Plus, November-December 2023

BECAUSE YOU’RE MORE THAN YOUR STATUS

Will We Abandon Her?

8 AMAZING ADVOCATES & ALLIES MAGIC JOHNSON HONORED HIV & HEART HEALTH november /december 2023

hivplusmag.com

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY® and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

(bik-TAR-vee)

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:  Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months, and may give you HBV medicine.

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:  Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.  Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that may have been hidden in your body. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.  Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.  Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.  Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.  The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. You are encouraged to report negative side eff ects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:  dofetilide  rifampin  any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you:  Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.  Have any other health problems.  Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby.

Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.  Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed.

Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:  Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-thecounter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.  BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other.

Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION  This is only a brief summary of important information

about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.  Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5.  If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and KEEP BEING YOU are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. © 2023 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. US-BVYC-0250 04/23

#1 PRESCRIBED

HIV TREATMENT* *Source: IQVIA NPA Weekly, 04/19/2019 through 01/20/2023.

ELIAS SWITCHED TO BIKTARVY Listen to REAL STORIES being told by REAL VOICES.

No matter where life takes you,

Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

Person featured takes BIKTARVY and is compensated by Gilead.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and at BIKTARVY.com.

contents

14

issue 157

ON THE COVER

PEPFAR IN PERIL Controversy arises as the farright attempts to axe a global HIV program — started by a Republican president over 20 years ago — that has saved millions of lives.

FEATURES

26 AMAZING ADVOCATES & ALLIES OF THE YEAR In this issue, we celebrate some of the HIV community's greatest heroes who are smashing stigma and working to eliminate the epidemic once and for all.

22 UNLIKELY ALLY George W. Bush has something to say to his fellow party members trying to abolish PEPFAR. 24 FLEA MARKET FUNDS Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS raises over $1 million.

40 THE ART OF HEALING Artist Don Hershman brings beauty to our stories.

SHUT TERSTOCK

46 GONE TOO SOON The violent death of HIV activist and journalist Josh Kruger rocks the community.

ON THE COVER AND THIS PAGE An African child, photographed by Riccardo Mayer for Shutterstock

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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 202 3

contents

BUZZWORTHY 6 DEAREST DIANNE A look back on late Sen. Dianne Feinstein's HIV advocacy.

8 A SCARY SCAM A Miami man gets busted for selling fake HIV drugs.

40

11 TEXAS TURMOIL An insurer is accused of discriminating against people living with HIV. 12 RITZY RETREAT This NYC bar hosted special nights for HIV-positive folks for over a decade.

DAILY DOSE 42 EARTH ANGELS Paying homage to the tireless caregivers from the darkest days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

TREATMENT 44 HEART HEALTHY Can this drug help HIV-positive people prevent heart problems?

WELLNESS 45 A SAFE PLACE This organization is helping queer Black men overcome addiction.

COU RT ESY DO N H ERSH M A N (PA I N T I N G); JO N KO PA LO FF/ G E T T Y I M AG ES (JO H NSO N)

PARTING SHOT 48 BALL FOR A BALLER Magic Johnson is honored at the Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS.

48

HIVPLUSM AG.COM

3

chief executive officer MARK BERRYHILL co-founder, equalpride MICHAEL KELLEY chief financial officer JOE LOVEJOY chief operating officer BERNARD ROOK chief marketing officer MICHEL J. PELLETIER executive director of digital content KAYLA GAGNET

editorial director NEAL BROVERMAN editor in chief DESIRÉE GUERRERO executive creative director RAINE BASCOS EDITORIAL senior editor JOHN CASEY senior copy editor TRUDY RING contributing editor MARK S. KING mental health editor GARY MCCLAIN contributing editors ALEX COOPER, CHRISTOPHER WIGGINS ART graphic designer MARIUSZ WALUS digital photo editor NICOLE AYE EQUALPRIDE EDITORIAL editorial director NEAL BROVERMAN executive creative director RAINE BASCOS editor in chief, the advocate DESIRÉE GUERRERO digital director, the advocate ALEX COOPER senior editor, the advocate JOHN CASEY sr. national reporter, the advocate CHRISTOPHER WIGGINS staff writer, the advocate & out MEY RUDE editor in chief, out DANIEL REYNOLDS digital director, out RAFFY ERMAC associate digital director, out & pride.com BERNARDO SIM managing editor, out traveler DONALD PADGETT editor in chief, pride.com RACHEL SHATTO ADVOCATE CHANNEL vp, video, operations JASON KNIGHT vp, women’s programming & host SONIA BAGHDADY vp, executive producer of entertainment TRACY E. GILCHRIST producer, host AARON DEANE producer, host LAPORSCHE THOMAS booking producer CAROLINE WEISS senior producer BRIAN KELLEY producer CARA GLASS host & producer JAYMES VAUGHAN host & producer STEPHEN WALKER host & producer RACHEL SMITH climate change reporter, producer MICHAEL SMITH chief video editor LAMONT BALDWIN senior video editor RICHARD GACOVINO chief video editor LUCY VALENTI chief video editor WALTER COLVIN

executive vice president, brand partnerships & corporate sales STUART BROCKINGTON vp, client solutions & partnerships CHRISTOPHER GO vp & publisher, the advocate, out, & plus MARK ISOM vp, corporate sales JOE VALENTINO ADVERTISING, BRAND PARTNERSHIPS & INTEGRATED SALES vp, brand partnerships & video TIM SNOW creative director, brand partnerships MICHAEL LOMBARDO director, corporate sales KAYLYN BLACKMORE managers, brand partnerships ANNA CARIAS, NIC AUSTIN, ALEX HOFFMAN account manager, corporate sales CARINA BUIE specialist, brand partnerships ERIN MANLEY coordinator, brand partnerships JOSE CARDENAS coordinator, sales & advertising administration LULU DROPO local sales manager MARCUS HOEY ADVERTISING vp, ad operations STEWART NACHT manager, ad operations TIFFANY KESDEN MARKETING manager, social media CHRISTINE LINNELL specialist, social media JADE DELGADO pr specialist MARIE-ADÉLINA DE LA FERRIÈRE senior marketing designer ERIK BROCK CIRCULATION director of circulation ARGUS GALINDO FINANCE/ACCOUNTING controller, HR director PAULETTE KADIMYAN accounts receivable LORELIE YU OPERATIONS vp, technology and development ERIC BUI executive assistant JULEAN DEJESUS

ADVERTISING & SUBSCRIPTIONS Phone 212.242.8100 Advertising Fax 212.242.8338 Subscriptions go to: HIVPlusMag.com/subcontact EDITORIAL editor@hivplusmag.com FREE BULK SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR YOUR OFFICE OR GROUP Any organization, community-based group, pharmacy, physicians’ office, support group, or other agency can request bulk copies for free distribution at your office, meeting, or facility. To subscribe, visit HIVPlusMag.com/signup. There is a 10-copy minimum.

FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS Plus magazine is available free to individual subscribers — a digital copy of each issue can be delivered to the privacy of your computer or reader six times per year. We require only your email address to initiate delivery. You may also share your digital copies with friends.

To subscribe, visit HIVPlusMag.com/signup NEED SUBSCRIPTION HELP? If you have any questions or problems with your bulk or individual magazine delivery, please email our circulation department at Argus.Galindo@pridemedia.com Plus (ISSN 1522-3086) is published bimonthly by equalpride.

Plus is a registered trademark of equalpride.

Entire contents ©2023 by equalpride. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A.

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NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 202 3

e d i t o r ’s le t ter

by desirée guerrero

COURTESY (GUERRERO); ROL A ND FIT Z (BERRYHILL)

T

he fa r-r ig ht’s continued legislative attacks on LGBTQ+ a nd other ma rg ina l ized communities over the last few years have taken another dangerous turn. Several states have recently cut funding for many local HIV programs — and now, extreme conservatives are pushing to end the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief, a 20-year-old global HIV/AIDS program also known as PEPFAR. “PEPFAR has saved millions of lives,” said Housing Works CEO Charles King, who was arrested in September for protesting the proposal. “It is criminal for some members of Congress to treat it as a political football. AIDS isn’t over until it’s over for everyone. PEPFAR has been essential to helping people in developing countries flatten the curve of HIV transmission. The United States has committed to the international goal of ending AIDS by 2030, and we cannot do that if PEPFAR is threatened.” Read our complete, in-depth cover story (page 14) by Plus’s senior political editor Trudy Ring for all the unfolding details.

PEPFAR was initiated in 2003 by an unlikely ally in the fight against HIV and AIDS — former Republican U.S. president George W. Bush (page 22).

