Podcasts about poz magazine

This lads kick off pride month by revisiting an oft-forgotten but foundational play in the queer canon: William M. Hoffman's As Is. Topics include the history of the AIDS play, Hoffman's exquisite weaponization of comedy in the face of overwhelming tragedy, and the legacy of a 90 minute play that inspired an entire genre of theater. Want more TWOAPW? Get access to our full back catalogue of premium/bonus episodes by subscribing for $5/month at Patreon.com/worstofall! Media Referenced in this Episode: As Is by William M. Hoffman. 1985. AIDS-Involved Drama Syndrome by William M. Hoffman. Poz Magazine. February 1st, 1997. Acts of Intervention by David Roman The AIDS Show Warren by Rebecca Ranson “Playwright Rebecca Ranson's Journals Reveal Turmoil in Atlanta's Queer Community During the AIDS Crisis” by Oli Turner. The South and the Archive. October 31st, 2023. As Is script As Is movie Interview with William Hoffman TWOAPW theme by Brendan Dalton: Patreon // brendan-dalton.com // brendandalton.bandcamp.com Interstitial: “Writer's Block” // Written by A.J. Ditty // Feat. A.J. Ditty as “A.J. Ditty” Additional Voices for As Is Excerpts: Anne Huston, Eleanor Philips, Dara Swisher and Brent Shultz

Jason Prefontaine's father died from AIDS related complications. Decades later, he reunited with him in an unexpected way. Special thank you to Trent Straube for originally writing this story in Poz Magazine 2021.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Dr. P is joined by lawyer and activist Dafina Ward, JD.Dafina Ward, J.D. is an attorney and non-profit strategist with nearly fifteen years of experience addressing HIV and health equity issues in the southern United States. Working in partnership with a range of advocates—from grassroots leaders to federal decision-makers—she is a trusted voice in regional and national spaces. With nearly twenty years of experience in community grantmaking, Dafina is an expert in place-based funding strategies, coalition-building, and capacity building for emerging organizations and leaders. Dafina currently serves as Executive Director of the Southern AIDS Coalition (SAC), an organization of regional focus and national reach, with a mission to end the HIV epidemic in the South. Through a range of programs and initiatives across the sixteen southern states and Washington, DC, SAC utilizes community-centered policy advocacy, grantmaking, leadership development, and capacity building trainings to support transformation in the region. In 2019, SAC created Southern HIV/AIDS Awareness Day [SHAAD] to amplify the HIV crisis in the region. Under Dafina's leadership, SHAAD has become a nationally recognized day adopted by hundreds of organizations and reaching thousands annually. Dafina has developed innovative programming for women and girls. She led the creation of Beauty in Knowing, an intervention that Johnson & Johnson deemed "globally innovative", training cosmetology students to engage clients in conversations about HIV, sexual health, and intimate partner violence. As a founding member of the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham LGBTQ Fund, she created a grantwriting training for LGBTQ+ youth, and developed a mini-grant process to support their vision. In recognition of her work, the LGBTQ Fund awarded “Dafina Ward Grants” to small LGBTQ-led organizations in 2017.Dafina shares her reflections on the intersections of race, gender, and health through writing, with work appearing in the Washington Post, Role Reboot, and The Body. She was recognized by POZ Magazine twice in 2021—as the July/August POZ Hero and as a member of the 2021 POZ 100 (the magazine's list of the 100 most influential Black HIV advocates in the nation). Dafina received her BA in Mass Media Arts from Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta, GA) and her Juris Doctor from Temple University's Beasley School of Law (Philadelphia, PA). She and her husband reside in Bluffton, South Carolina with their brilliant daughters.

