It was 1988 and the AIDS crisis had not yet peaked. The future was uncertain and frankly, terrifying. While some might freeze when faced with such unimaginable adversity, others organize. Houston owes it to the minds of those like Tori Williams, who, in 1988, helped conceptualize Halloween Magic. What began as a dinner party in the late 1980s would grow into a large theatrical production in the early 1990s—an endeavor that has since raised over $1 million toward fighting HIV/AIDS…
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The Her Destination Unknown (HDU) AIDS Charity Auction was held on February 25, 2018 at Pearl Bar.…
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Her Destination Unknown (HDU), a Houston-based queer women’s social club, is gearing up for their 8th annual AIDS charity auction on February 25 at Pearl Bar. The benefit will showcase 10 eligible queer ladies, who will donate their time in the form of a date to the highest bidder, with all proceeds going to a local LGBTQ organization that is walking in AIDS Walk Houston.…
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As an HIV advocate, I know that my success is rooted in my resiliency. Rooted in my courage to stand up for all people, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, or socioeconomic status. Rooted in my persistence to have the tough conversations others avoid. Conversations like the fact that we will never achieve an AIDS-free generation unless we embrace and advocate for social and racial justice.…
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Sometimes, less is more. That can certainly be said about the life and creations of openly gay artist Chuck Ramirez. His work has been described as a form of photographic minimalism created in the span of a relatively brief but productive period (1995-2010). Ramirez’s death following a cycling accident at age 48 shook the arts community, but seven years later, his artistic stock continues to rise as collectors and museums around the country become privy to his many accomplishments.…
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Faith is something that you believe in, but can’t see. It tells you that all in life and love are possible, even when everyone around you says they’re not. But some have forgotten what it’s like to have faith. Some have lost their faith because those who they thought would be there for them have turned their backs. Today, on World AIDS Day, I’m reminded of the faith that I have, that I have had, and how it has brought…
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A taste of the Cannes Film Festival will arrive in Houston on December 3 with the QFest screening of BPM (Beats per Minute) at Rice University in observance of World AIDS Day. The film, which is France’s official foreign language submission for the 2018 Academy Awards, follows a group of ACT UP members in Paris—nearly a decade after the AIDS crisis began—as they bring attention to the epidemic. At the Cannes, BPM won four awards including the Grand Prix prize—second…
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I try and live my life by choice. My first HIV test, however, was in reaction—reaction to a love story and a partner I thought I knew. Once upon a time, in a gay land far away… I vividly remember the day I met my ex-boyfriend. Like so many of my friends, Grindr was how I found “connection.” I opened the app and, in the endless scroll of faces and torsos, I’d find someone who would quench whatever thirst I had that…
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Mai, Endy, and Julien sit down with special guest Graham Maio to discuss queer representation in the media, and the lack thereof. Graham also talks about his play, The Man Who Failed America, which is based on the Michael Johnson case, and how he is using the work to advance the conversation around HIV/AIDS in the Black gay community.…
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I know I'm supposed to get tested for STIs regularly and, while I do get tested at my annual well woman's exam, I feel like maybe that's not enough? I'm not in a monogamous relationship right now, sometimes have casual sex, and when [I do], it’s with other women and isn’t always "protected" sex. How often should I be getting tested for STIs? Also, I've never been tested outside of my annual exam. Are there free STI testing centers I…
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