And even ol’ George Jr. himself had

some harsh words for his fellow GOP members when news broke about the move to end the program that has saved an estimated 25 million lives: “We are on the verge of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. To abandon our commitment now would forfeit two decades of unimaginable progress and raise further questions about the worth of America’s word.”

Musicia n a nd long t i me H I V/ AIDS advocate Bono, who formed an unexpected friendship with Bush Jr. over the years for their shared passion for PEPFAR, recently commented on the program’s success upon its 20th anniversary celebration this year. “This gathering is an anniversary but not an ending. [It’s] a renewal of values and vows…. Thank you to everyone who got us here today, but especially thank you President Bush.”

In our special Amazing Allies and Advocates section, we also celebrate eight hardworking heroes who’ve dedicated much of their lives to fighting for an end to HIV and its stigma. From award-winning playwrights to brilliant scientists to those advocating for longterm survivors, we are proud to honor this handful of soldiers in the worldwide battle to eradicate the virus.

“I started therapy and started to work on myself and all of the issues that led me to think I didn’t want to live,” says Dominic Colón, an out actor, writer, and producer who has opened up in recent years about living with HIV. “I did not want to be that way, so I had to take steps to heal. But you know, healing is not linear. It takes a longtime. You’re always in the process of healing.” Read more about Dominic’s story and our seven other HIV heroes, starting on page 26.

a note from our ceo

Dear Plus Readers, As we bid farewell to another year, we are incredibly proud to bring you our November/December issue, a testament to the spirit of advocacy, resilience, and unity.

Our 2023 “Amazing Advocates and Allies” feature in this issue celebrates the heroes who’ve shown exemplary courage in the face of adversity. These voices have risen above the din, championed equality, and pushed for change, reminding us of the strength that lies in collective effort. Their narratives are a beacon of hope, inspiring many to fight for a world free from prejudice and discrimination.

Another pivotal discussion in this issue tackles Republican efforts to defund PEPFAR – a global HIV program. Since its inception, PEPFAR has provided lifesaving treatments to millions and forged partnerships across nations to combat the HIV/ AIDS epidemic. The decision to curtail its funding could jeopardize countless lives and undermine years of progress. However, the silver lining lies in the fervent advocates and lawmakers tirelessly working behind the scenes to ensure the program remains intact. Their determination underscores the essence of our cover story – advocacy is not just a word but a way of life.

At Plus, we believe in stories that spark change, conversations that challenge conventions, and voices that demand to be heard. This issue embodies all of that and more. As we stand at the cusp of a new year, let’s take a moment to honor the advocates and allies who lead the way and inspire us all in times of challenge.

Warmly,

Be well, DESIRÉE GUERRERO editor in chief

Mark Berryhill, Chief Executive Officer

HIVPLUSM AG.COM

5

buzzworthy

DIANNE FEINSTEIN’S COMMITMENT TO PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV WON’T BE FORGOTTEN

The long-serving senator and former San Francisco mayor leaves behind an enormous legacy, especially her early devotion to AIDS causes.

BY JOHN CASEY

6

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 202 3

But after meeting her, and hearing about her career up to that point, I found a book about her at the Strand Bookstore in downtown Manhattan, Never Let Them See You Cry, which was primarily about her time as San Francisco mayor during the AIDS crisis.

From my f r iends on the H i l l who knew her, and one friend who worked for her, she was described as no-nonsense. “She was definitely not the easiest person to work for, I’ll say that about her,” my friend told me once.

My friend had worked for Senator Alan Cranston, who was succeeded

by Barbara Boxer, prior to joining Feinstein’s staff. “Alan, and everybody called him Alan, was pretty cerebral, and a bit eccentric. He’d wear the same suit multiple times during the week, but he was easy to work for. Then I went to Feinstein, briefly, and the only thing she had in common with Alan was their height.”

Late Senator Dianne Feinstein speaks during a roundtable discussion hosted by the California Planned Parenthood Education Fund

LE A SUZUK I/GE T T Y IM AGES

T

he first thing I remember about late Senator Dianne Feinstein was her height. After I had moved to New York from Capitol Hill in the mid 1990s, I was invited to a private fundraiser for her in Manhattan by one of my high-powered lobbyist friends. When Feinstein entered the apartment, which had a high ceiling, I remember how she seemed to tower over everyone.

The juxtaposition of that image to that of her returning to the Senate in a wheelchair earlier this year after recovering from a bout with shingles was jarring. It was also incredibly sad. I texted my lobbyist friend, since retired, and reminded him about that first time I saw her. “Yes,” he replied. “She was bigger than life.”

When I wrote about Queen Elizabeth upon her death, I talked about marveling at how small she was the first time I saw her in person, but how she towered above everyone else.

In Feinstein’s case, she was bigger than life in so many ways.

I did not know much about her back in the 1990s. She came to the Hill the year that I left; therefore, I wasn’t aware of her as mayor of San Francisco, and how that role was thrust upon her when her predecessor, George Moscone, was assassinated along with the history-making gay trailblazer, city supervisor Harvey Milk. As the president of the Board of Supervisors, she was next in line for mayor.

buzzworthy

She said that after about six months of working overtime constantly, she left the Hill, and went to work for a lobbying firm. “I always respected her so much, so don’t get me wrong.

But I just couldn’t work for her. Looking back, I understand that she had to fight twice as hard as the men, so she could be forgiven for her intensity. I appreciate her so much more than I did while I worked for her. She’s one of my idols.”

After I read Never Let Them See You Cry, she became one of my idols too. So much has been forgotten about those early days of the AIDS crisis because new generations have come and gone, and as I wrote recently (see page 42), the survivors from those days, and the caregivers of the early AIDS victims, are starting to die.

Through her leadership as mayor of San Francisco from 1978-1988, Feinstein, in her own way, was a survivor of those early days of the epidemic. I remember reading in the book about her father being a doctor, and that that gave her somewhat of an understanding about making sure AIDS patients were cared for, both personally and professionally. The city of San Francisco, with way less than 1 million people, was spending more money on AIDS treatment and care than the entire federal government was in the mid-1980s.

I reached out to Feinstein’s friend of over 40 years, longtime political activist and gay icon David Mixner, who confirmed that Feinstein took great care of the community during two difficult eras, the Milk assassination, and the early and awful days of AIDS. “She always rose to the occasion,” Mixner recalled. “She always had time to make calls to those who lost their partners or their close friends. I received several calls from her after close friends had died. She would say that we all need to treat each other especially well through these difficult times. You have no idea what those calls meant to me. She grieved with us, not for us.”

According to Mixner, Feinstein, along with California congressmen Henry Waxman and Phil Burton, were the pioneers in lobbying for AIDS legislation and funding. “Whenever we had a problem with DHS (Department of Health and Human Services), NIH (National Institutes of Health) or anyone else, we called her, and if I called her in the morning, she would always call back by the afternoon. She never ignored us.”

Mixner’s association with Feinstein went back to her first run for San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors in 1969. “I got a call from a dear friend of mine in San Francisco while I was living In L.A., and he asked if I could have a

In the 1980s, the city of San Francisco was spending more money on AIDS than the entire federal government.

Source: National Public Radio

fundraiser for her, and of course I said yes. I got a group of professional gay men together, and we all got behind her. She was a young woman back then in a world that was dominated by all white males. We supported her because she was good on issues that affected our community. She was a rarity back then.”

Mixner said that after the assassination of Moscone and Milk, it was Feinstein’s strength and leadership that led the way. “Her character not only helped our community get through that horrible time, but also helped the city and the nation as well. After that, she was literally at the forefront of our fights with “don’t ask, don’t tell” and the Defense of Marriage Act. And to the latter, she supported marriage [equality] at a time when only 10 percent supported marriage. She had her own struggles with the issue, but she always came out one step ahead of everyone else.”

I told Mixner about my friend, who revered Feinstein, but talked about how hard it was to work for her. “She demanded excellence, and she expected everyone around her to put in the time and effort that she did. Yes, people got burned out, but Senator Feinstein never did.”

And Feinstein didn’t suffer fools. “I recall being in her office for a meeting, and a lobbyist kept talking and talking. She stopped him, and said something to the effect that if you have something relevant to say, please say it now.”

To Mixner, Feinstein represented an era when senators were old-school and had reverence for the institution. “In the Senate’s history, she will be remembered up there with giants like Senator Ted Kennedy.”

“But personally, she will be remembered for her compassion and generosity. She lived life the way she saw the world, and she was so generous with her time and her wisdom.”

JOHN CASEY i s a

contributing editor for Plus.

Views expressed in Plus’s opinion articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the views of Plus or our parent company, equalpride.

