Permission

The Each-Other Project has been engaging queer people of color with hard-hitting videos and articles for two years now. With series like #DearDepression and Modern Day Black Gay, partners Donja R. Love and Brandon Nicholas are bringing their communities together and sparking important conversations in creative ways. Donja and Brandon visit Permission for a discussion on race as it relates to the LGBTQ world, recognizing our privileges, and our collaborative photo series, #KissOutLoud.

Earlier in June, my friend Larry and I attended the Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference. Celebrating its 15th year, the conference featured speakers from all walks of life and invited attendees of all ages, demographics, and identities. Best part: it was free! I’d never been to Philly before, so I took the opportunity to see a new city while learning and gaining a new understanding of the trans and non-binary communities.

It’s been a rough week. With the Orlando shooting and the inadequate response to it regarding LGBTQ+ and race issues, I have to say I’m glad to see this week fade into the past. But there were good things, too. I’ve never felt more loved and accepted by my friends, both queer and straight/ally, than I have this week. And we all needed to feel that love. So as we get ourselves ready for Pride, remember the love and fight the hate.

In the wake of the tragedy in Orlando, Florida after a gunman opened fire at a gay bar, killing 50 people, making this the largest mass shooting in American history, the LGBTQ community in New York was teeming with anger and grief. Seeking comfort and support, we rallied where the LGBTQ movement began: the Stonewall Inn.

My mother was driving me to the airport after my trip back to Michigan, so we decided to record a podcast on the way! We discuss my visit, which was beautiful, my cousin who started homecare hospice this past week, and the nice restaurants my mom visits with her friends.

There’s been a lot of controversy around La’Portia Renae, runner-up in the last season of American Idol. In this episode, we discuss what it means to be tolerant of someone’s “lifestyle” and whether or not that’s enough. Our friends at Edugaytion join the conversation.

This week, my rose was the Lily’s School for Girls graduation, my thorn was the barring of Rep. Maloney’s (D-NY) LGBTQ bill in the House, and my bud is watching my friend’s dog, Althea, for the weekend! I’m a dog person through and through.

This week, my Rose was the NYC AIDS Walk and getting a killer deal on ice cream at Rite Aid. My Thorn was the verbal abuse suffered by Pearl Love on a NYC train. My Bud is (honestly a cop-out) the weather! GOIN’ TO THE BEACH!

Growing up, I was always told never to talk about money and politics. That backfired, and became two of the topics I was most curious about. Since then, nothing has been off the table in terms of conversations and discussions. When I met José Rivera, Jr., a queer performance artist, he had the same attitude towards sharing, and together we noticed a major lack of openness from many others. We discuss this, and how José’s work further explores these topics, in Episode 3 – Being Candid. (Caution, NSFW)

Images from “Of Cake and Vanity”, a play conceived and directed by José Rivera, Jr.

This year marks the 30th Annual AIDS Walk in Central Park and the 35th year of the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus. The chorus has been walking in the AIDS walk since its inception and has a long and emotional history in regard to the AIDS crisis. The HIV/AIDS community still faces stigmas that, like the virus itself, mutate and change, but have not yet been rectified. Join us as we discuss these stigmas further with one of very first members of the chorus.

 

Some terms used in this podcast:

GMHC: An acronym for “Gay Men’s Heath Crisis” 

Serodiscordant: Another term for a mixed-status relationship, in which one partner is HIV-positive and the other is not. Possible synonyms include: mixed sero-status, sero-divergent, inter-viral, positive-negative

Triple Drug Therapy: Taking a combination of three or more anti-HIV drugs, most commonly TDF (Tenofovir), 3TC (Lamivudine) or FTC (Emtricitabine) and EFV (Efavirenz)

Truvada: A medication used to treats HIV infection. It is also used to reduce the risk of HIV infection. This medicine does not cure HIV.