Advocacy & Programs → Stigma Warrior Raise your voice.

My advice to anyone facing stigma and discrimination in your community is to speak up, share with your friends, find your allies, stay together and educate those that they wanted to stigmatize us.

“I've been gay since I came out of the womb. I had a Judy Garland microphone cord at the end of my umbilical cord and I sang "you made me love you" to the doctor. I've been living that way for a long time and I'm old, in the 70s I was out and about baby.”

I fight stigma in my own life by using social media platforms to promote the Stop HIV Together campaign to reduce the anxiety and stigma that people with HIV may face.

As someone living with HIV, claiming my dignity and respect as a human being does so much good for our community.

There is a long line of stigma warriors that come before all of us- make them a part of your story by listening to their own.

HIV doesn’t have to kill you, but stigma absolutely will.

We are all human beings, and we deserve to be treated equally.

I’ve faced shame and discrimination my whole life and helping to change the hearts & minds of people seems like the right thing to do. We need to destroy stigma, and encourage everyone to get tested, seek treatment and know they’re status.

HIV is an acronym, and the first letter is H, which stands for Human. I learned as a child I was born HIV+ and I also learned about stigma.

My advice to anyone facing stigma and discrimination within their community is to know that you are not bad or wrong and there are people who love you for who you are and want you to feel safe and comfortable in being your authentic, beautiful selves.

I would tell folks that are facing stigma and discrimination within their community to ensure their physical safety first.

Don’t let stigma and discrimination control the narrative.

Standing up to discrimination is important, regardless of how you identify yourself.

I've committed myself to fighting stigma through continually educating myself and others, sharing stories to humanize the issue, engaging in open conversations, and promoting acceptance through my social media channels.

Continue to live your best life! Let others see you thrive, speak up and out when you hear misinformation regarding HIV or any topic that warrants correction.

One word that describes me being my authentic self is "human". Because I am human, and being authenticly myself shouldn't make me any less of one. Just because I'm trans doesn't automatically make me a supernatural being, I'm just a human like everyone else, trying to live my life like everyone else.