HIVPLUSM AG.COM

7

buzzworthy

FAKE AND FRAUGHT

A multi-million dollar scheme involving counterfeit HIV pills is uncovered by the FBI.

BY NEAL BROVERMAN

TH E F E D E R A L B U R E AU of Investigation recently nabbed a Miami

man who sold $16.7 million of misbranded and “adulterated” HIV meds, potentially putting the lives of many at risk.

When a drug is “adulterated” is typically means when a substance has been substituted in whole or in part for the drug, rendering the medication potentially weak, useless, or dangerous. For people living with HIV, an antiretroviral that is not working at full capacity could lead to their HIV advancing, potentially to AIDS; it would also make their infection transmittable to others.

Armando Herrera pleaded guilty in September to a scheme that saw him setting up fraudulent companies in California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Texas, and Washington State. From January 2019 to November 2021, Herrera’s companies sold adulterated meds — including Truvada and Biktarvy — to wholesale pharmaceutical suppliers, which “then sold the drugs to pharmacies, which

dispensed the adulterated prescription drugs to unwitting patients,” the FBI stated in a September press release. Herrera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to introduce adulterated and misbranded drugs into interstate commerce; he’ll be scheduled in late December and could serve five years in prison.

Herrera and his companies pushed at least 16,050 tablets of adulterated Truvada, which is especially concerning as it not only used by people living with HIV, but those looking to prevent transmission. The FBI found that Herrera also sold nearly 4,000 tablets of Biktarvy and over 7,300 tablets of other adulterated or misbranded medications.

The issue of illegitimate medications is a big one for pharmaceutical companies.

Gilead Sciences, the company behind Biktarvy and Truvada, reported in 2022 that an enormous amount of counterfeit meds has been sold under their name and that it was in the process of suing illegal distributors. The Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, which oversees the FBI, actively pursues health care fraud, such as that committed by Herrera. “The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program,” the FBI stated in a release. “Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion.”

$250 million 85,247 the amount illegal drug distributors bilked from pharmacies they sold counterfeit Gilead HIV drugs to during a recent two-year period

the number of bottles of Gilead HIV meds tampered with or faked during the plot

SHUT TERSTOCK

Source: Gilead Sciences Inc.

8

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 202 3

Welcome to long-acting HIV treatment.

“With every-other-month CABENUVA, I’m

good to go.”

Jayson Stays undetectable with CABENUVA Results may vary.

CABENUVA is the only complete, long-acting injectable prescription used to replace daily HIV pills in certain adults and adolescents who have their doctor’s approval.

Every-other-month CABENUVA is given by a healthcare provider as 2 injections, initially 1 month apart for 2 months.

It works continuously to help you stay undetectable* for 2 months.

Attend all appointments.

Watch Jayson’s Story

Important Facts About CABENUVA This is only a brief summary of important information about CABENUVA and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and treatment. (kab’ en ue vah)

ABOUT CABENUVA CABENUVA is a complete prescription regimen used to treat HIV-1 infection in adults and adolescents ≥12 years who weigh at least 77 lbs (35 kg) and are replacing their current HIV-1 treatment when their healthcare provider determines that they meet certain requirements.

HIV-1 is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

CABENUVA contains 2 different medicines: • cabotegravir • rilpivirine It is not known if CABENUVA is safe and effective in children younger than 12 years of age or weighing less than 77 lbs (35 kg).

DO NOT RECEIVE CABENUVA IF YOU • have ever had an allergic reaction to cabotegravir or rilpivirine.

• are taking the following medicines: ° carbamazepine ° rifampin ° oxcarbazepine ° rifapentine phenobarbital ° ° dexamethasone (more than a single-dose treatment) ° phenytoin rifabutin ° ° St John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum)

Ask your doctor about CABENUVA *Undetectable means the amount of HIV in the blood is below the level that can be measured by a lab test. Results may vary.

Jayson has been compensated by ViiV Healthcare.

BEFORE RECEIVING CABENUVA Tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you: • have ever had a skin rash or an allergic reaction to medicines that contain cabotegravir or rilpivirine.

• have ever had liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection.

• have ever had mental health problems.

• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if CABENUVA will harm your unborn baby. CABENUVA can remain in your body for up to 12 months or longer after the last injection.

Please see additional Important Facts About CABENUVA on the following page.

CABENUVA.com Important Facts About CABENUVA (cont'd) BEFORE RECEIVING CABENUVA (cont'd)

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF CABENUVA (cont’d)

Tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you: (cont'd) • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take CABENUVA. ° You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. It is not known if CABENUVA can pass to your baby in your breast milk.

Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed ° your baby during treatment with CABENUVA. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some medicines interact with CABENUVA. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with CABENUVA. Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take CABENUVA with other medicines.

CABENUVA may cause serious side effects, including: (cont’d) • Liver problems. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus or people who have certain liver function test changes may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening changes in certain liver tests during CABENUVA treatment. Liver problems have also happened in people without history of liver problems or other risk factors. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your liver function. Call your healthcare provider right away if you develop any of the following signs or symptoms of liver problems: ° your skin or the white part ° nausea or vomiting of your eyes turns yellow ° loss of appetite (jaundice) ° pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your ° dark or “tea-colored” urine stomach area ° light-colored stools (bowel movements) ° itching • Depression or mood changes. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency medical help right away if you have any of the following symptoms: ° feeling sad or hopeless ° have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF CABENUVA ° feeling anxious or restless to hurt yourself CABENUVA may cause serious side effects, including: The most common side effects of CABENUVA include: • Allergic reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away if you • pain, tenderness, hardened • headache develop a rash with CABENUVA. Stop receiving CABENUVA and mass or lump, swelling, • muscle or bone pain get medical help right away if you develop a rash with any redness, itching, bruising, and • nausea of the following signs or symptoms: warmth at the injection site • sleep problems fever blisters or sores in mouth ° ° fever • • dizziness ° generally ill feeling ° blisters tiredness • • rash tiredness redness or swelling of the eyes ° ° These are not all the possible side effects of CABENUVA. Call your ° muscle or joint aches ° swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side ° trouble breathing • Post-injection reactions have happened within minutes in some effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. people after receiving their rilpivirine injection. Most symptoms resolved within minutes after the injection. Symptoms may include: GET MORE INFORMATION • Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist. ° trouble breathing ° feeling warm narrowing of airways rash • Go to CABENUVA.com or call 1-877-844-8872, where you can also ° ° get FDA-approved labeling. ° stomach cramps ° feeling light-headed or feeling sweating like you are going to pass ° March 2022 CBN:4PIL out (faint) ° numbness of your mouth Trademarks are property of their respective owners. ° pain (e.g., back and chest) ° blood pressure changes feeling anxious °

©2022 ViiV Healthcare or licensor.

CBRADVT220003 March 2022 Produced in USA.

buzzworthy

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM

An insurer based in Texas’s largest city is accused of creating dangerous obstacles for people living with HIV. I S A T E X A S health insurance carrier

discriminating against HIV patients? That’s what the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute is alleging in a recent complaint filed by the advocacy group.

Houston - based Communit y Health Choice Texas is offering “substandard HIV drug coverage by not covering recommended drugs for HIV treatment,” according to HIV+Hep. The group adds that the insurance company is placing most of the HIV drugs that it does cover on the highest and mostly payment tier, pushing more of the cost on patients.

The complaint was filed with the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight — a government agency that helps implement reforms to the Affordable Care Act — and includes accusations that Community Health Choice Texas is acting in a deceptive manner by listing over 100 HIV drugs it covers, even though over half of those are actually not covered. Of those HIV drugs that are covered

by Community Health Choice Texas, many are formulations of the same generic drug, while some were actually discontinued years ago for severe side effects or lack of efficacy, according to HIV+Hep. Community Health Choice Texas currently does not cover many single tablet regimens, forcing patients to take numerous drugs to

keep their HIV in check, something common in the 2000s and 2010s.

The federal government has stated forcing patients to unnecessarily take multi-drug regiments is discriminatory, according to HIV+Hep. “We have seen a long-standing practice of some insurers that continue to discriminate against people with HIV in the way they design their benefits. We also continue to hear of people who are using PrEP to prevent HIV being illegally charged by their insurers for this zero cost-sharing preventive service,” Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, said in a statement.

“Without strict oversight and enforcement by federal and state regulators, insurers will continue to try to get away with as much as they can. That needs to stop.”

HIV+Hep wants the government to step in immediately and ensure that Community Health Choice Texas revise its coverage formularies for 2024. Schmid and his organization point out that making HIV meds more expensive and harder to obtain endangers public health as it discourages adherence and limits the reach of U=U, or undetectable equals untransmittable.

