POZ I AM Radio

Ryan Wilcox is a 50-year-old Denverite, who was born in Greeley and raised on a dairy farm in Ca on City. In 1979, he contracted HIV/AIDS before there even was the diagnosis of AIDS. Doctors initially diagnosed him with Cyclo Mega Virus (which was essentially an umbrella term to describe many viruses the doctors could not at the time identify).

In 1981 his illness became GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency) and finally in 1984 he received the official prognosis of AIDS. Ryan has been living with AIDS for almost 31 one years, being one of the first to experience the struggles and stigmas that come with the disease. After losing his partner of many in years in 1989 due to AIDS, Ryan started a slow decline into depression and failing health.

By 2006, Ryan was walking with a cane and his weight had fallen to 97 pounds. It was in 2006 that Ryan had first heard of the Gay Games, when he was invited by friends to participate and "flag" for the opening ceremonies in Chicago. Due to his health, he was not able to attend..

After learning about the Gay Games, Ryan was inspired to change his life. He wanted to participate in the 2010 Gay Games. He then returned to his childhood passion and sport of figure skating, which his grandmother had him involved in as a child in Colorado Springs. Ryan enrolled in a "Learn To Skate" program at Big Bear Ice Arena in Denver and also began taking private lessons. Slowly his strength and articulation came back to him.

At the time, He didn't know how he would get there (Germany) but that was his dream,. That is how Ryan's dream started but it has transformed into something else entirely. Ryan's dream is far from over as he is now in the process of trying to raise money to send himself and his skating coach to Germany in August. Being on disability for so many years has prevented Ryan from being able to work a normal job because he would lose his health care benefits.

Timid and soft spoken off stage, Mary Bowman is known to be fearless as she shares her story with audiences around the Washington Metropolitan area. She is the published author of National Underground Spoken Word Poetry Awards 2011 Book Of The Year Lotus. She is also nominated for National Poetry Awards "Poetry Author of The Year" 2011. Mary has been writing poetry for about 8 years. She has been featured at Busboys & Poets (all locations), The Legendary 'Spit Dat' open mic (DC), Jus Words (Philadelphia, PA), Slam Charlotte (NC) and a host of other community events and venues on the East Coast.

In the March 2011 'AIDS Issue' Street Sense, a local newspaper published a 3 page article about Mary. "Be The Change You Wish To See In The World" is a quote that she lives by, organizing community events to raise money for HIV/AIDS awareness, facilitating support groups for HIV positive youth, and sharing her personal experiences being born HIV Positive through the art of spoken word. Through poetry she will continue serving selflessly, starting a Non-Profit Organization centered around support for individuals living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.

 Purpose Over Entertainment (P.O.E.T.) is dedicated to using social media, visual and performing arts to foster holistic conversations regarding those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS in the Greater Washington, DC area in an effort to eliminate the stigmas surrounding HIV/AIDS and individuals living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

P.O.E.T. is filimg a documentary entitled "I Know What HIV Looks Like"!!! Essentially the film will be comprised of interviews of random individuals, people living with and those affected by HIV/AIDS, and my story.

Marvelyn Brown, a 27-year-old native Tennessean, learned she was HIV-positive at age 19. Her autobiography, The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful and (HIV) Positive, was published by Amistad/HarperCollins in 2008.

Her humanitarian work earned her a 2007 Emmy Award for Outstanding National PSA, BET’s Rap It Up campaign named Brown one of the 25 "HEROES" in the HIV/AIDS epidemic, in 2009 she won the Do Something Award which resulted in her face and story on the back of millions of Nacho Cheese Doritos bags nationwide, and in 2010, she was inducted into The Heroes In The Struggle Photo Exhibit by The Magic Johnson Foundation and The Black AIDS Institute. Most recently she was named a Modern Day Black History month hero by BET and was honored by the New Jersey NETS as part of their Black History Month honoring influential people initiative.

