Advocacy & leadership in the HIV community needs allies
“I didn’t feel like anyone would really understand me until I began to see that I am not my status.” - Jordan, HIV patient
Transcript
Finding a voice was very important because I felt silent due to the fact that I was living with HIV.
I didn't feel like anyone would really understand me until I began to see that I am not my status.
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
Once I started to really focus and hone in on my individualness, I was able to find advocacy.
I now am a director at the Normal Anomaly Initiative. I work with the community on our direct services.
So I focus on helping individuals when it comes down to their employment services, transportation services, and also helping individuals get linked into care.
Sometimes, I even go to their medical appointments with them to help them advocate for themselves. I didn't necessarily have that until I got my caseworker.
And I saw how that effected the change of my life. So I want to provide that to the community. Recently, here at the Normal Anomaly Initiative,
we relaunched our program called POWR. And this program was focused on helping individuals
to go through a leadership development cohort. What we realized is that we wanted the program to be more of a range to include allies into the program
because we want individuals who are not just living with HIV to learn the information, but those who are not living with HIV
because they also are navigating the community. And they also are part of the stigmatizing language that goes out. That's how we can make the change.
hiv aids
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