POZ I AM Radio

Dab Garner & Dab the AIDS Bear  will be celebrating 31yrs living with HIV/AIDS. Dab the Aids Bear turned 31 in March. Join us for this special episode of POZ I AM RADIO when we celebrate 31 years of Dab the AIDS Bear.

Back in 1981 when Dab 1st had friends starting to die from AIDS, the hospitals wouldn't allow visitors into the patient's room unless you wore protective garments (gowns, masks etc.) because they were afraid of this new disease and were not sure how the virus was passed. Because of this, people were usually close to death and had at least one opportunistic infection when they were diagnosed and hospitalized. You could see even seasoned health care professional recoil in fear and not wanting to touch the patients. Even close friends were hesitant or scared to visit their friends in the hospital. Dab started buying Gund teddy bears and giving them to friends so they wouldn't have to feel so alone, abandoned and afraid. That is how Dab the AIDS Bear Project began, Learn more at www.dabtheaidsbearproject.com

Josh Robbins didn't know one person. Not even one person that was HIV Positive on Jan.23, 2012. On Jan. 24, 2012, he knew one-- himself. Living in the heart of the bible belt in Nashville, Josh was the poster boy for prevention. (LITERALLY on the poster for the HIV Vaccine Program at Vanderbilt) He was active in the LGBT community raising awareness, funding and talking about prevention of the disease. But although it should have, the message didn't affect him. So he was infected with HIV by a beautiful young man that didn't realizehe was positive. Now less than a month after being told the heart-stopping result of -- "You're HIV Positive" -- Josh started a blog called imstilljosh.com promoting the need to begin dialogue in the South, where an epidemic of new infections are occurring, about prevention and a simple message to break down the stigma attached with HIV in Nashville.  "I'm still Josh. You still be YOU!"

Robert Breining and Jeromy Dunn will be sharing thier expereinces at the Positive Living 15 Conference that takes place in Ft. Walton Beach Florida.. If you attended the PL15 conference call in and share your thoughts on the event at 347-215-9442.

Sunday February 26th at 9pm EST we will be speaking with Logan Voxx. Logan Voxx is the president and CEO of the PYP foundation based in Los Angeles, CA. He is an award winning songwriter and aspiring music mogul. He is a small retail business owner also. Logan Voxx has been distinguished as a 2011 OUT100 honoree. He has been involved in philanthropy since he was 21 using his success to give back to communities that need it most. He founded PYP Foundation at only 21.

The PYP Foundation is dedicated to decreasing the spread of HIV infections by encouraging the nation’s youth to make positive choices. PYP encourages HIV education and prevention to address some of the most intimate aspects of a young persons life during a critical stage of development. PYP believes that HIV prevention is fundamentally about communication, healthy choices, and self-awareness.

Paul Stalbaum was born and raised in suburban Philadelphia and attended Penn State with a BS in psychology. He went to Villanova law school and discovered after 1 year he hated Torts so he left school to join the family business, a travel agency.

Through his and his bother's efforts his Agency grew to be the 11th largest in the country with 7 offices and 175 employees.

Paul has been poz for 30 years and remains healthy and asymptomatic. He uses both a western medical approach combined along with alternative methods and maintains a positive attitude towards HIV. In fact while in Philly he became and HIV counsellor and founded what became the most well attended peer led support which he called Positive Attitudes.

After selling his business he moved to sunny Ft Lauderdale and was surprised to find that no support group existed in a community with such a large HIV population. So he volunteered to start up a new Positive Attitudes support group at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center. As word spread once again it was overwhelmingly successful with as many as 60 - 70 showing up on any given night.

In 2005 he decide to combine his two passions, travel and supporting the HIV community by founding what has become an annual GLBT Poz Cruise. The cruise grows larger each year with many who have attend virtually every year. The cruise offers an opportunity to participate in a relaxing and affordable vacation while having the chance to attend workshops led by HIV experts such as Nelson Vergel, Dr. Michael Wohlfieler, Dr Charles Steinberg, and Mark King.

this Sunday February 12th at 9pm EST we will be speaking with Jamar Rogers, an HIV positive contestant on the 2nd season of The Voice.

A recovering drug addict, Jamar Rogers is an inspiration to all. Although he hit rock bottom at one point, Jamar is HIV+ and has been sober for six years and has turned his life around.

Through his soulful tunes, this charmer from the Bronx, NY is determined to show everyone his life is back on track, and to prove to the world that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.

