Health Interventions Supervisor of High Impacto, Inc. Aponte also is an artist that use his art as a tool of community mobilization towards awareness, education and actions for HIV/AIDS prevention.

Esther Sarteh Ross-Hines works as the Associate Program Manager/Region 10 Network Coordinator at East Carolina University Adult Specialty Care Clinic in Greenville, NC. She helped mobilize 1st ever advocacy team in Eastern North Carolina dubbed “WE Team of the East, Girls on Fire,” women empowerment group tasked with advocating and leveraging policies to help POCLWH achieve and sustain the highest quality of care. Esther is now in her 26th year of surviving, striving and thriving with HIV, living the golden life at the age of 58. Esther as the graduate of NMAC, Building Leaders of Color; HIV 50+ Strong & Healthy Scholar and GLOW (Growing Leadership Opportunities for Women) implemented a project called “LAMPS” (Leaders, Advocating, Mentoring Personal growth & Support) that provided education, using BLOC Curriculum, to empower POCLWH 50+ to mentor other peers become meaningfully involve within service delivery systems and infrastructures that impact POCLWH in Eastern North Carolina.

Franceina Hopkins is a Public Speaker, Outreach Specialist, Advocate, Recruiter, Linkage to Care Specialist, Trainer and a Leader. She was born in a rural area in Hampton County but currently lives in Lexington, SC, also rural. When she came to Columbia, SC, she was introduced to the organization, Women Helping Women, a group linked through LRADAC (Lexington Richland Alcohol Drug Abuse Council). Franceina is a Lead Recruiter for WISE Women (Women in Support of Empowerment) at PALSS (Palmetto AIDS Life Support Services).

Janice Shirley is a Certified Peer Support Specialist for the state of North Carolina and an advance Level Facilitator. Her goals are to continue to work with her brother and sister in this field to ensure they have the necessary information to live and have a comfortable life. She is working toward getting rid of STIGMA in the HIV arena.

 

 

Jared Hafen joined the Utah AIDS Foundation as Case Manager in 2014, and became Director of Programming in 2016.  Jared has a master’s in social work from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and has worked in the field of HIV for more than 15 years, beginning as a volunteer in HIV prevention and education at Western Colorado AIDS Project.  In addition to his duties as Programming Director, Jared facilitates a weekly men’s HIV support group, and puts great value in connecting with participants and educating and empowering people living with HIV through the simple acts of respect, compassion, and commitment to serve.

Jeffery Edwards-Knight is a 56-year-old gay, Black male who has lived with HIV for 33 years. He resides in Charlotte, NC where he has lived for 34 years. He works at the Mecklenburg County Health Department where he supervises the HIV/STD community testing and outreach team.

 

 

Jeffery A. Haskins is a graduate of Howard and Columbia University. He has held many positions in government, non-profits, and business. He currently works as the Project TEACH Lead Coordinator at Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers. Reverend Haskins is the Pastor of Unity Fellowship of Christ Church Philadelphia. He was a Recovery Counselor for COMHAR (Community Mental Health, Addiction and Rehabilitation). Jeffery is also the Producing Director of PAPA (Producing Association of the Performing Arts) where he has written and starred in his one man show entitled the 26 Project about the number of friends and family members we have lost to the AIDS epidemic. He is a founding member of the New York State, Black Gay Men’s and Health and Human Services Networks.

Joel Caudle knows firsthand the importance of finding support soon after a positive diagnosis. He first connected with Nashville CARES as a client in 2003 after learning he had HIV. He now works as a Medical Case Manager Associate for My House, an offsite health and wellness center operated by Nashville CARES, in conjunction with the organizations Neighborhood Health and Streetworks. As a member of the My House team, Joel offers tailored information and services to same-gender-loving men of color, including STI testing, Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), treatment adherence skills and status disclosure support. Of his work, Joel says, “I use every day that I come to work as an opportunity to empower people with the will to live.”

Joey Pons was diagnosed in 1987 and has been an activist of people living with HIV since then. He began his involvement in New York City with ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power). He is a Project Manager in Policy, Strategic Planning and Community Engagement. In his extensive involvement in the field of HIV advocacy, Mr. Pons has participated in countless conferences as a lecturer on Human Rights, HIV/AIDS and Community Organizing. Additionally, he has distinguished himself as a respected lobbyist in matters of human rights and HIV.