Shawn Decker is a musician, author and internet pioneer and has commandeered a life driven by creativity and shaped by medical adversity.  Diagnosed with HIV at age 11, before the advent of the effective treatments, Shawn's parents were told that he had six months-to-two-years to live.  That was in 1987. At age 14, he skipped his exams to meet Depeche Mode through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  He was crowned Homecoming King at Waynesboro High School in Virginia in 1992, and credits his poor attendance record for the win. At age 20, Shawn opened up about living with HIV by posting one of the first online blogs in 1996. After moving from Waynesboro to Charlottesville, Virginia, Shawn fell in love with the local music scene and, most importantly, a fellow HIV educator, Gwenn.  Educating together as a sero-diverse couple- where one partner is HIV positive and the other is HIV negative- Shawn and Gwenn have shared their love story with millions of people.  And in some very unique ways.  From educational programming on the BBC, MTV, VH1 and even Hong Kong TV, to a Bed In in a Grand Central Station storefront on World AIDS Day.  Their candor, humor and openness inspired the inclusion of a sero-diverse couple's storyline on the scripted MTV series, Shuga which has educated teenagers and young adults around the world.  Shawn has been a contributing writer for Poz Magazine since 1997 and his humorous memoir, My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure, was published by the Penguin Group in 2006.  From 1992 until 2022, he wrote and performed music as Synthetic Division, cutting his teeth in the basement of Tokyo Rose restaurant, an iconic Charlottesville music scene. His new band, Nouveau Vintage, makes their debut on March 9 at the Please Don't Tell Album Release party, sharing the stage with Charming Disaster and DJ Cadybug.  This Spirit Ball takes place at the Southern Cafe & Music Hall in downtown Charlottesville, VA. In this episode, Shawn talks about his life; the importance of breaking down the stigma and discrimination around HIV; his thoughts on death and living; how music has influenced and supported him through many ups and downs; the song that his mother used to contact him from beyond the grave; words of wisdom; and what lies ahead. You can connect with Shawn, his writings, and music at shawnandgwenn.com; raredisease.net ; poz.com and through Instagram @shawndecker & @nouveauvintagemusic You can connect with Lauren on Instagram @lauren.samay and @mymourningroutinepodcast, on Facebook @lauren.samay.coaching or through www.laurensamay.com If you are tuning in and finding value in these episodes, please take a moment to rate and review My Mourning Routine on Apple Podcasts-- it means so much and helps make a bigger, connecting splash in the podcasting pond:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-mourning-routine/id1654068541 Sign up for Lauren's newsletter here.

"Dispatches" is an in-depth look at those living artistic lives. Each episode will feature photographs and audio interviews with narrative pioneers who have taken creativity and publishing into their own hands. From artists to authors, photographers to philosophers, Dispatches will reveal the faces and foundations of those who lead the creative way. Jesse Freidin (b. 1981) was America's leading fine art dog photographer for the past 15 years, and now focuses his attention on elevating the experience of the trans/tgnc community through portraiture and interviews. His photography is part of over 150 private collections and has been exhibited in galleries from coast to coast. His current series entitled “Are You OK?” addresses the dangers of the current wave of anti-trans legislation sweeping the country in a passionate attempt to erase stigma and elevate the voices of those most affected. He identifies as a queer human. Jesse's work has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, The Huffington Post, Them, Poz Magazine, Yahoo!, MTV, Live! with Regis and Kelly, Inside Edition, The Bark Magazine, Dogster, Garden and Gun Magazine, The New York Post, Four and Sons Magazine and many more. He is also the creator of three viral photography series: The Doggie Gaga Project (2010), When Dogs Heal: Powerful Stories of People Living with HIV and the Dogs That Saved Them (published by Lerner Books 2020, #1 New Release on Amazon), and Finding Shelter: Portraits of Love, Healing and Survival (published by Lyons Press 2017).