“Houston is one of the Phase I communities targeted by the federal government to end HIV due to the high prevalence of HIV in the county, which primarily impacts Black people,” notes HIV+Hep in a press release.­— N B

30,000

the number of people in Houston living with HIV

18% SHUT TERSTOCK

the percentage of Black people in Houston

48%

the percentage of Black people among new HIV diagnoses in Houston HIVPLUSM AG.COM

11

buzzworthy

SAFE SPACE

F

or over 10 years, patrons seeking a carefree, stigma-free zone would venture through a secret entrance on the second floor of Manhattan’s Ritz Bar & Lounge — crossing through the owner’s personal apartment — to access “POZ Night.” The happy hour event, held on Thursdays from 2006 and 2017, was a beloved institution for HIV-positive people seeking fun without judgement, Ritz owner Tommy Greco recalled recently during National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, held in September.

“It wasn’t a lot, but it was everything for some,” Greco said in a statement. Greco highlighted how, especially when POZ Night began, HIV stigma among gay and bi men was intense. “A lot of men were open about being gay, but ‘in the closet’ regarding their HIV status. To have this night where they could get together and socialize was huge… and having the ‘secret’ entrance made it accessible to so many more people.”

Greco recalled patrons of POZ Night sharing advice about doctors, meds, and co-morbidities, with many attendees leaving behind brochures so others could have the most up-to-date health information. The staff at POZ Night offered many non-alcoholic drinks to cater to those in the sober community and others worried about mixing cocktails with antiretrovirals.

Before POZ Night launched, the Ritz served as a food and beverage sponsor for the Body Positive Charity’s winter gala at the Chelsea Pier.

One year, Greco was approached by a man at the HIV fundraiser. “[He] wanted to create more of a social setting environment where guys could come, socialize, network, and get information pertaining to their condition,” Greco recalls.

“I’m very proud that we were able to create that safe space for 10 years,” Greco added. “My hope is that a lot of people made solid friendships, got the information they needed, and maybe even saved a life or two!”

12

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 202 3

Thanks to less ignorance about HIV and concepts like U=U, undetectable equals untransmittable, there is less of a need for segregated nights at bars and clubs. Still, some specific HIV events occur across the nation, with one of the most prominent being Red Dress WeHo (reddressweho.com), where many bars and clubs in the Boystown district of West Hollywood host fundraisers for HIV causes and patrons wear red to highlight HIV awareness.

Organized by the Los Angeles Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Red Dress Day launched in 1997 and the most recent event took place in late September.— N B

Red Dress Day recently took over the bars and clubs of West Hollywood.

TOP (SHUT TERSTOCK); COURTESY RED DRESS WEHO

A New York mixer for HIVpositive men is fondly recalled, even if it may no longer be needed.

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Political posturing in Washington threatens PEPFAR, a 20-year-old HIV program that’s saved millions of people in the U.S. and abroad.

BY TRUDY RING

14

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 202 3

BRENT STIRTON/GE T T Y IM AGE

Children playing outside the Coptic Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya in 2006

HIVPLUSM AG.COM

15

I

t felt like a scene out of the 1980s or ’90s — activists protesting for HIV resources and staging a sit-in as camera bulbs flash. This time though, the September protest was in the Washington, D.C., office of then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, with advocates demanding the reauthorization of a program to fight HIV and AIDS in the U.S. and sub-Saharan Africa; seven people were arrested.

Demonstrators from Housing Works and Health GAP chanted “Pass PEPFAR now, McCarthy!,” referring to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which started in 2003 under President George W. Bush.

PEPFAR, which is estimated to have saved 25 million lives through distribution of anti-HIV drugs, educational programs, and more, expired September 30. Congress passed a spending deal that same day that kept the government running for a month and a half, but it did not include PEPFAR. 16

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 202 3

If nothing changes, “organizations that deliver lifesaving drug treatments and other forms of support to H.I.V. patients could have to curtail their work. And some specific measures could lose funding, including one that provides care for orphans and other vulnerable children,” The New York Times reported in early October.

PEPFAR’s reauthorization is being held up by Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, who claim that some PEPFAR funds are being used to promote abortion. A report released this year by the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank, asserted

A man administers an HIV test to a Ugandan youth in 2017

SHUT TERSTOCK (NKOKONJERU,UG A NDA); THONY BELIZ A IRE / GE T T Y IM AGES (NURSE)

A nurse hands medications to patients at an HIV clinic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti in 2008

TA R A ME T TE / GE T T Y IM AGES

that “the Biden Administration has misused the program as a well-funded vehicle to promote its domestic radical social agenda overseas.”

Biden’s so-called agenda includes LGBTQ+ rights and access to abortion, the think tank and other conservatives claim. The report also calls HIV and AIDS “primarily a lifestyle disease” that “should be suppressed though education, moral suasion, and legal sanctions.” Republican U.S. Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey has highlighted the Heritage Foundation report in the fight over PEPFAR. President Biden’s administration and the activists who protested at McCarthy’s office say the allegation about abortion is baseless.

However, anti-abortion groups want to put language into the PEPFAR reauthorization that explicitly prohibits any funds from paying for abortions, and they want reauthorizations annually, not every five years, as has been the case. “They also argue that the shorter extension buys time in the event a Republican returns to the White House

in 2025, potentially ushering in changes to PEPFAR and the United States’ broader global health strategy,” The Washington Post reported in July.

The Biden administration contends that annual reauthorization will weaken the program, and it wants a five-year reauthorization with no new conditions added. The protesters say House Republicans reneged on supporting a five-year reauthorization.

“PEPFAR has saved millions of lives. It is criminal for some members of Congress to treat it as a political football,” Housing Works CEO Charles King, who was arrested in September, said in a press release. “AIDS isn’t over until it’s over for everyone. PEPFAR has been essential to helping people in developing countries f latten the cur ve of HI V transmission. The United States has committed to the international goal of ending AIDS by 2030, and we cannot do that if PEPFAR is threatened.”

“Haiti relies on PEPFAR funding for all of its HIV treatment,” King

First Lady Jill Biden (far right) speaks with South African participants of two different programs funded through PEPFAR

HIVPLUSM AG.COM

17

lawmakers pulled such outrageous stunts. We demand a five-year reauthorization of PEPFAR in its current form, and full funding for HIV treatment and prevention programs in the U.S.” A House subcommittee has recommended cutting $767 million from the fiscal 2024 budget for domestic HIV programs.

Five others were arrested along with King and Russell. All seven were charged with unlawful entry, Capitol Police told The Hill.

“From the beginning of the epidemic, HI V has disproportionately affected Black and Brown communities, especially gay and bisexual men, transgender people, and women who engage in sex work or have other risk factors,” the Housing Works/Health GAP press release concludes.

“These budget cuts would not only bring efforts to end the epidemic to a halt, but they would lead to setbacks in places where we have been making significant progress.”

L A RRY FRENCH/ GE T T Y IM AGES

U.S. Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey has been part of the Republican group holding PEPFAR funds hostage.

c ont i nued . “ Hou si n g Work s i s intimately involved in monitoring the distribution of [antiretroviral drugs] in Haiti, which are 100 percent funded through PEPFAR, so we are acutely aware of the risk posed by any threat to the funding of this vital program.”

“House Republicans are playing political games with the lives of countless adu lts, chi ld ren, and newborns with HIV and most affected

by HIV across the globe and here in the U.S.,” added Asia Russell, executive director of Health GAP, who was also arrested Monday. “Extremists in the House have sunk to a new low. Never in the 20-year history of PEPFAR have

18

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 202 3

LEFT Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (right) and South African Foreign Minister Maite NkoanaMashabane in 2010; the two leaders helped continue PEPFAR’s work around the globe

M A RK WILSON/ GE T T Y IM AGES (CLINTON & NKOA N A-M ASH A N A BE); COURTESY HE A LTH G A P (PROTEST)

BELOW Activists demand the reauthorization of PEPFAR during a September protest at Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s office

HIVPLUSM AG.COM

19

LONG- C ING APRETUDE is a prescription medicine used for HIV-1 PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection in adults and adolescents who weigh at least 77 pounds (at least 35 kg).

e

n

i he fi n nl l ng- ing, inje le f e ing he i f ge ing HIV-1

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S ie in HIV-1 neg ive i gen e men, n gen e w men, n i gen e w men i f ge ing HIV-1

APRETUDE is given every other month by a healthcare provider after initiation injections have been given 1 month apart for 2 consecutive months. Stay under a provider’s care while receiving APRETUDE. You must receive it as scheduled. If you will miss a scheduled injection by more than 7 days, call your provider right away.

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT APRETUDE

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT APRETUDE (cont'd)

This is only a brief summary of important information about APRETUDE and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your medicine.