Kenneth Johnson is currently a Program Manager at Abounding Prosperity, Inc. He has been working in the field of HIV prevention and care for over 14 years. He also enjoys his role at AP Inc. and, working with his community. As apart of his role he manages an array of projects inclusive of working with the 50+ population living strong with HIV.

 

Kneeshe Parkinson is a Saint Louis native.  She is a recent graduate with a bachelor’s in liberal studies with emphasis on sociology, psychology and gender studies from the University of Missouri Saint Louis. She is proud of the recent opportunity to be working with Empower Missouri were she is a graduate of the policy fellowship with Positive Women’s Network-USA (PWN) a program training and preparing participants to be effective advocates for policy change. In addition to being a PWN policy fellow, she is the PWN State Lead for Missouri.

Since 1997, Michael Smith has worked on two different programs concurrently: a cutting-edge program assisting People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAs) addressing a variety of work, school, financial topics and concerns called The Phoenix Rising HIV/AIDS Re-entry Project (www.phoenixrisingreentry.org) and is a consultant at The Santa Fe Community Housing Trust’s HOPWA Homebuyer project, a unique program assisting PLWAs to stabilize their finances and obtain homeownership.

Michele Princeton has worked for the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland since 2006; her background includes Housing Case Management, Prevention Education, and Program Management. She has been repeatedly recognized for excellence in leading program development, service implementation, advocacy, and supportive counseling. She has served populations presenting a range of psychological disorders as well as emotional, behavioral, substance abuse and developmental challenges.

Miguel Ángel Delgado Ramos Lives in Cidra, Puerto Rico the town of eternal spring.  He has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of the Sacred Heart in Santurce, PR. Is Co-Founder of the Association of Small Farmers of Rabanal, Inc. He has received medical services at COSSMA, Inc., a community health center since 2003 and joined his Board of Directors in 2014. In September 2018 he was awarded an scholarship by NMAC to  participate in the HIV 50+ Strong and Healthy Program.  Funded by NMAC and in collaboration with COSSMA, INC., and NeoMed Clínic, INC., develop the “VIHVIENDO Fuerte y Saludable” program aimed at HIV positive people over 50.

Ending the Epidemics in Their Memory

This Oct 1st our country will start to build plans to end the HIV epidemic. We are about to write history. This is something that most of us only dreamed about happening. As we work to end the HIV epidemic, I do it in the memory of Michael Hirsch.

(Michael is in the middle next to David Summers, Sal Licata, and Michael Callen. They are all gone).

When I moved to Washington in 1985, I had no idea which way was up. Michael Hirsch was the first person to take me under his wing. He was the quintessential New York activist, and the first executive director of the New York PWA Coalition and The Body Positive. Michael could drive me crazy, make me angrier than I thought possible, and make me laugh until I cried.

He would attend board meetings while still infusing. He wanted to remind the world that HIV was about real people with real problems. Because of Michael, I was accepted into the PWA community. He insisted I attend early organizing meetings that would later become the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA).

Michael would write these long diatribes about life, the movement, his frustrations and joy. They were intimate letters between someone who was dying and someone who would remember. He would close each letter with “Yours in the struggle.”

Then I got the call. If you did AIDS work in the ‘80s or early ‘90s, it’s the call to come to the hospital/hospice/home quickly because your friend is about to pass. The call for Michael happened while I was in Washington. I hopped the shuttle to New York and prayed I would make it on time. The taxi ride from LaGuardia to Saint Vincent’s seemed to last forever.

When I rushed into the hospital, Michael’s mother and sister were sobbing. My heart sank. Was I too late? Just then Rona Affoumado found me, “Oh God, you made it. The family just decided to pull the plug.” I wasn’t too late Rona escorted me into Michael’s room. It was all pumps and whistles from the many machines keeping him alive. It had that funny smell, the smell of death. Michael was unconscious. The morphine stopped the pain so he could sleep. When they turned off the machines, there was an eerie silence. I held Michael’s hand and told him how much I loved him. Just then his eyes opened, and a single tear rolled down his cheek and he was gone.

The nurse later said it was a reflex. To me it was a sign: Michael saying goodbye and to always remember. I close all of my emails with “Yours in the struggle” to honor his life and the lives of so many we’ve lost. The theme for the 2019 United States Conference on AIDS is “Ending The Epidemic in Their Memory.” I remember Michael Hirsch.