Coming from humble beginnings, from a Black Latino family parents from the Dominican Republic to the US, many obstacles and turn of events eventually led Jeffrey Feliz-Ybez to NYC. In his journey of Self- discovery many hardships and lessons were learned and now shared with The Community on Mental Health Awareness and Living your best Life. Take a part in his Journey as he shares intimate details on how he rebuilt his Life and now gives others hope! Guest: —Contact/Follow IG : @Just.Jeffrey_js -—Lee Donato AKA Jeffrey Feliz-Ybez is Spokesmodels with the HIVStopsWithMe.org campaign . Jeffrey.felizybes@gmail.com Name: Leo Donato aka Jeffrey Feliz-Ybes Community Outreach Worker at Amida Care and Trauma Informed Peer Counselor at Montefiore Medical Center, former Porn Star He is HIV+ since 2010 undetectable since 2011. — HIV Advocate since 2014 and Poz Magazine top 100 Black Advocates of 2021 —-** Host: Contact/ Follow Marcos on IG/Fb/IMdb/Twitter/TikTok @MarcosLuis and www.MarcosLuis.com —Show OneMicNite-" Contact/Follow IG/Fb/Twitter/Tumbler/LinkedIn/Youtube/TikTok @OneMicNite www.OneMicnIte.com ------** Music on Audio Podcast: "OMN Theme Song 'Halftime' by Daniel Howse youtube @ProfesorSoraMusic ** Podcast: Available wherever you download podcasts.. ** -- ***OneMicNite and Marcos Luis have been here since 2006 as with a Home and platform for Indie Artists around the world. --- Support Us Now: http://www.Anchor.fm/onemicnite --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/onemicnite/support

Educating the public requires an integrated approach to engage and inform so that's why POZ Magazine leveraged online assessment tools and eLearning courses to educate people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Ian Anderson, president of Smart + Strong, and Oriol Gutierrez, editorial director for Smart + Strong and editor-in-chief for POZ Magazine join us with more. Show Notes:Ian Anderson and Oriol Gutierrez from POZ Magazine use eLearning as one way to reach the public. They offer tips about their ongoing journey to educate a global audience. Providing eLearning modules and self-assessment tools was a logical next step to engage and educate the public.eLearning created another avenue to complement the website, magazine and other educational resources by providing learning on demand.Using relatable images in the eLearning modules helps make complex subject matter more understandable. Learn more about POZ Magazine Read about d'Vinci's work for POZ Discover more about Unlocking Life's Code, the educational website mentioned at the end of the podcast. Powered by Learning earned an Award of Distinction in the Podcast/Audio category from The Communicator Awards and a Silver Davey Award for Educational Podcast. The podcast is also named to Feedspot's Top 40 L&D podcasts and Training Industry's Ultimate L&D Podcast Guide. 

Giuliani Alvarenga is an award-winning writer and law student living in New Orleans. A familiar face to those who have watched Trust Me, I’m Sick, they are HIV-undetectable and have a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and Gender & Women's Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Giuli is also affiliated with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and a student liaison for the American Bar Association's Health Law Section. They are also involved in immigration rights as a public health issue, and speak on this topic in partnership with various organizations, as well as contributing writing to TheBody.com alongside last week’s guest, Charles Sanchez. In 2019, they received a Marguerite Casey Foundation scholarship to report and write a story on the chronically ill Latinx women of Los Angeles. Giuli was featured on the April/May 2018 cover of POZ Magazine, selected as one of the POZ 100 in 2019, and has also appeared on CNN en Español. Tune in as Giuliani shares: that they received their status abruptly while living in the Bay Area; but with the help of a wonderful case director, became undetectable within a month how understanding their friends and romantic partners have been about their diagnosis that being HIV-undetectable means they cannot transmit the virus to anyone the importance of open communication with potential lovers how they’re addressing HIV laws in Louisiana, which often stigmatize and criminalize HIV+ individuals how they have learned from their past and are using their experience as a tool to create change why racial bias in healthcare is a public health crisis, and needs to be addressed in the legal field that they are an ambassador for the CDC’s Let’s Stop HIV Together campaign how housing, detention, and immigration play a role in public health why advocating for people over property and profit is essential for universal healing