AP-reh-tood

Before receiving APRETUDE to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: • You must be HIV-1 negative to start APRETUDE. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1 infection.

• Do not receive APRETUDE for HIV-1 PrEP unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative.

• Some HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting APRETUDE or at any time while receiving APRETUDE. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include: tiredness; joint or muscle aches; sore throat; rash; enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin; fever; headache; vomiting or diarrhea; night sweats.

Please see additional Important Facts About APRETUDE at right.

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT APRETUDE Important information for people who receive APRETUDE to help reduce their risk of getting human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection, also called pre-exposure prophylaxis or “PrEP”:

ram SavingsmayProg pay as little

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Eligible patients per injection on as a $0 co-pay DE. prescribed APRETU including an Important Warning.

g Important Facts Please see accompanyin

about APRETUDE,

Eligible patients may p li le $0 -p pe inje i n on prescribed APRETUDE.

IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT APRETUDE (cont'd) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT APRETUDE (cont'd) While you are receiving APRETUDE for HIV-1 PrEP: • APRETUDE does not prevent other sexually transmitted infections.

Practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to reduce the risk of getting sexually transmitted infections.

• You must stay HIV-1 negative to keep receiving APRETUDE for HIV-1 PrEP. ° Know your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners. ° Ask your partners with HIV-1 if they are taking anti-HIV-1 medicines and have an undetectable viral load. An undetectable viral load is when the amount of virus in the blood is too low to be measured in a lab test. To maintain an undetectable viral load, your partners must keep taking HIV-1 medicine as prescribed. Your risk of getting HIV-1 is lower if your partners with HIV-1 are taking effective treatment. ° Get tested for HIV-1 with each APRETUDE injection or when your healthcare provider tells you. You should not miss any HIV-1 tests. If you become HIV-1 infected and continue receiving APRETUDE because you do not know you are HIV-1 infected, the HIV-1 infection may become harder to treat. ° Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. These infections make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you. ° If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away.

They may want to do more tests to be sure you are still HIV-1 negative. ° Get information and support to help reduce sexual risk behaviors. ° Do not miss any injections of APRETUDE. Missing injections increases your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. ° If you do become HIV-1 positive, you will need to take other medicines to treat HIV-1. APRETUDE is not approved for treatment of HIV-1.

If you have HIV-1 and receive only APRETUDE, over time your HIV-1 may become harder to treat.

ABOUT APRETUDE APRETUDE is a prescription medicine used for HIV-1 PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection in adults and adolescents who weigh at least 77 pounds (at least 35 kg). HIV-1 is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).

It is not known if APRETUDE is safe and effective in children younger than 12 years of age or weighing less than 77 pounds (less than 35 kg).

DO NOT RECEIVE APRETUDE IF YOU: • already have HIV-1 infection. If you are HIV-1 positive, you will need to take other medicines to treat HIV-1. APRETUDE is not approved for treatment of HIV-1.

• do not know your HIV-1 infection status. You may already be HIV-1 positive. You need to take other medicines to treat HIV-1. APRETUDE can only help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection before you are infected.

• are allergic to cabotegravir.

• are taking any of the following medicines: carbamazepine; oxcarbazepine; phenobarbital; phenytoin; rifampin; rifapentine.

BEFORE RECEIVING APRETUDE Tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you: • have ever had a skin rash or an allergic reaction to medicines that contain cabotegravir.

• have or have had liver problems.

• have ever had mental health problems.

• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if APRETUDE will harm your unborn baby. APRETUDE can remain in your body for up to 12 months or longer after the last injection. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while receiving APRETUDE.

BEFORE RECEIVING APRETUDE (cont'd) • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if APRETUDE can pass to your baby in your breast milk. Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby while receiving APRETUDE. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Some medicines may interact with APRETUDE. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with APRETUDE. Do not start a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to receive APRETUDE with other medicines.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF APRETUDE APRETUDE may cause serious side effects, including: • Allergic reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away if you develop a rash with APRETUDE. Stop receiving APRETUDE and get medical help right away if you develop a rash with any of the following signs or symptoms: fever; generally ill feeling; tiredness; muscle or joint aches; trouble breathing; blisters or sores in mouth; blisters; redness or swelling of the eyes; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue.

• Liver problems. Liver problems have happened in people with or without a history of liver problems or other risk factors. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your liver function.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you develop any of the following signs or symptoms of liver problems: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark or "tea-colored" urine; lightcolored stools (bowel movements); nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area; itching.

• Depression or mood changes. Call your healthcare provider or get medical help right away if you have any of the following symptoms: feeling sad or hopeless; feeling anxious or restless; have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself.

The most common side effects of APRETUDE include: pain, tenderness, hardened mass or lump, swelling, bruising, redness, itching, warmth, loss of sensation at the injection site, abscess, and discoloration; diarrhea; headache; fever; tiredness; sleep problems; nausea; dizziness; passing gas; stomach pain; vomiting; muscle pain; rash; loss of appetite; drowsiness; back pain; upper respiratory infection.

These are not all the possible side effects of APRETUDE. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

GET MORE INFORMATION • Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

• Go to APRETUDE.com or call 1-877-844-8872 where you can also get FDA-approved labeling.

December 2021 APR:1PIL Trademark is owned by or licensed to the ViiV Healthcare group of companies. ©2022 ViiV Healthcare or licensor.

CBTADVT220011 August 2022 Produced in USA.

22

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 202 3

JIM WATSON/GE T T Y IM AGES

U2 frontman Bono (right) and former U.S. president George W. Bush at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., in 2006. Bono, a cofounder of HIV organizations ONE and (RED), was an early supporter of PEPFAR.

A FORMER PRESIDENT’S HIV LEGACY IN PERIL While there is not much reverence for George W. Bush in LGBTQ+ and HIV communities, there is for his signature program, PEPFAR. Recently, Bush pleaded with his fellow Republicans to not gut the life-saving initiative.

BY ALEX COOPER

F

ormer President George W. Bush recently made his case to preserve the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, after GOP lawmakers have attempted to cut the program because they say it promotes a leftist agenda.

In an op-ed for The Washington Post, Bush encouraged lawmakers to continue supporting the program that was created under his leadership and called the initiative “sufficiently pro-life.”

“When I took office in 2001, the situation with HIV/AIDS on the African continent and elsewhere was dire,” the Republican wrote. He explained that advisers including Condoleezza Rice, Joshua Bolten, and Michael Gerson counseled him to act.

Bush said that while Democrats and Republicans should be celebrating the success of the program and the 25 million lives it has been estimated to have saved, some are calling the future of the program into question.

He wrote, “We are on the verge of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. To abandon our commitment now would forfeit two decades of unimaginable progress and raise further questions about the worth of America’s word.”

The former president recalled his former chief of staff, Gerson, explaining that not acting to end HIV and AIDS around the world would be “a source of national shame.”

Gerson, who was a regular Post contributor, died last year.

The former adviser wrote often about the global AIDS crisis. Bush used Gerson’s own

words to defend the program. In previous op-eds, Gerson had pointed to the success and need of the program. That included the fact that life expectancy had fallen in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa by more than 20 years due to the AIDS pandemic. Before PEPFAR, of the 30 million people living with HIV in the region, approximately 50,000 were receiving necessary treatment.

In another piece, Gerson spoke about how mothers who died of complications of HIV would leave “memory boxes” for their children to remember them by. “Facing an absurd death sentence, these women wanted to be recalled not as victims but as humans,” Gerson had written in 2012. He added that due to PEPFAR there was a “hundredfold” increase in those on HIV medications compared to the previous decade.

“There is no program more pro-life than one which has saved more than 25 million lives,” Bush wrote. “I urge Congress to reauthorize PEPFAR for another five years without delay.”

The former president ended his op-ed with Gerson’s words from November 2017. Gerson stated that the only way to end HIV and AIDS was to fully fund attempts to end the pandemic.

“Are Republicans in Congress prepared to squander a legacy of GOP leadership that has won the United States considerable goodwill around the world? A mong evangelica l Christians, what definition of being ‘pro-life’ does not include saving millions of lives from preventable disease and death?”

HIVPLUSM AG.COM

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THANKS A MILLION!

This year’s annual Broadway Flea Market fundraiser broke records by raising over $1.2 million for HIV causes.

D

A La Cage aux Folles reunion was one of many highlights at the 37th annual Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction

ozens of stars of stage and screen, along with legions of fans, came out to New York City’s Theater District this October to support the Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction.

The annual fundraiser, produced by and benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, is one of the organization’s longest-held traditions.

The first market was held in 1987, with a just couple of tables of goods set up by A Chorus Line cast members outside their stage door in Shubert Alley.