Yours in the struggle,

Paul Kawata
30 Years of Service

2019 USCA Scholarships in Review

This year the United States Conference on AIDS received 1,112 scholarship requests and awarded 216 scholarships. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people were turned down. People are upset, and I am sorry. When you look at the demographics of who got scholarships, USCA prioritized People Living with HIV and People of Color, the communities hardest hit by HIV. Fifty scholarships were set aside for people Over 50 Living with HIV, 30 for youth, 15 for People on PrEP, 18 for Social Media Fellows and the balance in the general pool. The process was set up through Events Rebels. Our reviewers go online and blindly review the applications without seeing the applicants’ names. Reviewers were people who work on the frontlines of the epidemic and are part of the Constituent Advisory Panels (CAPs).

Here are the demographics for the awardees:

HIV Status

  • Positive – 57%
  • Negative – 34%
  • On PrEP – 5%
  • Undeclared/Unknown/No Answer – 6%
Ethnicity
  • AA/Black – 54%
  • Latinx – 21%
  • Caucasian/White – 14%
  • Asian – 4%
  • AIAN and NHPI – 5%
  • Not Disclosed/No Answer – 2%
Gender/Gender Identity
  • Male – 53%
  • Female -33%
  • MTF or Trans Woman – 8%
  • FTM or Trans Man – 1%
  • Gender Queer/Androgynous – 2%
  • No Answer – 2%
In addition to the NMAC scholarships, partners gave out an additional 200 scholarships from the following agencies:
  • Indian Health Service
  • Latino Commission on AIDS
  • National Black Gay Men’s Advocacy Coalition
  • Positive Women’s Network-USA
  • Transgender Law Center

In addition to these partners, the Black Women’s Health Imperative is bringing 200 African American women to USCA. We are very thankful to our colleagues for their support. NMAC believes it is important to have diverse organizations selecting scholarship recipients from their constituents. The goal is for USCA to reflect the demographics of the epidemic.

NMAC also heard concerns about the same people getting scholarships. We did a look back and saw around 30% of the scholarships went to people who received one previously. That means 70% went to new leaders. Most of the repeats happened for the Youth Scholars. This is strategic because the agency believes it takes more than one year to build leaders. The agency also gives a limited number of repeat scholarships in our Over 50 Living with HIV initiative. We try to bring previous recipients back to help run the program onsite and to act as mentors. Some people do get scholarships every year, but they aren’t necessarily from NMAC. Thankfully, we have partners and donors who provide scholarships independent of NMAC. Many attendees are sponsored by community-based organizations and/or the health department.

I know people were disappointed. I was disappointed that we could not fund more scholarships. In our efforts to support new leaders, sometimes scholarships are given to newer activists. Getting a scholarship is not a reflection of your value as an activist. Many long-term leaders in our movement did not get a scholarship. Given the concerns, NMAC will:

  • Do a complete review of the scholarship process,
  • Host an online evaluation to gather more community input,
  • Open Constituent Advisory Panels to new members and new scholarship reviewers
This year our partners and the conference will award over 600 scholarships, or about 20% of the attendees. We want to thank our sponsors for supporting scholarships: Gilead, ViiV, Jansen, Merck, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Indian Health Service, and the National Institutes of Allergies and Infectious Diseases. None of the sponsors were involved with any of the decisions. Scholarship decisions are the sole responsibility of our partners or NMAC. We take our responsibility of awarding scholarships very seriously. Unfortunately, there is much more need than resources. If you need to talk, you are welcome to email or call (202-277-2777) me.

Yours in the struggle,

Paul Kawata
30 Years of Service

Now That The CDC Application is Done!

Congrats to the jurisdictions that successfully submitted their CDC PS19-1906 application. Here are some of NMAC’s thoughts about the next steps for leaders working on the plan: Don’t wait. The turn-around time for your jurisdictional plan to end the HIV epidemic is short and waiting will make the job harder. Prior to receiving the final funding award, NMAC believes it is important to:
  • Inform your governor, mayor, and other elected officials about your planning efforts to end the HIV epidemic in their jurisdiction,
  • Work to identify planning body members, and
  • Finalize your jurisdiction’s epi profile.
Elected Officials
Since plans are focused in particular jurisdictions, it will be important to inform, educate and seek support from city, county, state and federal elected officials. Their support is critical as plans are implemented. Not only do they help carry the message, federal elected officials vote on the 2021 Federal Budget that will hopefully include implementation funding for our important work to end an epidemic. The goal is to reduce new HIV cases by 75% in five years and we need elected officials on our side.House Appropriations Subcommittee Language
When putting together new planning bodies or using existing councils, health departments should remember the House’s subcommittee on appropriations language (see below):