Charles Sanchez is a Mexican-American, gay, HIV+ writer, performer, director and advocate living in New York City. He is one of the co-founders of Skipping Boyz Productions, and conceived, writes and stars in the award-winning musical comedy web series Merce. In 2003, he was diagnosed with AIDS and began his journey to becoming an activist and advocate. He has attended the national AIDSWatch conference in Washington D.C. four times and has been featured in public service videos for the CDC’s “Start Talking. Stop HIV.” campaign, as well as for Remedy Health Media and EverydayHealth.com. He was included in Healthline.com's list of HIV Honors: The Most Influential Voices of 2017, and was honored in POZ Magazine's 2018 POZ 100, celebrating people over 50 making a difference in the fight against HIV and the stigma surrounding it. Sanchez has been a Contributing Editor for TheBody.com since 2017, and has had essays published on PositivelyAware.com, Them.us and HuffPost Queer Voices. In the spring of 2020, he began hosting a live interview show on Instagram for TheBody, called “At Home With”, featuring prominent members of the HIV and LGBTQ+ community. Tune in as Charles shares: how he was first diagnosed with AIDS in 2003, and almost died that he’s had only positive experiences with his doctors since being diagnosed how he balances holistic and medical treatments for HIV that he took advantage of mental health care support early on, and continued to do so a discussion of the stigmas associated with an HIV diagnosis why he believes in universal healthcare the importance of community when living with chronic illness and disability how dance nourishes him the importance of perspective and openness to new information

It's January 2020. HIV and AIDS have now been in our world since 1983. We've gone from pandemic panic to people living productive, healthy lives. Yet, there is still stigma, and lack of education, and no one giving a light-hearted look at life with HIV and AIDS. But why would we? That would be blasphemous. Or would it actually help the cause. Enter Merce - an award-winning HIV-positive musical comedy web series. Wait what? Yes, Merce is a HIV-positive, musical comedy web series that dives into some hot button topics impacting today’s HIV community as well, including PrEP, slut shaming, and gay marriage. Per shame, per shame that a musical comedy has the audacity to address these issues...or should we say "Bravo, bravo, bravo!" Creator and lead character, Charles Sanchez unclosets the black cloud that should no longer hang over the world of HIV and AIDS in this candid and fun interview that shows, even a once devastating disease can bring a ray of sunshine and laughter to the world. And I show how stupid I am that I can't pronounce the shows name. It's Merce, not Merced, not Merci...Merce, Merce, Merce! About Charles (a.k.a. Merce)Charles Sanchez is a gay, HIV+ writer, performer, director and activist living in New York City. He is one of the co-founders of Skipping Boyz Productions, and conceived, writes and stars in the musical comedy web series, Merce, which was named Best HIV/AIDS Content at America’s Rainbow Film Festival in 2016 and won the Audience Award for Short Film at the 2017 Kaleidoscope Film Festival. Sanchez grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, and started his artistic life as a member of the Phoenix Boys Choir. With the choir he toured Europe, Canada, and the US, and even sang for President Carter. Sanchez moved to New York City at 19 to study performing at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. His acting career has taken him from Lincoln Center, Off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre, to the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and Murry’s Dinner Playhouse in Little Rock, AR. As a director, he has staged plays and cabarets in New York, Los Angeles, and in several theatres regionally. In 2003, Charles woke up in the hospital to find out he'd been in a 3-week drug induced coma, due to advanced HIV: AIDS. Because of his diagnosis, he became an activist. He has attended the national AIDSWatch conference in Washington D.C. four times, and has been featured in public service videos for the CDC’s “Start Talking. Stop HIV.” campaign, as well as for Remedy Health Media and http://everydayhealth.com/ (EverydayHealth.com). He was a member of the HIV Divide Flash Collective led by artist Avram Finklestein and writer/activist Mark S. King, which created messaging and imagery around the viral divide between HIV positive and negative gay men. He was also chosen to be a Social Media Fellow at the US Conference on AIDS in 2016, sponsored by the National Minority AIDS Council. Sanchez has been a Contributing Editor for http://thebody.com/ (TheBody.com) since 2017, and has had essays published on http://positivelyaware.com/ (PositivelyAware.com), http://them.us/ (Them.us) and HuffPost Queer Voices. Sanchez has received many nominations at several festivals for his writing of and acting in Merce, and was named Best Actor in a Webisode at The 2016 Official Latino Short Film Festival. He was included in http://healthline.com/ (Healthline.com)'s list of HIV Honors: The Most Influential Voices of 2017, and was honored in POZ Magazine's 2018 POZ 100, celebrating people over 50 making a difference in the fight against HIV and the stigma surrounding it. Connect Charleshttp://mercetheseries.com/ (Website) You can also listen to the podcast on…https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-un-closeted-lgbtq-heterosexual-coming-out-stories/id641638590 ()https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Ids5u7zw6esgganjvk4xd564wje ()  https://open.spotify.com/show/6LXns3mJ2XfgR8fAreTsSQ...

