On why Aidan attended the March for Our Lives in Pittsburgh, PA:
“It was important for representation. Black and
Brown children have been and continue to be effected by gun violence and
are constantly living in this police
state at schools.”
On March 22nd, Erick hosted a webinar on PrEP 101 to talk about how it prevents the transmission of HIV, how to access it and it’s importance for young people, especially for him.
“I was hospitalized when I was 16 for syphilis. After my experience in the hospital, I vowed to myself that I would not let a 16 year old or anyone go without knowing about STIs or HIV prevention because I didn’t want them to be in the same predicament I was in. Luckily, syphilis is curable but at the same time, I didn’t know about it, my mom didn’t know about it.
“[To] any positive girl or woman in the world, I would say own whatever experience you’re having. You hold space too, you are important too. No one else can write this outline of your life better than you.“
[To] any positive girl or woman in the world, I would say own whatever experience you’re having. You hold space too, you are important too. No one else can write this outline of your life better than you.
-
Tiffany, Florida
Message to all women and girls living with HIV for National Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
When my brother fell
I picked up his weapons
and never once questioned
whether I could carry
the weight and grief,
the responsibility he shouldered.
I never questioned
whether I could aim
or be as precise as he.
He had fallen,
and the passing ceremonies
marking his death
did not stop the war.
Standing at the front lines
flanked by able brothers
who miss his eloquent courage,
his insistent voice
urging us to rebel,
urging us to not fear embracing
for more than sex,
for more than kisses
and notches in our belts.
Our loss is greater
than all the space
we fill with prayers
and praise.
He burned out
his pure life force
to bring us a chance
to love ourselves
with commitment.
He knew the simple
spilling of seed
would not be enough
to bind us.
It is difficult
to stop marching, Joseph,
impossible to stop our assault.
The tributes and testimonies
in your honor
flare up like torches.
Every night
a light blazes for you
in one of our hearts.
There was no one lonelier
than you, Joseph.
Perhaps you wanted love
so desperately and pleaded
with God for the only mercy
that could be spared.
Perhaps God knew
you couldn’t be given
more than public love
in this lifetime.
When I stand
on the front lines, now
cussing the lack of truth,
the absence of willful change
and strategic coalitions,
I realize sewing quilts
will not bring you back
nor save us.
It’s too soon
to make monuments
for all we are losing,
for the lack of truth
as to why we are dying,
who wants us dead,
what purpose does it serve?
When my brother fell
I picked up his weapons.
I didn’t question
whether I could aim
or be as precise as he.
A needle and thread
were not among
his things
I found.
My Story Out Loud is a digital storytelling project dedicated to uplifting the narratives of LGBTQ+ youth of color and young people living with HIV across the nation by capturing our stories and experiences.