Community-Based Organizations. —The Committee recognizes that community-based organizations play a crucial role because of their capacity to reach communities highly impacted by HIV. The Committee directs CDC to ensure that planning councils reflect their local epidemic by including community-based organizations and people living with HIV. The Committee further requests CDC’s progress of engaging such communities be included in the fiscal year 2021 Congressional Budget Justification.

Planning Bodies Should Reflect Their Local HIV Epidemic
While not final, the House requested that the planning bodies reflect their local HIV epidemic. They also requested a progress report about the role of community-based organizations in the CDC’s 2021 Congressional Budget Justification. This means Congress will monitor how CDC engages community. NMAC supports this action and will work with planning councils to make sure they meet Congress’s expectations. NMAC asks CDC to track demographic information on planning council members by HIV status, PrEP status, race, gender, gender identity, zip code, and sexual orientation. For most health departments these stats are a given; however, it’s not true for every jurisdiction. Zip codes are important because they often divide regions along lines of economics, race, sexual orientation, and health services.  HIV programs should be targeted to the zip codes with the largest number of PLWH. People who live in wealthier zip codes tend to have easier access to services that are missing in poorer communities. These are minimal standards and planning bodies should expand what demographics are to be shared based on their jurisdiction’s data sets and needs.

Policies and Procedures for Operation
When putting together your planning bodies, it will be important to determine policies and procedures for operation in advance of the selection process. To some this might seem insignificant, but there are people of color leaders who believe systems like Robert’s Rules of Order are a racist construct meant to minimize our voice. It is important that planning councils’ policies and procedures empower the communities the jurisdictional plans need to reach. NMAC believes race and our ability to reach people of color is core to the solution. If we include systems that are experienced as oppressive, then how can community believe in the solution.

Jurisdiction’s Epi Profile
Your jurisdiction’s epidemiological (epi) profile should be the foundation for program and funding decisions. As a result, everyone should be informed and educated about this critical information. Community needs access to HIV statics that include the race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and zip codes for the people living with HIV and people on PrEP in their jurisdictions. Most jurisdictions have this data but NMAC is concerned the information is not available in all jurisdictions. This is the minimum data to be shared. Planning councils may ask for more information like community viral load, and STDs and Hepatitis overlays. NMAC believes that work to end the HIV epidemic should also include work to end STDs and Hepatitis.

Treatment Education for Planning Body Members
Planning council members must be knowledgeable about all the components of their jurisdiction’s plan, particularly information about U=U, PrEP and their epidemiological profiles. Often data is too technical and not understood by people without graduate degrees. Our movement has lost much of its community treatment education infrastructure. NMAC believes treatment education is core to supporting planning council members, PLWH, and people on PrEP to understand the value of retention in healthcare and adherence to meds. When people know better, they do better. NMAC calls on CDC and HRSA to support Planning Councils requests for treatment education services as tools for retention and adherence.

Organizing PLWH & People on PrEP
It will also be important to support organizing by People living with HIV and People on PrEP. Peer to peer education and support is also key to adherence and retention. I don’t think the federal government wants to have the sex talk with PLWH or people on PrEP. This is better left to support groups organized for peer to peer learning and to help communities meet the goals of this initiative. Ways to organize should be left to local planning councils to determine. Some will organize along lines of race, gender, gender identity, or zip code, while others want to be part of groups that include everyone. There is not one right way to organize and communities should make their own priorities. These organized coalitions should be prioritized for the treatment education efforts noted above.

There is lots to consider. This is the first of many e-newsletters that will suggest options for health departments to consider when putting together their jurisdictional plans.  We invite everyone to send additional recommendations to Linda H. Scruggs, the director of NMAC’s Training Center to End the Epidemic. Successful planning requires that all communities highly impacted by HIV have a real seat at the table. Far too often only lip service is provided to this important need. If you are unclear about how to proceed, ask for help. Nobody has all the answers, but it’s better when we work collaboratively. NMAC is committed to your success and we are here to serve.