Brown has also appeared on CNN's Black in America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, America’s Next Top Model, America’s Best Dance Crew, CBS’s The Early Show, numerous BET’s Rap It Up episodes and MTV’s programming. She has also appeared on the Tavis Smiley Show, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, the Michael Baisden Show, Steve Wilko’s Show, as well as the Tyra Banks Show. Articles including her story have appeared in Newsweek, U.S. News and Report, Fortune 500, Ebony, Black Beat and ESSENCE magazine. Brown has also had a tremendous affect on print in the United Kingdom with feature stories in Cosmopolitan, Pride and Fabulous Magazine. Brown has also graced the covers A&U, POZ and The Ave.

She is currently the CEO and an Independent HIV Consultant for, Marvelous Connections, which she founded in 2006. Brown now has an online boutique called, MARVSPIRATIONAL, with some of her own inspirational quotes, and she is a proud ambassador for the Greater Than AIDS Campaign.

Robert Suttle was convicted under Louisiana’s HIV-specific criminal statute after accepting a plea bargain and served six months in a Louisiana prison for HIV non-disclosure to a former partner, with whom he had a contentious relationship. Upon his release in January 2011, he has become engaged in anti-criminalization advocacy work.

Today he is now assistant director of The SERO Project, a new nonprofit initiative combating HIV criminalization, stigma, and discrimination, promoting the empowerment of people with HIV, providing support to those charged or at risk of being prosecuted.

Prior to joining, SERO in March 2012, Suttle was a case manager and prevention specialist at the Philadelphia Center, a local AIDS service organization in Shreveport, Louisiana, working with other positive young African American men who have sex with men.

Robert is also featured in the documentary film HIV is Not A Crime, has traveled abroad to Geneva, Switzerland to speak at the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board’s meeting in December, 2011, and Oslo, Norway for UNAIDS High Level Consultation on HIV criminalization in February, 2012, sharing his story. Robert is active with the Positive Justice Project and the HIV Justice Network.

This Friday May 4th at 12pm EST the POZ I AM Radio show hosts Robert Breining and Jack Mackenroth will be speaking with Jamar Rogers about his time as a contestant on The Voice.

We also want to encourage all of Jamars Family (He calls his fans his family) to call into  the live show at 347-215-9442 and share their feelings about Jamars journey.  You can also tweet us @POZIAM with your questions for Jamar. We may ask them on air. 

This past Tuesday brought the end of the road for four contestants on The Voice, none more shocking to us than our friend Jamar Rogers. With only eight singers left in the competition heading into the elimination Tuesday , Jamar faced teammate Juliet Simms in a battle to represent Team Cee Lo in the finals. Cee Lo gave 60 points to Juliet Simms and 40 ponts to Jamar Rogers.When combined with America's vote, the final result of 121-79 in favor of Juliet. So our friend Jamar may not of won the title of the The Voice but he definitely won the hearts of America.

Listen to our first interview with Jamar after disclosing his HIV status on The Voice here or read the transcripts of that interview here.

Jim Geary moved to San Francisco in 1974 and began working as a nurse's aide on an oncology floor. Because of his reputation and ability to provide compassionate interaction and nurturing touch he was frequently assigned to patients who were in the process of dying.During this period Jim also continued his political activism in San Francisco working with Supervisor Harvey Milk and others to defeat the anti-gay Briggs Initiative, which sought to fire all gay and lesbians teachers in the state, as well as non-gay teachers who associated with them.

Jim volunteered for Shanti Project in 1978 as an emotional support counselor working with people and loved ones who were facing a life-threatening illness. In a few months he became director of volunteer/client services.In October 1981 he formed what was to be the first support group for individuals with AIDS in the world.

When Shanti Project lost its funding in 1982, Jim volunteered to work for no money to keep the organization afloat while he sought funding for the AIDS services that were so desperately needed. Serving as executive director for seven years he oversaw and developed this premier agency into an internationally acclaimed model of AIDS services which included: an emotional support program, practical support program, residential program, San Francisco General Hospital AIDS unit counseling program, AIDS information and referral program and the recreational activities program.

He is recognized internationally as a respected trainer on the psychosocial issues of people with AIDS, grief counselor, and leader in the development of AIDS services. Jim has been a resident of Ormond Beach since 1989 where he has continued to provide training and service to local AIDS organizations. Jim shares his life with his lover, Jeff Allen, and their two Pomeranians Jasper and Benji. Learn more :  www.delicatecourage.com

This past week APril 10th - 13th  Robert Breining and Jeromy Dunn presented at the National Healthy Living Summit  in Dallas Texas. The Summit promotes healthy living for people living with HIV. The new National Healthy Living Expo continues the work of NAPWA’s popular Staying Alive national conferences in a new environment of not just surviving with HIV but living productive and fulfilling lives. If you attended the Healthy Living Summit and want to share your expereince please call 347-215-9442.

