They are here, they are queer, and they have had an amazing year of HIV activism.
These five gay activists have wildly different playing fields, from the board room to street protests, from national agendas to musical comedies. And we are bracing for your feedback, considering how impossible it is to select five men from the thousands working to improve our world every day. With more than half of the estimated 50,000 new HIV infections each year occurring among gay men, we’re proud to have these advocates on our side.
On the eve of World AIDS Day, Queerty hereby applauds the efforts of…
Marco Castro-Bojorquez
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Activists don’t get much busier than Marco Castro-Bojorquez. The Los Angeles resident (and Mexican immigrant) fights daily for the civil rights of LGBTQ people as a community educator for Lambda Legal Defense Fund, while serving on the U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus and fighting for the repeal of HIV criminalization laws. Meanwhile, Marco’s artsy side just produced El Canto del Colibri (“The Hummingbird Song”), a documentary about Latino fathers accepting a gay family member.
“Latinos are disproportionaly affected by HIV/AIDS at alarming rates and we are underrepresented in the field,” Marco told Queerty. He is working to level that field by creating The Network of Latin Immigrants Living with HIV, and by starting a bi-coastal pilot program to educate Latin youth on HIV prevention and PrEP.
Noël Gordon
No one has had to fulfill tougher expectations more than Noël Gordon, 24, the HIV prevention specialist hired by the Human Rights Campaign two years ago. Noël has had the eyes of many HRC critics on him, many of whom doubted HRC’s commitment to its own HIV platform.
Noël has responded with a youthful vitality and a laser focus on the most vulnerable population in our community: young gay and bisexual men of color. It has also become his personal quest to make pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) a household name. An out and proud PrEP user himself, Noël has grabbed every opportunity – HRC events, magazine covers and even his own Grindr profile – to highlight the benefits of the once-daily pill to prevent HIV infection.
Charles Sanchez
Living with HIV without fear or shame is no small feat. Charles Sanchez has gone several steps further; he took his own life with HIV and added musical numbers and backup dancers. The result is Merce, his likable and loopy web series starring Charles as an HIV-positive gay man looking for love in New York.
Charles scraped together the funding for the first season of Merce through friends and an online funding campaign, and the “let’s put on a show!” low-budget ingenuity shines through each episode like a goofy grin. Comedy might be our most subversive activism tool, and no one is using it more effectively than Charles Sanchez. Never underestimate the transformative power of a hearty laugh.
Matt Ebert
Do not mess with longtime ACT UP New York members. They will come for you.
When Matt Ebert and his fellow ACT UP members learned that the Chelsea Clinic, located in the epicenter of The Big Apple’s gayborhood, was being closed earlier this year by the New York Department of Health, the instincts that founded ACT UP nearly thirty years ago sprang into action. Matt knew the data: the drastic budget cuts in New York were not only crippling our best weapon to halt the epidemic – HIV and STI testing – but the Chelsea Clinic closure was denying testing and treatment to the very population most at risk, and during a time when sexually transmitted infections are on the rise.
Matt and his ACT UP cohorts organized protests, wrote articles and challenged the city at every turn. “Without our community climbing up that clinic, nobody wins,” Matt told us in reference to his climbing the walls of the doomed Chelsea Clinic, above. Although the clinic has not yet reopened (renovations may be complete in 2017), Matt and his ACT UP cohorts made significant gains by getting city officials to agree to more widespread STI testing, which will now become routine rather than based on self-reporting (often, people have no symptoms of syphilis and would not request a test, but getting one would identify the infection). “Our sexual health matters,” said Matt. And so does street activism.
David Ernesto Munar
Activists aren’t always on the outside, waving signs and demanding needed attention. When we’re lucky, they are doing the work from the inside, too. That is the case with David Ernesto Munar, the President and CEO of the Howard Brown Health Center in Chicago, who has spent the last year transforming the beleaguered agency into something the Chicago community can cheer about. This, after David devoted more than twenty years advocating for sound HIV policy at AIDS Foundation Chicago.