Today, it’s one of the most anticipated events of the year for theater lovers.

The Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction raises money by selling and auctioning rare theater collectables and memorabilia and offering autographs and one-on-one experiences with some of the theater world’s biggest stars, including Harvey Fierstein, Bebe Neuwirth, Michael Urie, and many others. This year’s market featured 55 tables 24

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 202 3

filled with theatrical treasures and 221 live and silent auctions, and also had plenty of fabulous food, special events, and live performances.

Among the event’s biggest moneymakers was a trip to London’s West End to see three live theatre productions and meet Broadway superstars Bernadette Peters and Lea Salonga in person, which auctioned for $32,000.

This year’s market, supported by corporate sponsors The New York Times and United Airlines, raised a whopping total of $1,237,179 — surpassing last year’s record-breaking sum of $1,043,825 — making it the most successful to date. Over the years, the event has raised over $18.7 million for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. This year’s funds will provide meals, medication, and access to health care for people living with HIV or facing other illnesses. Visit broadwaycares.org for more information on this annual flea market and auction.

MICH A EL HULL

BY DESIRÉE GUERRERO

REBECCA J. MICHELSON (FA NS POSING WITH GOODS); K AYLEEN BERTR A ND (M AUZE Y & URIE); MICH A EL HULL (FIERSTEIN, AUCTION)

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP-LEFT Theater fans show off their acquired treasures; Alli Mauzey and Michael Urie sign autographs; Harvey Fierstein auctions his handmade quilt

HIVPLUSM AG.COM

25

THE AMAZING

ADVOCATES AND ALLIES

OF THE YEAR

SHUT TERSTOCK

Millions of people around the globe are actively involved in the fight to end the spread of HIV, as well as its lingering stigma. While we wish we had room in these pages to honor them all, in this issue we celebrate eight of these amazing individuals for their tireless and inspiring efforts to not only combat the virus, but to also remind the world that living with HIV doesn’t prevent you from having a life full of love, health, joy — and great sex!

HIVPLUSM AG.COM

27

TORRIAN BASKERVILLE Torrian L. Baskerville is a racial and social justice advocate, activist, and health equity leader in the LGBTQ+ and HIV communities. Throughout his life and career he’s believed in prioritizing communitybased, grass-roots tactics and has remained focused on addressing the needs of often disenfranchised or marginalized communities — particularly gay, bisexual, and other same-gender-loving men of color, people living with HIV, and youth and young adults.

With over a decade of diverse experience in these areas, Baskerville brings a refreshing array of innovative ideas and approaches to the Human Rights Campaign’s various health and wellness programs. In his role as the director of HIV & Health Equity, Baskerville oversees the organization’s national HIV portfolio, which focuses on combatting stigma and racial and social discrimination, and also on “ending HIV through changing the narrative, building a new system for change, and developing and advancing public policy.”

Baskerville explains why changing the narrative around HIV is key, especially within Black and brown communities. He also reminds us that adding topics like sexual pleasure and personal empowerment into the conversation is equally important.

“As a person who personally enjoys sex a particular way, it was important that we take a stance that is inclusive of everyone,” he says. “And that it’s not about being ‘safe’ — because safe somehow says that something is unsafe, or something is damaging or there’s a deficit.”

So rather than focus on the negatives around HIV and other STIs, Baskerville stresses that it’s really all about getting people to feel more in control of their sexual health and wellness.

“However you show up, whoever you are, whatever you like, whatever you engage in — how do we take that and empower you to take control over your health, take control over your health outcomes, take control over your sexuality, over your desire, while also centering pleasure?” he asks. “And so we aim to center pleasure in conversations around sex, and not shame people for wanting to engage in sex, or for the types of sex that they’re engaging in.”

28

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 202 3

One HRC program he’s especially excited about is its Wellness in Action initiative, which was recently expanded under Baskerville’s leadership. The program works in partnership with organizations like CVS Health to provide people access to at-home HIV testing as well as to real-world resources that may be needed after testing, such as connection to HIV prevention methods or treatment.

“We’re partnering with organizations nationally to disseminate HIV self-testing kits to individuals who may never walk into a brick and mortar to get tested for HIV” he says. “So, we’re addressing stigma. We’re addressing the challenge of folks knowing their status and doing it in a way that makes people comfortable and also provide support. Because typically, national HIV self-testing strategies have only focused on sending out testing kits. Our program is different in that we’re partnering with other organizations…to also think about what’s happening once people have taken the test.”

Baskerville says he’s also proud of increased inclusivity in many of the HRC’s newer programs, specifically for women (cis and trans) and younger people living with or affected by HIV. “We had these conversations around what communities and what populations we wanted to prioritize. The team sensed that there was some work needing to be done within both communities,” he says, explaining the need to expand the conversation around HIV beyond just gay and bi men.

“We’ve been there, we’ve done that — which has allowed for the disparities to seep into other populations and have allowed HIV to impact greatly in those populations,” adds Baskerville. “And so, we wanted to center HIV but to also center health equity, right? So we look at the whole title of the program: the HIV & Health Equity Program. We can’t talk about health equity and not expand the work into other populations and communities.”

COURTESY OF HUM A N RIGHTS CA MPA IGN

The HRC’s director of HIV & Health Equity is bringing a fresh, sex-positive, and inclusive new attitude to the fight against HIV.

Jovon Nature Lover Switched to DOVATO

Want to stay undetectable* with fewer medicines?

Compensated by ViiV Healthcare

No other complete HIV pill uses fewer medicines to help keep you undetectable.† DOVATO is different: unlike other HIV treatments that contain 3 or 4 medicines, DOVATO contains just 2 medicines in 1 pill.

DOVATO is a complete prescription regimen for adults new to HIV-1 treatment or replacing their current HIV-1 regimen when their doctor determines they meet certain requirements.

Learn more at DOVATO.com

Results may vary. *Undetectable means the amount of HIV in your

blood is below the level that can be measured by a lab test. † Compared to a 3- or 4-drug regimen.

Important Facts About DOVATO

PHOTO CREDIT

This is only a brief summary of important information about DOVATO and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and treatment.

What is the most important information I should know about DOVATO? If you have both human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, DOVATO can cause serious side effects, including: • Resistant HBV. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV infection before you start treatment with DOVATO. If you have HIV-1 and hepatitis B, the HBV can change (mutate) during your treatment with DOVATO and become harder to treat (resistant). It is not known if DOVATO is safe and effective in people who have HIV-1 and HBV infection.

• Worsening of HBV infection. If you have HBV infection and take DOVATO, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking DOVATO. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. ° Do not run out of DOVATO. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your DOVATO is all gone.

° Do not stop DOVATO without first talking to your healthcare provider. ° If you stop taking DOVATO, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your liver function and monitor your HBV infection. It may be necessary to give you a medicine to treat hepatitis B. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking DOVATO. For more information about side effects, see “What are possible side effects of DOVATO?” What is DOVATO? DOVATO is a prescription medicine that is used without other HIV-1 medicines to treat human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection in adults: who have not received HIV-1 medicines in the past, or to replace their current HIV-1 medicines when their healthcare provider determines that they meet certain requirements. HIV-1 is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It is not known if DOVATO is safe and effective in children.

Please see additional Important Facts About DOVATO on the following page.

Ask your doctor about staying undetectable with fewer medicines in 1 pill.

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DOVATO.com

Important Facts About DOVATO (cont’d) What are possible side effects of DOVATO? (cont’d) Who should not take DOVATO? • Allergic reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away if you Do not take DOVATO if you: develop a rash with DOVATO. Stop taking DOVATO and get medical • have ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine that contains dolutegravir help right away if you develop a rash with any of the following or lamivudine. signs or symptoms: fever; generally ill feeling; tiredness; muscle or joint aches; • take dofetilide. Taking DOVATO and dofetilide can cause side effects that may blisters or sores in mouth; blisters or peeling of the skin; redness or swelling be serious or life-threatening. of the eyes; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; problems breathing.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before using DOVATO? • Liver problems. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, changes in certain liver tests during treatment with DOVATO. including if you: Liver problems, including liver failure, have also happened in • have or have had liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection. people without a history of liver disease or other risk factors.

• have kidney problems.

Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your liver.

• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. One of the medicines in DOVATO Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the (dolutegravir) may harm your unborn baby. following signs or symptoms of liver problems: your skin or the ° Your healthcare provider may prescribe a different medicine than DOVATO if white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark or “tea-colored” urine; you are planning to become pregnant or if pregnancy is confirmed during the light-colored stools (bowel movements); nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; first 12 weeks of pregnancy. and/or pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area.