Each week leading up to the October 6th concert premiere of Monkey Trouble Unleashed! at the Duplex Cabaret Theatre, I'm releasing a brand new episode of Something New: A Musical Theatre Podcast, featuring interviews with the cast and songs from the show. Fun!While you're enjoying this episode, get your tickets to the premiere of Monkey Trouble Unleashed! before we sell out! Do it! Do it, I say!Episode 605: Chatting and Singing with MTU cast member Charles Sanchez (Merce, The Series)!

Charles Sanchez is an openly gay, HIV+ writer, performer, director and activist living in New York City. He is one of the co-founders of Skipping Boyz Productions, and conceived, writes and stars in the award-winning HIV musical comedy web series, Merce (MerceTheSeries.com).  His acting career has taken him from Lincoln Center and Off-Broadway, to the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and Murry’s Dinner Playhouse in Little Rock, AR. Since being diagnosed with full blown AIDS in 2003, he has added activist to his resume.  Sanchez is a Contributing Editor for TheBody.com and has had essays published on PositivelyAware.com, Them.us and HuffPost Queer Voices.  He was included in Healthline.com's list of HIV Honors: The Most Influential Voices of 2017, and was honored in POZ Magazine's 2018 POZ 100, celebrating people over 50 making a difference in the fight against HIV and the stigma surrounding it. 

Aundaray Guess has worked in service to the LGBTQ community for 20 years. He is currently the Deputy Director for GRIOT Circle and the Site Manager for the partnership between GRIOT Circle and SAGE USA.  Gay Reunion In Our Time, GRIOT Circle was founded as an informal gathering of elders and was officially recognized as a nonprofit in 1996. GRIOT Circle remains the only organization exclusively dedicated to serving the needs of elder LGBTQ people of color. He helped create and design, ‘Still Standing’, an interactive presentation in which older adults discuss living with HIV. This is a community-wide program and recently was conducted in additional states including New Jersey and California. He also helped create “joy of Intimacy”, a program similar to “Still Standing” that provides an older adult female perspective of living with HIV. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from New York University in Media Studies as well as a Master of Science in Public Relations and Corporate Communications. In addition to completing his studies, Guess is a contributing writer for the Huffington Post and a regularly featured writer for Poz Magazine.  As a writer and actor he has acted in several productions. His last work was a one-man play called, “Naked”, a lens on what it means to be black, gay and a man. 

Episode 52 | Leveraging Vulnerability and Truth as Strengths with Guy Anthony, Founder and President- Black, Gifted, and Whole, Inc. Website - www.iamguyanthony.com Twitter/Instagram - @iamguyanthony Guy Anthony is a well-respected HIV/AIDS activist, community leader and author. He released Pos(+)tively Beautiful: Affirmations, Advocacy & Advice on World AIDS Day in 2012. This collection of inspiring narratives, raw imagery, and affirming anecdotes has earned Guy much acclaim, including but not limited to, being named one of the top 100 HIV prevention leaders under 30 by POZ Magazine. He is the Founder of the Black, Gifted & Whole Foundation, a two-fold intermediary organization that provides scholarships to Black gay men attending college. Support the Podcast: CashApp $mindfulrebel (Donations go toward sustaining the podcast) Check out past episodes at: shawnjmoore.com/podcast Follow Shawn Moore @shawnj_moore on Instagram and Twitter --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/themindfulrebel/support

