“She grabbed me in her arms, put me in her arms, and whispered in my ear ‘we will get through this’ to hear those words by my mother were like…it was the most amazing moment in life.”
Adrian Neil Jr. Shares his heart warming story about when he was first diagnosed.
TO DONATE PLEASE GO TO: https://nmac.z2systems.com/campaign.jsp?campaign=1&fundraiser=42702&team=13&
Catharsis: A World AIDS Day Event
Date: Monday, November 30, 2015
I am Thomas John Davis an NMAC Youth Scholar
To kick off World AIDS Day I am collaborating with The Lula Washington Dance Theater with an event entitled “Catharsis”. The goal of this event is to raise awareness around HIV & AIDS by using performance art as the ice breaker to start conversations between parents, youth, artists, and advocates about disclosure, support, getting tested, and what living with HIV is like. The event will feature professional dancers and testimonies from people living with HIV as well as their allies.
Target Audience and Importance
The doors are open to everyone but the focused group is Parents and their children. I’ve chosen to focus on these two groups in particular because that’s where the information needs to start to make a change in how we talk about HIV when it comes to prevention. Children follow what their parents know weather they are aware of it or not. To lower stigma and increase the flow of valid information into a child’s life we have to also give parents the information so they are informed and up-to-date. By having youth attend with their families we are giving them an opportunity to ask questions about what they saw and to give them information that may be updated from what their parents know. This way the child and parent are getting information together.
The agenda for the evening
The event will start out with a quick “what do you know about HIV?” to figure out where the audience stands. This is meant to be a brief but informative section that will transition into the first performance. The first piece is about the challenges two friends face when one of them discloses that he is HIV+. This piece will be followed by a testimony from an ally who saw a family member pass away from HIV related complications. The second piece is about a patient going to the clinic to get their labs drawn for the first time. This piece is followed by a testimony from Thomas Davis and what it was like to be told that he was HIV+ and what he did from there. The final piece is a duet followed by a testimony from a sero-discordant couple and how they navigate their relationship where HIV is concerned. After each testimony/story questions and conversations are encouraged.
.jpg)
.png)
Why dance?
When it comes to talking about HIV we tend to find the same conversations happening over and over again and as necessary as these conversations are we need to find more innovative and engaging ways of presenting them. Using dance as a way to communicate and tell a story is a great way to educate and inspire people. You are able to escape the idea that everything you say needs to be “Politically Correct”. It’s a way for the audience to experience a story rather then having one talked at them. To show this one of the pieces being shown is filmed below. This is a story of the struggles a couple goes through when HIV is introduced into their relationship. This piece is about the anxieties of the waiting room and was used to start conversations about testing, doctors visits, support, and dating. Do you go and get tested with your partner? When was the last time you two talked about your sexual health to each other? If one of you was positive would the other stay? All these questions and many more are asked in the heads of these two individuals as they wait.
The Long Wait
Choreographed by: Thomas Davis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm6f1PhG5eo
.png)
TO DONATE PLEASE GO TO https://nmac.z2systems.com/campaign.jsp?campaign=1&fundraiser=42702&team=13&
Adrian and Thomas share their thoughts on USCA 2015! Can’t wait for next year!
On the Daybreak this morning, Noel Cayasso-Smith and guest speaker Thomas Davis talk about CAF’s mission.
Mr. Davis’ presentation will focus on the stigma and discrimination with persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Mr. Cayasso-Smith says that there’s so much discrimination and that it has stopped people from getting tested.”It’s a community awareness thing with the stigma and awareness that we are trying to break,” he said.
Mr. Davis shares his story of when he was diagnosed with HIV in his early 20′s. He also said education is important and that not educating young people can cause more harm than good.
This is the third year that CAF has hosted this event.
Nova Salud put on another amazing event as myself and other individuals who are affected by HIV took time out of their schedules to model amazing clothes by Juan Jose Saenz-Ferreyros and his line Ferreyros Couture Company. Thank you all who came out to give back to Nova Salud as they continue to provide excellent services to the Northern Virginia region. Also, a huge thank you for all the sponsors and O Mansion for making this event happen.
For more information on Nova Salud click here.