Yours in the struggle,

Paul Kawata
30 Years of Service

Gay Men of Color Fellowships in Biomedical HIV Prevention Announced

The Gay Men of Color Fellowship in Biomedical HIV Prevention trains 20 gay men of color recruited from the targeted 48 counties in the federal plan to end HIV to become educators and advocates for Biomedical HIV prevention in their communities. The fellows will participate in four educational video conferences, and trainings at the 2019 United States Conference on AIDS (USCA) and 2019 Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit, then train their respective communities using the information they learned. The overall program goal is to increase literacy related to biomedical HIV prevention and policy.

Thanks to Gilead for their support of this fellowship program.

Adrian Aguilar
McAllen, TX
Adrian Aguilar began his career by educating his local community on environmental issues and working as an activist in a local Stonewall chapter, starting as a member at large and ending as President. He organized town houses to see which local politicians support the LGBTQ community and if they measured up to the chapters’ ideals. For the past three years, Adrian has worked for the Valley AIDS Council as a risk reduction specialist applying intersectionality and open dialogue to serve his community.

 

Brandon Harrison
Los Angeles County
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.

 

Bryon Buck, MPH
Jackson, Mississippi
Bryon Buck serves as a Researcher III in the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He has worked in the HIV and STI Prevention field since 2014. Bryon received his MPH from Jackson State University in 2011 and is pursuing his DrPH under the concentration of Health Behavior, Education, and Health Promotion.

 

 

Charles (Jah’Mar)Pettiford 

Nashville, TN

Charles (Jah’Mar) Pettiford has five years of experience as a leading wellness planner to ending the HIV epidemic. Jah’Mar works at Meharry Medical College in the Department of Internal Medicine as a Prevention Coordinator where he has supervised outreach events, EIS services, PrEP navigation, referrals, and capacity building around addressing stigma against HIV/AIDS within the community. He is also a National Ambassador for the Greater Than AIDS campaign – Let’s Talk about HIV Treatment. He has overseen HIV testing events, community trainings, PrEP summits as well as assisted Georgia with its first PrEP Institute

 

Denovan Mejia

New York, NY (Queens County)
Denovan Mejia is a Honduran currently living in New York. He works for the Latino Commission on AIDS/Oasis Latino LGBTS Wellness Center as a program manager. He has been working on prevention for about five years. His program focus is on educating and linking people to PreP and PEP.

 

 

Dustin B. Baker

Los Angeles County 

Dustin Baker-HolleyDustin Baker is a native of East Orange, New Jersey and a graduate of Ramapo College of New Jersey. He moved to Washington DC to attend Howard University School of Divinity in 2008. Dustin served as Capacity Building Program Coordinator at NMAC. In this role Dustin provided technical assistance to local and regional non-profit organizations. Prior to NMAC, Dustin has worked in programming that provided direct care to underserved communities affected and effected by HIV/AIDS.

 

Frank Julca 

New York, New York
Frank Julca is a Peruvian-Born Sexual Health Counselor currently working at the Latino Commission on AIDS as HIV Counseling, Testing and Referral Specialist as part of CDC PS 15-1502 grant. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Baruch College, and after interning with the Commission for a semester, he became part of their CBA Department as a Research and Evaluation Assistant. He then transitioned to OASIS Wellness Center, where he serves a primarily MSM population alongside the Access to Care team.

 

Gabriel (Gabe) Bautista

Honolulu, Hawai’i

Gabriel (Gabe) Bautista was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai`i. He is an MSM Outreach Worker for Hawai`i Health and Harm Reduction Center, the new chapter of Life Foundation and The CHOW Project since 2018. Gabe is in the prevention department providing support, referrals, resources and information to people living with HIV and their partners. He does HIV testing and linkage to care. He is very passionate about his work with clients and takes personal investment of continuing support for those he encounters.

 

Gjvar Payne

East Baton Rouge Parish

Gjvar Payne has worked with the Capitol Area Reentry Program Inc., since June 2010 as a Patient Health Navigator. Gjvar has also worked with the LGBTQ community in founding a discussion group called Out of the Box to address the holistic health needs for the community. This group was an instrumental part in obtaining the CDC funded Gay Men’s Wellness Center in Baton Rouge. Gjvar currently serves as Chairman of the Baton Rouge TGA Ryan White Advisory Council, member of the Louisiana Tobacco Free Living Advisory Council, and Baton Rouge Wellness center advisory council.

