Hearing the stories of those affected by HIV at the plenary session in Washington, D.C. Held yearly in Washington, DC, AIDSWatch is a caucus of citizens living with or affected by HIV, assembled to discuss with elected officials the issues impacting those with HIV/AIDS. With over 300 represented from 36 states, North Carolina had the …
Thoughts on HIV and NC Harm Reduction Advocacy Day.
There was a sense of being "okay" that day in Raleigh. Underneath what the other advocates and I were doing, there permeated this notion that we were advocating on behalf of those who, for a myriad of reasons, were unable to travel and speak for themselves.
No More Bullies.
There is a three-word bumper sticker on my car: “Don’t Raise Bullies.” I got it from the Stand Up Foundation. I rarely talk openly about the bullying I endured. When I do, it’s from a great emotional distance, and with a twinge of self-deprecating humor. It's time I come out and write about it publicly. …
Against Same Sex Marriage? Don’t Have One.
I'm tired of being used. I'm tired of being an unwilling participant in a "moral issue" and a "point of debate", and having invisible fingers pointed at my gay brothers and sisters from the safety and quasi-anonymity of a computer laptop, where it's easy, and cowardly, to spew out vitriolic statements in grand, sweeping generalizations …
Continue reading "Against Same Sex Marriage? Don’t Have One."
Speaking Truth to Power…Or Not.
Yesterday, May 8, 2014, was the second anniversary of the passing of Amendment One to the North Carolina Constitution. The amendment is the state's first, hence "amendment one", and it defines marriage as being only between one man and one woman. The amendment says nothing about "as defined by the Christian faith and its bible", …