David’s changes have been sweeping and immediate: securing the agency financially after mountains of debt over the years, expanding clinic hours and staff for thousands of people with HIV, and becoming one of the nation’s leading prescribers of PrEP with more than 700 patients provided access to the prevention pill. On the immediate horizon are increased services for transgender people and homeless youth.
Well, we warned you. It’s clearly impossible to narrow the field of gay activists devoted to the cause of HIV in our community.
By all means, tell us who would be on your list in Comments…
Brian
I’m sorry but I don’t need any of these 5 advocates in my life. I’m very careful with whom I have sex. I am not promiscuous. I am not careless. I don’t take drugs. I choose my behavior carefully so that I don’t become a victim of my own choices.
Cam
Um, or you could have actually put in some of the researchers who are actually woking on a vaccine and cure.
Typical that the guy on HRC’s payroll gets credit instead of the lab geek who actually did the work.
Kangol
Queerty, thanks so much for featuring these five activists. They and so many like them are doing their best to defeat HIV and AIDS, and to make the lives of those with HIV/AIDS as rich and fulfilling as possible.
alphacentauri
@Kangol: It sounds as though they are getting kickbacks from pharm companies for promoting PrEP which the majority of gay men who take it think they can just bareback like it’s ’75 and they’ll stay HIV neg and without any STDs. Condoms are far more effective, less expensive, and do not have nasty short or long term side effects unlike the toxic meds known as PreP/Truvada. ACT-UP used to be an excellent organization in the 80s after they kicked out batshit crazy Larry Kramer but now they’re very tame.
Prinny
No researchers who’re actually doing the deed 1by researching the disease?No female activists?
Cam
@Prinny:
Exactly!
Stache
@Brian:Then I guess this just isn’t for you shithead.
Stache
@alphacentauri: One guy promotes it and in your mind they’re all guilty..somehow. Oh the horror.
Kieru
@Brian: Okay guys… you heard it; Brian doesn’t need you. Halt al HIV awareness programs and any HIV/AIDS treatment or vaccination research.
Brian is careful and moderates his behavior to reduce risk. This is ALL ABOUT BRIAN and he clearly doesn’t need you.
Close up shop guys. Go research something more relevant to Brian’s needs; like how to safely pull his head from out of his ass.
KiwiJello
@Brian: I think you missed the point. Without the information that these people fight to get out in the public, to push through the lies and rhetoric, and expose the facts for what they are, you wouldn’t have known to have safe sex or what behaviors could prevent HIV. Give them a little bit of credit for at least trying to educate people.
You may be above it all, but there are still people being infected, and people still need to be educated. You don’t live in this world alone…
onthemark
@alphacentauri: See the part about the Act Up guy, Matt Ebert – contradicts what you say, he’s promoting STI testing:
“often, people have no symptoms of syphilis and would not request a test, but getting one would identify the infection”
Wilberforce
We had all the information needed to stop aids thirty years ago. We didn’t because self-hatred is still rampant in the community. People are either behaving irresponsibly or making excuses for them. This hero worship is more distraction. None of these guys are getting at the heart of the matter, self-destructive gay men. Of course they aren’t. If they did, they’d never be working in the cushy foundations, and would never be featured in Queerty.
Masc Pride
Yet CDC reports and statistics regarding HIV/AIDS and gay men, bi men and MSM are like giant anvils falling on all five!
Masc Pride
@Wilberforce: Totally agree.
Wilberforce
@Masc Pride: It’s the only thing we agree on.
Juanjo
@Brian: ell my dear that is one of the most self centered things I have read in quite a while. I hope to Buddha that you never, ever make a mistake in trusting someone you should not have trusted or have a condom which breaks or one of the other mishaps human life is prey to. Because of it does, your words may come back to haunt you quite directly.
The rest of us will of course continue to support work in eradication, testing, research for more effective treatments and a cure not just for ourselves but also because we understand the human toll taken on the world by this disease, not just in friends and family members but in simple human life wherever found. And that even means compassion for people like you Brian.
onthemark
@Wilberforce: @Masc Pride:
Why do you blame “self-hatred” instead of simple misinformation and ignorance? That’s quite a stretch.