If you can become pregnant, your healthcare provider may perform a ° • Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Too much pregnancy test before you start treatment with DOVATO. lactic acid is a serious medical emergency that can lead to If you can become pregnant, you and your healthcare provider should talk ° death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of about the use of effective birth control (contraception) during treatment the following symptoms that could be signs of lactic acidosis: with DOVATO. feel very weak or tired; unusual (not normal) muscle pain; trouble breathing; Tell your healthcare provider right away if you are planning to become ° stomach pain with nausea and vomiting; feel cold, especially in your arms pregnant, you become pregnant, or think you may be pregnant during and legs; feel dizzy or lightheaded; and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat. treatment with DOVATO. • Lactic acidosis can also lead to severe liver problems, which can • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you lead to death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may take DOVATO. develop fat in your liver (steatosis). Tell your healthcare provider right ° You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of away if you get any of the signs or symptoms of liver problems passing HIV-1 to your baby. which are listed above under “Liver problems.”

DOVATO passes to your baby in your breast milk. ° • You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver ° Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby. problems if you are female or very overweight (obese).

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, • Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your herbal supplements. immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been Some medicines interact with DOVATO. Keep a list of your medicines and show hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. if you start having new symptoms after you start taking DOVATO. • You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that • The most common side effects of DOVATO include: headache; interact with DOVATO. nausea; diarrhea; trouble sleeping; tiredness; and anxiety.

• Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your These are not all the possible side effects of DOVATO. Call your doctor for healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe medical advice about side effects. to take DOVATO with other medicines.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to What are possible side effects of DOVATO? the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

DOVATO can cause serious side effects, including: Where can I find more information?

• See “What is the most important information I should know • Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist. about DOVATO?” • Go to DOVATO.com or call 1-877-844-8872, where you can also get FDA-approved labeling.

Trademarks are owned by or licensed to the ViiV Healthcare group of companies.

October 2022 DVT:7PIL

©2022 ViiV Healthcare or licensor.

DLLADVT220016 November 2022 Produced in USA.

ANDY COHEN

SHUT TERSTOCK

The longtime TV fixture uses his soapbox to battle HIV criminalization.

When it comes to celebrities, Watch What Happens Live! host, TV producer, and Housewives whisperer Andy Cohen has never been anything less than sex-positive. Even now as a dad in his 50s, Cohen never pretends he’s not a sexual being. This candor was most recently illustrated when video of Cohen and a man canoodling in a club emerged in the media; Cohen didn’t bother to respond or defend himself, because why should he have to?

Cohen’s unapologetic attitude as a proud gay man makes him a perfect fit for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation’s HIV Is Not a Crime Campaign.

Announced in September, Cohen will serve as a new celebrity supporter and national champion for the effort to modernize laws and penalties aimed at people living with HIV. “I am honored to support the HIV Is Not A Crime campaign and to be a part of the movement to end the stigma surrounding the disease,” Cohen said in a statement. “We need to create a world where people living with HIV are not criminalized or discriminated against solely because of their health status, and I am excited to use my platform to help make that a reality.”

ETAF’s campaign wants to end the stigma against HIV, specifically the ignorance that criminalizes people with the disease. People living with HIV in 30 U.S. states are being charged and branded as criminals because of their status, even when there is no risk of HIV transmission, ETAF reports. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees with ETAF, stating on their website that, “After more than 40 years of HIV research and significant biomedical advancements to treat and prevent HIV transmission, many state laws are now outdated and do not reflect our current understanding of HIV.” During the height of COVID-19, Cohen spoken out against federal blood donation restrictions on gay and bisexual men, which persisted for decades because of (likely homophobic) HIV fears that didn’t match scientific reality. With his huge platform on the Bravo network, social media, and podcasts, Cohen will once again ring the bell on the impact of ignorance.

ETAF, partnering with Gilead Sciences, Inc., have long made reforming HIV criminalization part of its mission, working with lobbyists and other organizations to successfully modernize several such laws.

“We are thrilled to have Andy Cohen on board and excited to see the impact he will make in raising awareness and support for HIV Is Not A Crime. We thank Andy for his dedication and support.

Together, we can make a difference in reforming our nation’s HIV policies,” said Cathy Brown, executive director of the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, in a statement.

“Gilead Sciences is grateful to have Andy Cohen’s support in our collective fight against discrimination and criminalization of people living with HIV,” added Alex Kalomparis, Gilead’s senior vice president of public affairs. “His dedication to raising awareness and advocating for those affected is truly inspiring. With his help, we can make an even greater impact in our mission to end unjust HIV criminalization and discrimination.”

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DOMINIC COLÓN

Actor, writer, director, and producer Dominic Colón has appeared in over 50 films and television shows, including appearances on Power, The Blacklist, Orange Is The New Black, and Escape at Dannemora.

The Bronx-born talent is also known to many for his regular role as Manny Spamboni on the Emmy Awardwinning children’s show The Electric Company.

Colón has won numerous awards for his writing, including two BRIO Awards for his 2011 play Crush and his 2016 short film Skin, a semi-autobiographical comedy about a man who is afraid to have sex with his boyfriend shirtless after losing an large amount of weight. He’s also a two-time National Association of Latino Independent Producers Latino Media Market Fellow for the screenplays of his feature film Werq It and his short form series, Papi.

Last year was a big one for Colón. His one-act play Prospect Ave or the Miseducation of Juni Rodriguez received rave reviews, and he was featured on the cover of People en Español and as one of POZ magazine’s POZ100. He also joined the writer’s room for Netflix’s upcoming gay military drama, Pink Marine.

In addition to his impressive acting and writing roster, Colón often gives back to the communities that he’s from. He’s taught acting and playwriting at Riker’s Island jail and various schools, hospitals, and juvenile justice facilities throughout New York City.

He’s also been open about his queerness and living with HIV. On World AIDS Day 2021, Colón received the inaugural Write It Out! prize for playwrights living with HIV from the National Queer Theater for his work, The War I Know. The prize included $5,000 funded by Tony- and Emmy-winning star and fellow HIV advocate Billy Porter, with additional support from GLAAD. “You don’t always control what the blessing in your life will look like, but you do control what you do with it,” said Colón when accepting the honor. “HIV is that blessing! Writing and developing The War I Know has not only been one of the greatest joys of my life, but it has also been a major part of my own healing and liberation. Healing and liberation are my prayer for everyone.”

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This year Colón wrote for a special series sponsored by ViiV Healthcare (a global specialist company for HIV treatment) called “Love in Gravity,” which tells stories about Latinx people living with HIV. His contribution, Our Lady of The Six Train, tells a both heart-wrenching and hilarious story of one young man’s journey to accepting his HIV diagnosis.

“It’s trippy because I tested positive in February 2005,” Colón said in a recent interview for The Body. “But I did not talk about it for many years. I could count on two hands the number of people that knew. It was very locked, without a key. And without knowing it, I was 100 percent killing myself.”

“I always say that 2011 is when I started recognizing that I could not live this way,” added Colón. “I started therapy and started to work on myself and all of the issues that led me to think I didn’t want to live. I did not want to be that way, so I had to take steps to heal.

But, you know, healing is not linear. It takes a long time. You’re always in the process of healing.”

JA MIE MCCA RTHY/ GE T T Y IM AGES

This out Latinx playwright and actor is using his work to help himself, and others living with HIV, heal.

WAHEEDAH SHABAZZ-EL

Over the last two decades, Waheedah Shabazz-El has become a leading voice for issues surrounding women and older folks living with HIV. She is a founding member of Positive Women’s Network USA, a national organization created by and for women living with HIV and their allies. She is also a founding member of PWN’s Pennsylvania chapter.

“Locally, we work to support overdose prevention sites in our area,” Shabazz-El says. “These centers offer lifechanging interventions, save lives, and help prevent HIV. We also work to push back against HIV criminalization laws in our state and any harmful provisions that may be proposed.”

Shabazz-El, an African-American Muslim woman, says her own journey living with HIV is what initially brought her to this work.

“The very first time I was tested for HIV, my test came back positive — and I received an AIDS diagnosis at the same time,” she recalls. “In the course of being educated about HIV, I regained the will to live. Armed with awareness of the ‘root cause analysis’ of HIV — that HIV is as much a social condition as it is a medical condition — I believe I had a flight-or-fight reaction. I have found that using a social justice framework helps reduce external HIV-related stigma…. This becomes a call to action to create equity, secure social justice, and carry out human rights.”

Currently, Shabazz-El serves as the director of community engagement at The Reunion Project, where she is working to build a national alliance for long-term survivors of HIV. “It is a challenge to address quality of life issues as we live longer with HIV in a world that is not prepared for us,” says the active 70-year-old, adding that we need to demand that “people aging with HIV have seats at the table and are consulted about programs and policies that affect our lives.”

