There are so many irreplaceable people in my life and firstly I would like to thank them for their strength and courage in choosing to love me. Regardless of label, there are many that I count on and have come to know as family. Throughout my life I have made love and shared love with partners that also have pridefuly called me their own. Through strength and dedication we were able to attempt a loving relationship. For all of my past serious love interests my HIV status has simply been another part of our lives together. These men through their courage and ultimately love were able to defeat societal stigma and choose to love me as a whole person instead. Lastly I would like to thank Diverse&Resilient and all of the amazing people I have had an opportunity to work with. Particularly Ronnie Grace, Kofi Short, Jazzy Ford, Gary Hollander, Jacob Dougherty, and Katie Hamm. Without the strength of you five people (in particular Ronnie Grace) this story would never have been shared… My reason for coming out (again lol) as an HIV Positive person almost a decade after my initial infection is to shed light on a growing epidemic that receives little to no coverage in national media. In 2013 46% of Wisconsin’s prevalent HIV cases were in Milwaukee. Most of those cases are diagnosed within gay men (71%) and 42% of those men are Black. More shocking 82% of those diagnoses in Black men who sleep with other men are under the age of 30; the median age of diagnoses is 24. Through my work I witnessed first hand the lack of care and societal apathy that LGBTQ of color were faced with on a regular basis. It killed me to hear stories of people not too much younger than I that had unsupportive households and nowhere to sleep at night. Firsthand I learned the power of circumstance and gave of myself within that office as I had never given before. Hundreds of people within this community have shared and continue to share with me the struggles of their life and for this I am forever grateful. You have helped me recognize my purpose and that debt can only be repaid through fulfillment. As of November 18th my time at Diverse and Resilient officially came to an end. If through my years of living God has taught me anything it’s the fulfillment of purpose. My purpose is to continue to stand up and speak for people that cannot speak for themselves. Someone close to my heart once said that “right may not be expedient, it may not be profitable, but it will satisfy your soul”. Ma’am I have now found my right. In closing they say change is most likely to happen through a shared experience with someone affected. It may be driven by cultural, religious, economic, scientific or technological forces. Keeping in mind that I have been positive for almost ten years, think about the moments we’ve shared. By all means I am far from perfect, but that imperfection speaks loudly to my humanity. My biggest wish is that we as a whole continue to see HIV Positive people as human beings. We live among you and the burden of this virus is not ours to share alone.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 16:16:55 +0000
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