There are plenty of dumb guys out there. But they don’t usually hate themselves.
alphacentauri
@Wilberforce: Very true. Plus even if gay men had been told to use condoms by the President at the time of the HIV/AIDS pandemic nobody would have listened, as HIV/AIDS was very new and a lot of gay men thought that ‘It won’t happen to me!’ and thought they could continue to have unsafe sex, and Reagan did mention AIDS in 1984 but gay men love to blame him and his administration for people making the choice to not have safer sex or use condoms.
Masc Pride
@Wilberforce: A broken clock is still right once a day.
@onthemark: Self-hate isn’t a term I use whole lot since it’s way overused and usually inaccurately. I think Wilber is referring more to self-sabotaging behaviors, although I guess self-sabotaging behaviors and self-loathing mentalities can pretty much go hand in hand. I was just agreeing with Wilber’s statement that we could’ve stopped this long ago if we really wanted to. The complacency and irresponsibility just gets worse with time, so defeating/eradicating seems unlikely. Misinformation and ignorance seem highly unlikely given all that’s generally known today. When people have the information and know the risks and still wind up choosing the detrimental option, that just seems like self-sabotaging to me. It’s like fat people that still eat fast food all the time. It’s not like they’re unaware that most fast foods have virtually no substantial nutritional value, but they’re still choosing it. Why?
Realityis
I am so sick of this…
Positive for 20+ years and activists these days are doing nothing for me.
I gave up on GMHC 10 years ago and I don’t acknowledge World AIDS day.
And the guy writing this article is a big disappointment to me also.
Those who have a “microphone” and can do something more should, but stop beating around the bush and start demanding the cure to be taken off the shelves. Use your notoriety for something better. I don’t want to take meds all of my life.
No more “IT” parties where negative people can attend and take pictures, with their friends, on the runway and then say they feel good about themselves and that they have helped when it’s really only about being seen.
I love NYC. Lived there for 20 years. Taught fitness for 10 of them. Competed in Sportaerobics. Went to Twilo and Tunnel and Roxy and the Big Cup… knew what the meatpacking district was before it became SOHO north… I moved back home this year because of what this disease, and the meds, has taken from me.
With every cell in my body, I hate HIV and Big Pharma. I want to be cured.
dwes09
Whereas activism will certainly go far to make lives better for HIV+ individuals, and perhaps will have an impact on transmission among some demographics: it is only medical research which will “defeat HIV”, as it defeated smalpox. And this is no easy feat as we see things like polio and measles gain rapid footholds in the population. Education will certainly slow transmission, but will not stop it, especially as the media promote the idea of HIV as a “manageable disease like diabetes”. They neglect to talk about those who cannot tolerate antiretrovirals as well as the loss of sight, mobility, limbs and dignity and often shortened life that comes with “managed” diabetes.
And they neglect to discuss the socio/economic cost of massive numbers of people on very expensive drugs as prophylaxis. Ot eh danger of resistance from those who cannot adhere to a daily drug regimen nor consistently use condoms as well. A vaccine or actual cure is the only answer.
Paul
@Kieru: Beautiful response to slut-shaming Brian!
Masc Pride
@Realityis: What have the disease and meds “taken” from you? That was an interesting choice of words.
@alphacentauri: You’re so right about all the PrEP promotion. Highly unlikely anything will be “defeated” now that the meds are such big business and now that the drug companies have found a way to tap into the neg market while promoting their “You may be HIV negative, but you still should be taking our drug!” message. A cure would never see the light of day even if one existed. The drugs are making lots of people filthy rich.
alphacentauri
@Masc Pride: Also the various strains of HIV will just simply mutate and make the PreP drugs and all other drugs used for combating HIV not work.
onthemark
@Masc Pride: There’s a new article today called, “Why It’s Crucial To Know Your HIV Status”! The title alone refutes what you say, if there is still a need for articles like that.