I am honestly excited about this project and want to see it succeed. Currently, there are no programs that discuss life living with HIV from a protagonist and their point of view. This is something that we so desperately need to educate more individuals, break down stigma, but most importantly have something that us individuals living with HIV can related to. Please check out http://www.unsurepositiveseries.com for more information on the project and the kickstarter campaign!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jv4IoRSGvw Real HIV? Nowhere on T.V.! This series will explore many of the issues that affect HIV-positive people as they live on, and stay positive. Unsure/Positive is a Dramedy. What exactly is a Dramedy, you ask? Also known as tragicomedy, comedic drama, seriocomedy, or Unsure/Positive (the Series). Humor and Drama combined! A hybrid! The primary goal of the series is to entertain. Fair warning: we may entertain you *while* raising awareness about life with HIV. In an age of mobile devices, hookup culture, antiretroviral treatments, and the ongoing stigma that resonates with our own societal fears, Unsure/Positive offers a healthy dose of reality, honesty, and humor. You haven’t seen anything like this (because we’re still busy making it happen!) We have a fantastic cast, a baller crew, and we’re itching to get started– so much so that we already shot the first ten pages of our script on July 12th and 13th, 2014— well before securing our Kickstarter funding. The plan? To show you what you’re backing. Our sneak preview can be viewed right here: HIV is no longer a death sentence. That’s (somewhat) common knowledge… so much so that the other complications of living with the disease often get overlooked. The social stigma of an HIV-positive diagnosis is, on its own, a serious ongoing issue for “poz” persons. Unsure/Positive will explore this, and also the variety of situations– stark and mundane– that come up when human beings try to grapple with this complicated disease. With Your Help They Can:
Thanks in advance for supporting our project. We look forward to bringing you this brand new series very soon!
The Poz+ Life is so pleased and excited about the followed award. This shows that collaboration and teamwork can get the job done. I am so proud of my fellow members Thomas and Adrian for their hard work in such a short time. This includes our guest contributors and hundreds of individuals who shared our materials! Thank you so much supporters, roots, family, and friends!
-Patrick Ingram
WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 7, 2014) – The ADAP Advocacy Association, also known as aaa+, today announced the recipients for its 2014 Annual ADAP Leadership Awards, which recognizes individual, community, government, media and corporate leaders who are working to improve access to care and treatment under the AIDS Drug Assistance Programs. The eight leadership awards will be presented during the 4th Annual ADAP Leadership Awards Dinner being held on Monday, August 4th at 7:00 pm in Washington, DC. The dinner will be held in conjunction with its 7th Annual Conference, being held at the Westin Washington DC City Center on August 3-5, 2014.
The 2013-2014 award recipients include:
• ADAP Champion of the Year (individual): Kathie Hiers, AIDS Alabama
• ADAP Emerging Leader of the Year (individual): Wanda Brendle-Moss
• ADAP Corporate Partner of the Year: Ramsell Corporation
• ADAP Community Organization of the Year: Community Education Group
• ADAP Lawmaker of the Year: The Honorable Henry Waxman, M.C. (D-Calif)
• ADAP Social Media Campaign of the Year: The Poz Life by Patrick Ingram
• ADAP Grassroots Campaign of the Year: Moral Mondays
• ADAP Media Story of the Year: Continuing HIV Care for Formerly Incarcerated U.S. Citizens,
by Candace Y.A. Montague, TheBodyDotCom
“With so much uncertainty surrounding the future of the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, it is only fitting to recognize a group of honorees who have worked so tirelessly to improve access to care for people living with HIV/AIDS,” said Brandon M. Macsata, CEO of the ADAP Advocacy Association about the 2013-2014 award recipients. “It is reassuring to know that these individuals will be continuing their advocacy to promote and protect programs, such as ADAP. Our award recognition is a simple gesture of our appreciation!”
To learn more about the ADAP Advocacy Association, its Annual ADAP Leadership Awards, or its Annual Conference, or the, please contact Brandon M. Macsata at info@adapadvocacyassociation.org.
####

Check out the original post here!
[The ADAP Advocacy Association (aaa+® ) is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in the District of Columbia to promote and enhance the AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) and improve access to care for persons living with HIV/AIDS. aaa+® works with advocates, community, health care, government, patients, pharmaceutical companies and other stakeholders to assure that access to services recognize and afford persons living with HIV/AIDS to enjoy a healthy life.]
KenLikeBarbie and Patrick Ingram behind the scenes photo shoot for AIDS.gov (and no folks this was just for play-both are not together).
[This was brought to you by one of our guest contributors who wanted to share their story. Want to share your story then click here!]