This Sunday February 5th at 9pm EST Robert will be speaking with Olympic Gold Medalist Greg Louganis. Openly gay and HIV-positive Olympic diving legend Greg Louganis wants to show off his moves on ABC’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’ next season. Louganis fans have created a Facebook campaign to ABC to extend an invitation to Louganis, and the campaign is getting some attention.

Greg is a five time World Champion and holds 47 National Championship titles. At the Pan Am Games, he earned six Gold Medals, and in 1985, he was awarded the Sullivan Award as the “Nation’s most outstanding amateur athlete.”However, what most people remember about Greg is that he went on to win Olympic Gold at the 1988 Games despite striking the back of his head on the springboard during the preliminaries. He attempted a reverse 2½ somersault pike in the ninth round of the prelims, and he hit his head on the board and fell into the water. Thirty-five minutes later, after receiving stitches to his scalp wound, he resumed diving. The following day, he hit all 11 dives and easily won the Olympic Gold Medal. After he tested positive for HIV in 1988,he recounted his story in a best-selling book Breaking the Surface. The book spent five weeks at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list. His story was also documented in the 1996 Showtime movie Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story with Mario Lopez playing the lead and Louganis narrating.

Greg has worn many hats, Actor, Dancer, Olympian, Diver, Dog Trainer, Speaker, AIDS Activist, Equality and Diversity Activist, and yes he would love to be on Dancing With The Stars in honor of his Mom’s memory, Frances Louganis, “My Mom would have loved to see me on that show” says Greg.

On Sunday Januaryy 29th at 9pm EST Robert Breining and Scott Kramer will be speaking with Filmmaker & Activist Sean Strub  is a leading voice for the people with HIV self-empowerment movement and is the founder of POZ Magazine. Sean is the senior advisor to the Center for HIV Law & Policy's Positive Justice Project (combating HIV criminalization) and serves on the board of directors of the North American regional affiliate of the Global Network of People Living With HIV/AIDS.

 

People with HIV who have been subjected to criminalization prosecutions have only rarely been heard from and are typically portrayed in the media as, at best, reckless and, at worst, monstrous. Most hold jobs, raise children, go to church, and are otherwise unremarkably different from others in society, except that they have HIV and were caught up in a profound injustice that often ruins their lives.  HIV Is Not a Crime will bring their stories to light, raise awareness of the public health threats and human rights abuses created by HIV criminalization and help mobilize the advocacy necessary for reform.

Butch Mckay is currently Executive Director of Okaloosa AIDS Support and Informational Services, Inc. (OASIS), a position he has held since 1996. He founded the Positive Living Conference Series in 1997. Butch has been involved in the AIDS arena for 24 years, starting his career as a volunteer with Birmingham AIDS Outreach and UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) AIDS Clinic and Research Center. He assisted BASIC in Panama City with initial trainings when they became an AIDS Service Organization in the late 80’s and later served as a case manager, case manager supervisor , and director of education for BASIC for a collective total of 5 years.   He served on the planning committee for the White House Summit on HIV and Aging and attended the Presidential Reception for the National AIDS Strategy. He directs the Activate! U Advocacy Academy program that was awarded the ADAP Grassroots Advocacy Campaign of the Year Award by aaa+. Butch was awarded the Florida HIV/AIDS Red Ribbon Excellence Award for Highest Achievement, and under his direction was awarded the one of the Sapphire Awards of Distinction for Community Health Excellence by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida. But the award he values the most was perhaps the most unique, attendees of one of the Positive Living Conferences all signed personal messages on his office door thanking him for opening doors to so many.

On Sunday January 15th at 9pm EST, Greg Halpen will be sharing he story on POZIAM RADIO. Greg is a Self-Mastery Coach and Healer.

It was a late summer day in August of 1997 when Greg Halpen went to his follow up HIV test appointment. It was result time. He had met someone new, and thought he would FINALLY get tested. But he wasn’t ready for what was in store for him. The news? He tested positive for HIV. That day felt like the last day of the rest of his life.

 

You see, the virus didn’t make him sick or devour his immune system. It was his emotional reaction that devoured his soul for the next 12 years. Allowing the idea of being HIV positive consume his life, his dreams…he didn’t know realize it, but he lived everyday as though he was going to die.

Then he awakened. After some pretty intense soul-searching, he began to realize that August day in 1997, was the FIRST day of the rest of his life. Even though he would like to see a cure in his lifetime, and end taking the medication, he views being HIV as a gift…

Visit Greg's website at www.greghalpen.com