 

Harlan Pruden

British Columbia

Harlan Pruden is a first Nation Cree. He works with and for the Two-Spirit community locally, nationally and internationally. Harlan is a Ph.D student at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and an Educator at the British Columbia (BC) Center for Disease Control’s Chee Mamuk program. Harlan is also the Managing Editor of the TwoSpiritJournal.com.

 

 

Jimmy Quach

San Francisco County
Jimmy Quach is a Prevention Project Coordinator for Project Ohana in the Bay with Asian American Recovery Services (AARS/HR360). He received a B.A in Psychology from San Jose State University in 2012. After graduating, he began working with AARS on a federally-funded prevention project, implementing CBT and MET in his facilitation as a project assistant. His team successfully completed two SAMHSA projects in 2015 with a retention rate of about 80% – 85% to 99% of the number of participant needed for each project cohort. His team published and presented three research posters at the American Public Health Association in 2015.

 

Jorian Veintidos

Philadelphia County 

Jorian Veintidos was born and raised in Philadelphia. He is an advocate for destigmatizing HIV and youth leadership. In the short amount of time in the field, he became part of a storytelling photograph project, The Gran Varones. He is one of the faces for Galaei’s citywide campaign, Positivo which seeks to eliminate the stigma around Gay Latino and HIV related issues, through highlighting stories, community members and spirit that embodies acceptance, pride, family, respect, beauty, and resilience. In 2016, Jorian became NYHAAD’s ambassador and Youth Resource Fellow from Advocates for Youth in Washington D.C. Later that year, he received the 2016 Dale L. Grundy Youth Leader Recipient from the University of Pennsylvania’s CFAR CAB’s 13th Annual Red Ribbon Awards.

 

José Ramon Garcia Madrid 

Maricopa County 
Arizona
Jose Ramon Garcia 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.

 

José A. Romero

Durham, NC 

Jose Romero is a bilingual consultant, cultural organizer, and independent researcher living in Durham, NC. He is a graduate of the University of the Pennsylvania and the first in his family born in the “US” to working-class immigrants from Morazán, El Salvador and Michoacán, Mexico. He is the Director of Encuentro for the Latino Commission on AIDS’ inaugural Southern Gathering, an Arts & Culture Fellow for Southerners on New Ground, a Gran Varones Digital Art Fellow, a member of Durham’s first Participatory Budgeting Steering Committee, and has collaborated on several immigrant defense and abolitionist campaigns across the South.

 

Kekoa Kealoha

Kailua Kona, HI

Kekoa Kealoha is the PrEP Navigator for the Hawai’i Island HIV AIDS Foundation. As a Native Hawaiian gay man, he feels strongly about the many intersecting issues that affect his community. He is an advocate for HIV care and prevention, LGBT rights, equitable healthcare access, and social justice. He serves on several levels, including the Hawai’i Statewide PrEP Working Group Leadership Committee, the Hawai’i Community Planning Group “Zero Stigma” Subcommittee to develop the statewide Getting To Zero initiative, Ka Aha Mahu (Transgender Leadership Group), NMAC’s Native Hawaiian Constituent Advisory Panel, and other community groups. He is passionate about helping marginalized and disenfranchised communities achieve health, happiness, and harmony.

 

Mark Anthony Hughes

Indianapolis, IN (Marion County) 

Mark Anthony Hughes tested positive in 1995 and has worked to improve the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS and to prevent transmission. He is the (3MV) Many Men Many Voices prevention coordinator at Brothers United, where he discusses cultural and social factors in HIV and STI transmission with a group of men ages 25 and older.  He helps those most vulnerable to HIV, especially Black men and women and mentors those newly diagnosed with HIV, offering a friendly ear or a ride to medical appointment and advocate for them. He helped organize the first Indiana HIV Advocacy Day at the statehouse. Throughout his advocacy he’s made it a priority to include the experiences and perspectives of people or color living with HIV.

 

Mike Gutierrez

Chicago, IL (Cook County)

Mike Gutierrez is a MexIRican Agent of Change. For the past ten years, he has worked in the healthcare and social services sectors as a HIV/STI Tester and Counselor, a PCC/Couples Counselor, Crisis Intervention Specialist, Medical Advocate, Education Prevention Advocate, and a Facilitator for an Abuse Intervention Program for those who caused harm in the form of domestic violence. Currently, he is a Ryan White Part C Medical Case Manager at the largest LGBTQ agency in the Midwest. He is passionate about working with the LGBTQ community, survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, and the Latinx community. Through community organization and advocacy, his goal is to incite change and give a voice to the marginalized communities we dedicate ourselves to helping.