Guy Anthony is a well-respected HIV/AIDS activist, community leader and author. Diagnosed with HIV as a teen, Guy has dedicated his adult life to the pursuit of neutralizing global HIV/Aids-related stigmas. He released Pos(+)tively Beautiful: Affirmations, Advocacy & Advice on World AIDS Day in 2012. This collection of inspiring narratives, raw imagery, and affirming anecdotes has earned Guy much acclaim, including being named one of the top 100 HIV prevention leaders under 30 by POZ Magazine and as one of the top 100 Black LGBTQ/SGL Emerging Leaders to Watch by National Black Justice Coalition. Guy served as a Program Manager/Coordinator for the Treatment Adherence program at Us Helping Us, a local AIDS service organization serving Black communities in the Washington, DC area for two years. In his role at US Helping Us, Guy worked with newly diagnosed Black gay men to help them come to terms with their status, navigate the complex health care system so they can access care, and develop plans for them to adhere to their treatment regimen and achieve viral suppression. Guy also serves on Washington, DC’s Ryan White Planning Council, overseeing millions of dollars in HIV funding for the city and is a regular contributor to AIDS.gov and POZ.com. Guy serves as a brand ambassador to ViiV Healthcare, one of the country’s largest pharmaceutical companies. He is the President/CEO the Black, Gifted & Whole Foundation, a two-fold intermediary organization that provides scholarships to Black gay men attending Historically Black Colleges & Universities. Guy is currently focused on mobilizing HIV-positive Black gay men. He hosts POZ-ONLY advocates dinners quarterly, and facilitates a summit entitled “#POZTALK”, which is an intergenerational conversation that transcends age and socio-economic status. He is currently pitching these #POZTALKS to Black Gay Pride Celebrations around the Country.

This Sunday March 12th at 2pm EST, we will have the pleasure of speaking the hilarious, informative and handsome Mark S. King.  Mark has spoke with us before and has even co-hosted an episode with Robert. Mark S. King is the award-winning writer and HIV activist behind the blog My Fabulous Disease. He has been writing and speaking out about living with HIV since testing positive on March 15, 1985, only days after the test became publicly available. His writing has been featured in The Advocate, Newsweek, The Washington Blade, and on TheBody.com web site. In 2011, Mark was honored to be included among the “POZ 100,”. In November of 2012, Instinct Magazine named Mark one of their “Leading Men of 2012” for his HIV/AIDS advocacy and writing. Mark made the cover of the June 2013 issue of POZ Magazine, which included his essay, “The Sound of Stigma.” He was also honored to be among the Grand Marshals of the 2013 Atlanta Pride parade. His blog was a GLAAD Award nominee in 2015 and again this year, and he is among the most widely read HIV positive writers in the world.  