Our friend Justin B Terry Smith is introducing the "Write A Letter to HIV Campaign" Many of us that are infected with HIV often do not address HIV. I've decided that we need to whether you are HIV negative or positive; this letter is meant to encourage and empower.

If you're infected or affected by HIV, I'm asking that you write a letter and then videotape yourself reading the letter aloud. If you don't want to video tape yourself you can send in a picture of yourself or something that represents you. It helps sometimes to get your feelings out, whether you've been recently diagnosed or have been living with HIV for a long period of time.

Justin is asking everyone -- including his fellow bloggers and others that don't have a blog -- to join me in this campaign, You can view my letter to HIV by clicking here for an example of what I'm talking about. Like I stated above if you don't want to make a video you don't have to; a simple letter will suffice. You can also send a picture of yourself. Entries will be posted in a series on the www.body.com which will later on be put on my website www.justinbsmith.com.

Send your letters and video embedded code/links to [email protected]. 

PLEASE JOIN Justin IN EMPOWERING YOURSELVES IN THIS FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS!

Monique D. Howell-Moree, was born in Oklahoma City, Ok. in April 1981. She is a 1999 graduate of Summerville High School and after graduation; Monique enlisted in the United States Army. As a member of the U.S. military, Monique worked as an Administrative Clerk assisting fellow soldiers to ensure that their personnel were maintained accurately and were always up to date. She completed four years of military service and during these four years, she travelled all over the world. During the cycle of her life, Monique has many experiences that have made a dramatic impact on her life today. During a low point in her life, Monique faced an experience that forever changed her life. This experience was in finding out that she was HIV positive. As a result, Monique had to learn how to gain the strength from God necessary for her to walk out of the valley and climb back to the mountaintop. She relied on God to take the pain away, and she began to work in the church that her father Bishop Howell founded, Solid Rock Outreach Ministry.

Monique is a new author, with her first book titles "Living inside my skin of Silence", which was released late in August 2010. This book is a leadership and self-reflection testimony. Her story is moving beyond her local community, and is now reaching out to the nation. Monique is also the Founder and CEO of Monique’s Hope for Cure Outreach Services" in Holly Hill, SC where her organization provides assistance to include food, clothing, counseling services, referral services, HIV/AIDS & STD testing, as well as providing outreach health education and promotion services to individuals to help stop the pandemic of HIV/AIDS.

Amanda Brown was born in Hyannis, Massachusetts. In 1998 at the age of 18, she joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints against her parents wishes, packed up and moved to Utah to attend Brigham Young University. Not long after graduation in 2002 she left the Church , accepted the fact that she was gay and came out of the closet to her friends and family. A few months later she joined the U.S. Army with hopes of attending Medical School on their dime. She was raped nearing the end of Basic Training, tested HIV positive shortly after and was discharged. After being on the patient side of the fence, she decided a career in the medical field would not be in her future. She attended the University of Utah where she earned a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering. In 2005 she succumbed to religious peer pressure that the rape happened because she wasn't living the "right" way. She decided to leave her gayness in the closet and go back to Church where she married a young Mormon man, only to come to her senses a year later and leave both the man and the Church for good. She decided that HIV would not prevent her from doing the things she loves and never has allowed it to get in the way of her ambitious dreams. In 2010 and 2011 she played for the Utah Jynx (a Women's full contact Semi-Pro Football team). If you ask her what her greatest accomplishment in life is... she will proudly say, "I ran a marathon in 2008, it took me six hours... but I did it." She recently has begun the process of adopting a three-year-old little girl, is currently writing a children's book called "The Monster Under My Bed." A story about an 11-year old boy with HIV/AIDS. Aside from maintaining her own website with a personal blog and a free text message service for individuals with questions related to HIV/AIDS, she  volunteers for her local AIDS Foundation.