 

Percival Pandy

Los Angeles County 

Percival Pandy was born and raised in Southern California. Percival is a Program Supervisor South LA for the Los Angeles LGBT Center. For the last six years he has worked with the Black and Latinx communities attempting to lower the rates of HIV amongst young people in Los Angeles. Percival also maintains the position of co-chair for the Connect to Protect Coalition of Los Angeles which convenes to address the needs of at-risk LGBT youth in the county by fostering partnerships between ASOs, CBOs, shelters, and drop in centers. During his time in public health, Percival, with the help of the coalition has developed “Dress for Success” a pop-up shop that helps to remove the shame and stigma for youth who are homeless and/or impoverished to access professional clothing for interviews.

 

Steven Tamayo

Austin, TX (Travis County) 

Steven Tamayo is from Austin, TX. He graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Social Work in 2014. He has worked in HIV prevention since 2015, working previously with The Q Austin, an Mpowerment program of AIDS Services of Austin, and now most recently with Texas Health Action’s The Kind Clinic. His experience ranges from outreach and testing to education and group facilitation.

 

Wally Soto

Puerto Rico (San Juan Municipio) 

Wally Soto lives in Puerto Rico and is 43 years old. He earned his degree in psychology and has been a tattoo artist for the last 7 years. He has also worked with Coai, Inc. for 10 years in the Aché TOP program (Taking on Prevention) with LatinX MSM and collaborating with other organizations such as the health department of Puerto Rico. He oversees testing for HIV and linkage to care. He is passionate about health and art.

 

 

 

That Time They Screamed “Faggot”

Too many of us in the LGBTQ community can tell stories about a car full of strangers that screams “faggot, dyke or tranny”. This shared experience is all too common and a rite of passage for many in the queer community. Understanding the values and culture of the diverse LGBTQ communities is core to our efforts to reach the 400,000 people living with HIV who have fallen out of care or are unaware of their HIV status and the one million people we hope to get on PrEP.

As we start to build plans to end the domestic HIV epidemic, unfortunately gay men make-up 66% or the majority of the people living with HIV (CDC). This number is off because the CDC continues to count transgender people living with HIV with gay men. It’s time for the CDC to separate the transgender community epi profile from that of gay men, at least in the 57 federally targeted jurisdictions.  The HIV community has been making that request since the 90’s. U=U and PrEP efforts targeting gay men do not speak to the transgender community and visa versa.

Here is what we do know about transgender people living with HIV. According to a CDC meta-analysis, from 2009-2014, 2,351 transgender Americans were diagnosed with HIV. 84% were trans women and 14% were trans men. Half of these cases happened in the South. Among transgender women living with HIV, 51% are African American, 29% are Latinas, 11% are white and 9% are other. CDC did not list the percentages for American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asians or Pacific Islanders.

What the transgender and gay communities have in common is a shared experience of prejudice and discrimination. However, as a gay men I will never fully understand what it means to be transgender in America, but that does not mean I can’t support and stand in solidarity with these allies. When NMAC fights for communities that are highly impacted by HIV, that means we are fighting for gay men, the transgender community, black women, Latinas and drug users.

Just last year a car full of strangers shouted “faggot” at me. I abruptly turned around and said, “that’s Mr. Faggot to you!” As their car started to slow down, I immediately regretted my mouth. I am 5ft. 6 in. on a good day, so that was probably not the safest thing for me to say. These are crazy times and I’ve had to learn to not take my safety for granted. As I started to cross the street, the car made a turn into my cross walk. Not knowing what to do, I blocked the car from passing. Then I got my smartphone and took a picture of the license plate. The car quickly speed off and my heart was beating like a drum.