Peter Staley was diagnosed with AIDS-related complex in 1985 while working as a bond trader at JP Morgan on Wall Street. He joined ACT UP New York shortly after its founding in 1987, and chaired its fundraising committee for three years. In 1988, he left his Wall Street job to become a full-time AIDS activist, joining ACT UP’s Treatment & Data Committee (T&D). In 1989, Staley led ACT UP’s campaign to force Burroughs Wellcome to lower the price of AZT. He organized activists to infiltrate their North Carolina headquarters and seal themselves in a third-floor office, and led a demonstration on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, disrupting trading and resulting in a price reduction of AZT three days later. In 1990, Staley was an opening plenary speaker at the VI International Conference on AIDS in San Francisco. In 1992, Staley and other members of T&D founded the Treatment Action Group (TAG), and he became its Founding Director. TAG’s first action and “art project” involved covering Senator Jesse Helms’ home with a giant condom. In 1993, TAG successfully lobbied for a radical restructuring of the management of the government’s AIDS research effort. The NIH Revitalization Act created a powerful Office of AIDS Research (OAR) to provide coordination, strategic planning, and leadership in the NIH’s AIDS research programs. In 1994, Staley was appointed by President Clinton to the National Task Force on AIDS Drug Development. He was also a member of amfAR’s Board of Directors from 1991 to 2004. In 2000, Staley launched a web site called AIDSmeds.com, offering complete and easy-to-read treatment information for people living with HIV. Since then, AIDSmeds.com has become one of the most popular HIV-related sites on the Web, and it merged with POZ Magazine and POZ.com in 2006. In January, 2004, Staley launched a personal ad campaign to bring much needed attention to an epidemic of crystal meth use among gay men. Using $7,000 of his own money, he placed six phone booth kiosk ads in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York that said “Huge Sale, Buy Crystal, Get HIV Free!” Within days, the ads, along with the issues they raised, became a major news story, with coverage in The New York Times and on all three local TV stations. Two months later, New York City appropriated the first government funds anywhere in the U.S. targeting meth prevention for gay men. Other cities and states soon followed. According to ongoing CDC HIV surveillance studies, meth use among gay men in New York City fell from 14% in 2004 to 6% in 2008. In 2013, Staley was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo to New York State’s Ending the Epidemic Task Force, which developed a blueprint to dramatically lower HIV infections in the state by 2020. In 2014, Staley was appointed by Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the NIH, to the search committee tasked with finding the next Director of AIDS Research at the NIH. Also in the 2014, Staley helped form a coalition of advocates for Truvada PrEP – the once-a-day pill that prevents HIV infections – that successfully pressured Gilead Sciences to liberalize its patient assistance programs, removing barriers to access for this new tool to fight the AIDS epidemic. Staley is a leading subject in the Oscar-nominated documentary, How To Survive A Plague, directed by David France. In recent years, he has lectured often at U.S. colleges, and during international exchange programs.

 For years there have been warriors in our community that have been educating, testing of young and old, giving people back their dignity and pride through counseling. Join us as we talk about the last 30 years and how the many success stories have kept our guest motivated and activist in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Also what they are doing now in this fight and what you can do to join. Hank Melbourne was honored by POZ Magazine as one of the 2013 unsung heroes affected with HIV/AIDS that are helping those through programs that empower, provide early intervention and a community that understands and supports. Join us as Hank talks about his recent promotion and the many programs that he oversees at AIDS Partnership Michigan. Listen in as Felix and Paula Sirls return to help us celebrate World Aids Day. This team both work hard to educate, counsel and pray together with those suffering with HIV/AID and their families. Working at the Institute for Public Health, Felix for over 30 years has help members of the community diagnosed with HIV/AIDS educate them self on the illness. He now is an HIV/AIDS Counselor and tester. While Paula his wife and mother of his children work as a Program Manager for Gospel Against AIDS (GAA) Sometimes helping the body and the mind is just not enough there has to be deeper healing and Paula will talk to us more about that. If you have a story and would like to share with us please call in your story may help a stranger. Give the gift of understanding and knowledge to someone that may need it more than you know.

Mark S. King produces the funny and often controversial blog, My Fabulous Disease. He has been writing and speaking about HIV since he tested HIV positive in 1985, including the widely circulated POZ Magazine cover essay this year, "The Sound of Stigma."