Anyone who doesn’t have much of a clue why it’s crucial to know his HIV status… yikes, obviously that person is pretty ignorant and needs to read that article.
I suspect you are pre-supposing that there is a “a gay community” and that every gay guy “identifies” with it and therefore “we” all get the same information and “know” what to do. Whatever our age, financial/social status, etc. Which is far from being the reality.
onthemark
@Kieru: @KiwiJello: @Juanjo: Brian has made clear in earlier posts that he believes HIV is caused by “drugs” (unspecified) and “promiscuity” (undefined).
Brian has declared that he saw no reason personally to even get TESTED for HIV. So Brian may have it already, and be spreading it around, and also he seems to be developing AIDS dementia!
Cam
@alphacentauri: said.”Plus even if gay men had been told to use condoms by the President at the time of the HIV/AIDS pandemic nobody would have listened, as HIV/AIDS was very new and a lot of gay men thought that ‘It won’t happen to me!’”
_______________________
Wow, what a great way to excuse the bigotry of the Reagan administration, “Oh, well, those “Gays” wouldn’t have listened anyway, so there was no reason for them to do anything about a new plague infecting thousands.
Realityis
@Masc Pride: It’s taken away my security. I have always felt like I was living on borrowed time, so I never “settled down” financially or property wise.
It’s taken away my confidence in my social and professional life due to the fear that I’d be outed because of the lipodystrophy. It keeps me from advancing myself.
It’s taken away my love for sports because of the fear of being outed because of the lipodystrophy, especially in a gay-centric sports environment.
It’s taken away my love for teaching fitness for the same reasons above.
It’s made me an angry 51 year old who has to go thru life looking 10 years older than he is.
It’s kept me away from my family out of fear they’d reject me.
etc., etc., etc.
Someone actually posted “Happy World AIDS Day” on Facebook today. There is nothing Happy or “Fabulous” about HIV or AIDS. It only brings sadness, fear, uncertainty, anger, etc. with it.
I get that we need to combat the stigma around this disease, but it does come from both the hetero and homo wold. Love men, love sex, love being gay, but it’s been a tough 21 years, even living in my beloved NYC.
matte65
I am very grateful to be cited, but the Chelsea Clinic actions owe a full debt of gratitude to young activists of ACT UP. They collected and prepared the data, fought DOHMH and city hall, organized and marched in multiple actions, and made last September’s town hall memorable. If anything, I was a bullhorn for my generation of over 40+ concerned about rising STD rates and the clinic’s closing. The clinic is closed until 2017, renovations are expected to be completed by then.
ACT UP made an impact. We told DOHMH we will not be invisible–our health matters. ACT UP kicked open the door, and gave leverage for other activists to begin a substantive dialogue with the city about our community health issues. It worked. The mayor just announced a large increase in public health funding–much of it aimed at an epidemic of STIs, including HIV and syphilis.
Whether you have 1 or 100 partners this year, get screened for STIs regularly. Prevent HIV transmission by using PrEP and/or condoms. Mostly, judge each other less–enjoy your sex, protect yourselves out there, and don’t cave to your fears or other people’s judgement. There is no shame in a healthy sex life.
Thank you, Mark King!
Realityis
@matte65: says “Prevent HIV transmission by using PrEP and/or condoms.”
Just to clarify, the makers say you should not take Truvada (PrEP) alone, but in conjunction with other safe sex practices.
Why do people think it’s ok to say PrEP or ?, “or” being the keyword here. Where is the other safe sex practice when it comes to anal sex?
A healthy sex life is great but let’s keep the health in healthy.
paulbear30
@KiwiJello: Are you joking? So you’re telling me everyone naturally wants to engage in anal and oral sex? I’d say you’re wrong. I think you’re confused about where the lies and rhetoric are coming from.
paulbear30
The big elephant in the room most here love to ignore is that this could have been avoided more than 30 years ago, BEFORE the condom was promoted.