Solutions to ending the HIV epidemic are not as simple as linking folks to healthcare and giving them a prescription for meds. If it was that simple, we could have done it a long time ago. Solutions to ending the HIV epidemic require us to reach communities that have eluded previous efforts. To speak to people who daily face discrimination and even hatred for being themselves. That’s why I tell my federal white cisgender male friends that we have different roles in ending HIV.  Just as I will never understand what it means to be transgender in America, you will never understand what it means to be gay, particularly a gay man of color, particularly a feminine gay man of color with a big mouth. On the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall, I invite you to march with me so we can stand in solidarity. I also ask you to understand that it is nothing personal, but sometimes we need to listen and leave the leadership to the communities we need to reach. Happy Pride!

Yours in the struggle,

Paul Kawata
30 Years of Service

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The CDC RFA Is Here!

Last week CDC released funding announcement PS19-1906 for the 57 jurisdictions to accelerate HIV planning to end the HIV epidemic. The biggest challenge will be time. Responses are due in 30 days and local plans to end the epidemic are needed by the end of the year.

While the announcement is restricted to select jurisdictions, NMAC hopes everyone working to end the epidemic will read the announcement because it outlines the values and principles for the federal effort. Component A was clearly written for NASTAD and Component B was written for 32 health departments that are eligible to apply for this funding. While 57 jurisdictions are targeted, only 32 awards will be made because funding is going to state health departments who will trickle down the support to the targeted counties.

NMAC wonders why Ryan White Part A jurisdictions were not used to support this effort. We are concerned that in some states, there are no funding relationships between the state health department and the jurisdiction being targeted. It will take time and money to set up these systems when HRSA already has funding relationships with 56 of the 57 jurisdictions. It should also be noted that some state health departments may not have the infrastructure to put together their jurisdictional plan. NMAC supports subcontracts to community-based organizations to lead these tasks. In Florida, the health department is considering contracting with the AIDS Institute. We support this innovation because the learning curve is too steep if you don’t have HIV programs or the infrastructure to manage this effort.

Some of the jurisdictions have already completed their planning. Peer to peer learning means communities do not have to reinvent the wheel. NMAC is working with AIDS United, NASTAD, NSCD and the AIDS Institute to scholarship all 57 jurisdictions to this year’s United States Conference on AIDS. Our goal is to bring national, federal, and local leaders together to discuss how to build comprehensive local plans.

PS10-1906 will be funded by September 30, 2019. The 57 jurisdictions will be asked to turn around their plans to end the epidemic in the next 60-90 days. The short turn-around time is necessary because the HHS 2021 budget request needs to be at the White House by the end of 2019. We’ve been told HHS will ask for up to one billion dollars in new funding to support the initiatives prioritized in the 57 jurisdictional plans. In other words, your plans are really important.

Linda K. ScruggsThe Partnership to End the Epidemics wants to support health departments to put together their plans. At the meeting with the 57 jurisdictions, we will discuss ways our national organizations can support your efforts. NMAC believes that our ability to address race and HIV will be core to our efforts to end the epidemic. If you need support putting together either your response to PS10-1906 or your plan to end the epidemic, please contact Linda H. Scruggs, the director of the NMAC Training Center to End the HIV Epidemic.

Effective plans must speak to the 400,000 PLWH who have fallen out of care or are unaware of their HIV status and the 1.1 million people the plan hopes to retain on PrEP. Retention in healthcare and adherence to meds it not simply a matter of seeing a doctor and getting a prescription. If it was that easy, we would have already ended HIV. Our efforts need to reach some of the most marginalized in America. Too many people over 50 living with HIV suffer from isolation that leads to depression. If our work is limited to linkages to healthcare and access to meds, we will miss the target. What does it take to help someone who suffers from post-traumatic stress because they are a transgender person of color living with HIV who is homeless and does sex work to survive? That is the reality for too many that we need to reach.

For community members in targeted jurisdictions, now is the time to work with your health department to put together the application and the local plan to end the epidemic. You may need to fight for a seat at the table. Build coalitions with other communities highly impacted by HIV to ensure that your mutual issues are prioritized. These plans need to reach communities that have eluded previous efforts. There must be people living with HIV, people of color, gay men, the transgender community, women, people on PrEP, and former drug users at the table. Health departments need to understand that many marginalized communities do not have experience sitting on planning bodies. They will need technical assistance and support to be part of the process.

We are making history as we work to end an epidemic without a vaccine or a cure. NMAC desperately wants you to succeed. We are not just building pathways to ending an epidemic, we are also learning how to reach communities that are far too often overlooked and underserved. Thank you for making the impossible possible.

Yours in the struggle,

Paul Kawata
30 Years of Service