If one were to ask me six months ago my thoughts on being in a relationship with someone who was HIV positive, I would have responded that it wasn’t an option. From a young age, I always imagined myself having the ‘fairytale’ ending. Well, the fairytale that always seems to be portrayed in media, at least. The handsome, well-groomed, great mannered gentlemen; three kids, two dogs, luxury cars, a four-story house with a green carpet of grass…all concealed by the security of our bordering white picket fence. For years, I’ve been daydreaming of the fantasy. Being a gay black male, however, my parents found it necessary to remind me that life was going to be hard enough considering I would already have those ‘three strikes’ against me. With the silent whisper in my mind, I made it a point to never involve myself, or get caught up with something that could potentially put my fantasy lifestyle in farther reach. As simple minded as it may seem, I always assumed that contracting HIV would be equivalent to putting a loaded gun to my head and pulling the trigger. Death to the luxurious lifestyle; a suicide to ravish reality. An HIV negative and HIV positive persons could never coincide together, I would tell myself. Looking back, I realize that it was a mere lack of education and knowledge that brought me to this elementary conclusion.
It wasn’t until three months ago that my ideologies began to quickly change. I met this amazing guy who seemed to have all of the qualities that I was searching for, and countless more. He made it a point to be very open and honest about his lifestyle, and quickly shared his status of being HIV positive. It may seem odd, but the mere fact that he was willing to be so open and honest shortly after our introduction was very reassuring to me. Just in that one statement, he showed more self-confidence than I could ever hope to have. It was in that instance that I knew it was time to be more open minded, trustworthy, and take a chance on love…a chance on true happiness. A few weeks later, it was apparent that he was becoming a much-needed positive – no pun intended – influence in my life. He was patient with me, showing great interest and care in my well-being, as well as his own. This allowed me the time to take into consideration all that would entail in being involved in a sero-discordant relationship. Engaging in conversation and activity with someone who was HIV positive, which once seemed like a detrimental mask, was only a small blemish – per se – in realizing that my real life fairytale was coming true.
With a quick press of the fast forward button, I am grateful to say that he is still in my life; with hopes that he will remain forever. Being an advocate for HIV awareness, he has educated me tremendously on the pressures of living with HIV. While we have not yet had any backlash of negative stigma surrounding our relationship, I feel the time may be approaching for me to be open with my close friends and family about our sero-discordant relationship. A part of me still feels a sense of anxiety, wondering how others will view us, or quickly pass judgment. I contemplate on a daily basis over when is the ‘right’ time to share the news. But knowing that I have him in my corner to help weed out the negative opinions of others is making this internal battle all the more easier. When I look at him, I don’t see or think about HIV; I’m simply reminded of all the characteristics that make him a wonderful individual. I know this is only the beginning of the journey, but I couldn’t think of anyone else I would rather take this adventure with.
Moving forward, we have made it a point to maintain open communication in all aspects of our relationship. Staying on top of one another about getting tested regularly, maintaining healthy eating habits, and staying active are towards the top of the list. We have also been discussing methods of practicing safer sex. Aside from the frontrunner of condom use, PrEP has been a big part of the discussion. If used correctly, PrEP can greatly reduce the risk of contracting HIV. After recent discussion with my doctor, as well as, educating myself on the costs and benefits of using PrEP, I think this will be a major benefit for our relationship. My only advice for those who find themselves in a similar circumstance is to keep an open mind, but be honest with yourself about the struggles of the future. Educate yourself, as well as others, because with knowledge, each day is another step forward in winning the battle of the HIV epidemic. Be kind to others, as you never know another individuals feats and triumphs. And finally, stay humble and be fortunate for all that you have been blessed with.
We rely on technology so much now that we often miss precious moments. In my experience, dinners are no longer focused on spending time with family and friends around the table engaging in conversation with one another. Instead, people text or update their social media accounts. We have become afraid to approach someone for conversation or even befriend someone while waiting for a bus or striking up a conversation at a coffeehouse for fear of seeming weird or intrusive. All of this leads me to believe that social media isn’t really all that social.
|
|
There are many people who defend social media and technology, and I can agree with some of their arguments. Social media allows us to keep up with the lives of our friends and families in a more simplistic and convenient way. Instead of making a long distance call to a relative just to see how they are doing, you can simply look on their Facebook page. Social media also enables us to share some of our most special moments with our families, friends and the world.I will admit it is great to have the opportunity to share so many special moments in our lives in a broadcast manner, but how special are these moments if we are ignoring those who are with us in those moments? I hear more and more people say they feel alone. I can understand this sentiment because the norm is to not be fully engaged in a conversation or fully connect. Instead, the norm is to be texting or updating a social media status as you are talking to others. Likewise, the norm is parenting through social media or some type of electronic device.
|
The Poz+ Life 