Jamar Rogers entered the world on March 1, 1982 to a single mother in New Orleans. Growing up, Jamar showed tremendous talent for singing as early as six years of age, but soon fell prey to the emotional problems that come with growing up in a fatherless household and became addicted to drugs to fill the missing piece.  As his life began to spiral out of control, the unthinkable happened; Jamar was declared HIV positive. Completely broken, Jamar somehow found the light in the darkest time of his life and began to turn things around. After six years of being clean from crystal meth, Jamar auditioned for The Voice and “the rest is history,” as they say.  Since becoming a finalist on The Voice, Jamar has appeared on popular shows such asThe Today Show, Ellen, CNN, E! Entertainment News, MTV News, HLN’s Showbiz Tonight, USA Today, People Magazine, US Weekly, Billboard, Rolling Stone.com,The Hollywood Reporter, The Huffington Post, POZ Magazine, Popcrush, Sway In The Morning, Positively AwareMagazine and many more!   Currently, Jamar is recording an album set for release this fall and recently dropped a new single on iTunes called “Where Would I Be Without You.”  In addition to recording, he is touring across the country packing out venues, while drawing crowds of all ages with his soulful voice. He is actively working in his community to demystify HIV/AIDS along with doing his best to spread a message of hope and second chances to a generation of young people. 

Infected with HIV as a child through the contaminated blood products used to treat his hemophilia, Shawn learned early in life about discrimination. Within a month of testing positive for the virus, he was kicked out of the 6th grade. By all accounts, he wasn’t expected to live five years. After beating the odds and graduating from high school, Shawn opened up about his life, creating one of the first “poz blogs” in 1996 describing his life as a then twenty-year old dating with HIV. He penned a column for Poz Magazine, entitled “Positoid”, and his first book, My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure, was published by the Penguin Group in 2006. He tours the United States with his wife partner, Gwenn Barringer, discussing sexual health and HIV issues and also fronts his band, Synthetic Division, giving out ONE Condoms at their live shows.

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.

Sean Strub is a leading voice for the people with HIV self-empowerment movement. He is the founder of POZ Magazine, 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. He has been living with HIV for more than 30 years.

At birth, Hydeia Broadbent was abandoned at the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas where Patricia and Loren Broadbent adopted her as an infant. Although her HIV condition was congenital, she was not diagnosed as HIV-positive with advancement to AIDS until age three. The prognosis was that she would not live past the age of five and as a result became the “test baby” for HIV/AIDS medications, which are currently on the market today. Needless to say, this “test baby” has defied the odds by more than16 years, which is valid proof that HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence. Hydeia’s debut as an HIV/AIDS activist and public speaker began at the age of six during one of her many visits to the hospital. By age 12 she was appearing on national programs including Oprah, 20/20, Good Morning America and “A conversation with Magic Johnson”. Over the next 10 years Hydeia became a notable featured speaker and guest panelist at some of America’s most respected educational institutions: Duke University, Clark Atlanta University, UCLA, USC, and Howard University. Since1996, she has been featured in some of today’s most prominent publications and television programs that include but are not limited to: Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine New York Times, POZ Magazine, Seventeen, Heart & Soul, Nickelodeon, MTV, and BET. To her credit, she has also been honored with an American Red Cross Spirit Award and a 1999 Essence Award.

Infected with HIV as a child through the contaminated blood products used to treat his hemophilia, Shawn learned early in life about discrimination. Within a month of testing positive for the virus, he was kicked out of the 6th grade. By all accounts, he wasn’t expected to live five years. His freshman year of high school, he met his favorite band, Depeche Mode, albeit through the The Make-A-Wish Foundation. After beating the odds and graduating from high school, Shawn opened up about his life with HIV after a decade of silence by creating one of the first “poz blogs”, humorously describing his life as a twenty-year old dating with HIV as a third wheel. He caught the attention of Poz magazine and was invited to the White House under the Clinton Administration on World AIDS Day, 1997. Today Shawn has happily found his wife partner in life, Gwenn Barringer, and the two speak together as a couple, educating about how they keep Gwenn, who is HIV negative, safe in their relationship. Since 1997, Shawn has penned a column for Poz Magazine, entitled “Positoid”, a word he created for himself and others living with HIV. His first book, My Pet Virus: The True Story of a Rebel Without a Cure, was published by the Penguin Group in 2006. In his spare time, he fronts a synthpop trio, Synthetic Division, in his hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia. www.mypetvirus.com