She adds that The Reunion Project “has a unique and intentional relationship” with SAGE Advocacy & Services for LGBTQ+ Elders (sageusa.org). “SAGE encourages us to be outspoken advocates for safety nets and polices for our LGBTQ+ communities and long-term survivors of HIV as they age.”

In addition to her work at PWN and The Reunion Project, Shabazz-El is also an advocate for HIV cure research and serves on several related community advisory boards, 34

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including the BEAT HIV Delaney Collaboratory at Wistar Institute, Penn CFAR, and CRISPR Cure at Temple University. Outside of work, she finds joy by playing Scrabble, retail shopping, and “preparing large meals for my family and having them gather. I enjoy spending time with my partner and traveling together — our bucket list is to visit the Seven Wonders of the World.”

“One real challenge is economic security and financial literacy,” she says of issues facing those aging with HIV. “Without a doubt the advancement in HIV treatment has allowed us to live longer — but many people aging with HIV are living in perpetual poverty, receiving state or federal benefits. Those who yearn to return to the workforce run the risk of losing medical or cash benefits. The bureaucracy of the social security system is intimidating.”

“I believe stigma remains a huge challenge, especially for those who have not found the inner acceptance, safety, and support to live out openly with HIV,” adds Shabazz-El. “Now, as we grow older, for some this may be the secret they take to their graves — leaving behind a legacy of death instead of a legacy of life that is now possible with HIV.”

COURTESY WA HEEDA H SH A BA Z Z-EL

This fierce advocate is fighting to end stigma and create a better quality of life for women and people aging with HIV.

JEFFREY SCHWARZ

M AT THEW SIMMONS/ FILM M AGIC/ GE T T Y IM AGES

An out filmmaker who continues to place the heroes of HIV front and center.

Jeffrey Schwarz has been a beloved figure in the filmmaking community for over a decade now, thanks to his detailed documentaries studying icons of the queer community. From Vito, about HIV activist Vito Russo, to I Am Divine, centered on John Waters’s subversive drag muse, to Tab Hunter Confidential, on the gay movie star, Schwarz has a knack for uncovering facets of stories and figures we thought we already understood.

Most recently, Schwarz turned his camera on Los Angeles, the nation’s second-largest city and the world’s nexus of entertainment, and how it confronted the AIDS crisis in its early days. Commitment to Life, directed, produced, and edited by Schwarz, pays homage to Hollywood legends who stuck their necks out for HIV causes — like Elizabeth Taylor and Zelda Rubenstein, putting their own careers in jeopardy as judgment and panic over the disease permeated society. Taylor largely became the face of celebrity advocacy for HIV, with the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation continuing her mission years after her 2011 death (see pages 31 and 48). For her part, Rubenstein — who’d experienced a first flush of fame at the time thanks to the 1982 hit film Poltergeist — allowed her face and likeness to be used in very early AIDS public service announcements plastered on billboards and bus stops in the city.

But Schwarz doesn’t only honor movie stars in Commitment to Life, he interviews advocates on the ground 40 years ago (and still today); people like Minority AIDS Project cofounder Jewel ThaisWilliams, HIV activist Phill Wilson, and Bamby Salcedo, president of the TransLatin Coalition.

Schwarz devotes a substantial part of his film to the work of AIDS Project Los Angeles, which has boosted awareness, education, and HIV funds since its 1983 inception. While Los Angeles suffered devastating consequences from the onset of AIDS, similar to New York and San Francisco, Schwarz shows how the city was able to combine efforts of local activists, including many queer women and people of color, with the visibility provided

by Hollywood. As laid out by Schwarz, the lesson of a multi-pronged effort to battle a pandemic, and the consequences of disregarding everyone affected by it, is something very relevant in the 2020s.

“Commitment to Life reconstructs [HIV’s] devastating march and the city that rose to fight it,” reads a description of the film, which premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February. “Like the virus itself, the story winds through gated communities and neighborhoods of color, government offices and university labs, hospital suites and studio soundstages to tell a story of courage and sacrifice — as well as one of discrimination and unequal treatment.”

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MALCOLM REID

This amazing advocate is creating safe spaces for Black same-gender-loving men living with HIV.

COURTESY

Meet Malcom Reid, the director of policy and advocacy at THRIVE SS (thrivess.org), a nonprofit focused on ending “death, shame, and stigma for Black same-gender-loving men living with HIV.” He is also serves on the Chair Policy Action Committee for the U.S. PLHIV Caucus.

“I am a person living with HIV since 1997. I became aware of the disparities and barriers Black gay men with no insurance, or who were underinsured, were facing when dealing with our public health system and decided to get involved,” Reid, 66, tells Plus. “I started a program for Black SGL [same-gender-loving] men living with HIV over 50 that evolved into what is now the Silver Lining Project.”

The Advocates for Silver Lining program, implemented

by THRIVE SS, is an initiative created for SGL men of color growing older with HIV “to identify systemic changes that will improve health equity for themselves and their local community, and enable them to effectively advocate for those changes.”

As part of the Advocates for Silver Lining, participants will “gain knowledge and support to navigate the public health system of their local community and the U.S.” The program creates a safe place for these men to share their personal stories and successes, while also connecting them to vital HIV care and resources.

“We are on the forefront,” Reid explains of those now growing older with HIV. “Therefore, there is either no research — or the research that has been done has not been carried out, implemented, or adequately tested. There are still a lot of unknowns. That feeds the medical mistrust that has always been experienced in the Black community.”

“Stigma remains a major barrier to getting people into care,” he adds. “Regarding public policy, the major barrier is still health care access. Medicaid, Medicare, and Ryan White are imperfect systems, and Ryan White was really not designed for the geriatric population.”

When taking a break from his important work in the community, Reid says he enjoys “spending time with my husband,” who he lives with in Decatur, Georgia. “After 26 years, we still do date nights. We both still like being out in the community. Bars and clubs never get old — and we refuse to be classified as too old. Other times we are just home vegging on the couch.”

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stonewall-museum.org

This HIV researcher was recently recognized for her vital work during the COVID-19 and mpox outbreaks, and for helping to reduce heart issues in people living with HIV.

This year, Dr. Boghuma Titanji was named the winner of the Health Care Innovator/ Researcher category by the Atlanta Business Chronicle for its 2023 Health Care Heroes program. Titanji is an assistant professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, where she primarily focuses on HIV research. Her colleague, Dr. Linda A. McCauley, dean of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory, was also honored

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with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Atlanta Business Chronicle this year.

Dr. Titanji, who was born in Cameroon, came to Emory in 2016, where she completed her internal medicine residency and infectious diseases fellowship, while also completing a research fellowship in infectious diseases at the VA Medical Center. In August of 2022, she officially joined the Emory University faculty.

Her primary research work focuses on the mechanics of chronic disease in people with HIV — and how the virus drives inflammation, which contributes to cardiovascular disease. The latest data shows that people living with HIV are twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared to HIVnegative people. In addition, effective interventions aimed at reducing this risk for heart issues in HIVpositive people are limited.

However, much of Titanji’s work in this area was disrupted when COVID-19 struck in 2020. As an infectious disease researcher, she naturally shifted her work to address the growing pandemic. Titanji also became involved with Emory’s research into the repurposed antiviral drug, baricitinib, originally developed to treat rheumatoid arthritis. She helped research the effect of this drug on people living with HIV in clinical trials and shared her findings with her mentor at Emory. This led to the authorization of emergency use of baricitinib and the drug began being trialed in patients with COVID-19. The results proved it to be very effective.

Dr. Titanji was also a huge ally within the scientific community during 2022’s mpox (monkeypox) outbreak. In an opinion essay she penned for Emory at the peak of the outbreak last summer, Titanji urged governing bodies and the global medical community to prioritize containing the situation before it got worse. “[Mpox] deserves more urgency; we are simply not doing enough and this is unacceptable, especially for a disease which has made its way to centre stage as a direct result of decades of inaction and neglect,” Titanji wrote.

“On June 23, 2022, the World Health Organization convened an emergency committee meeting to discuss whether the current [mpox] situation constituted a public health emergency of international concern,” she added. “In a surprising turn of events, WHO declined to make that determination based on expert advice. What happened to acting quickly, acting decisively, and having no regrets?”

Titanji remains passionate about using her research to help the world’s most vulnerable populations in terms of infectious diseases, especially in Africa. Moving forward, she hopes to combine research with clinical practice in efforts to influence health policies all over the globe.

K H A LIL HENDERSON

BOGHUMA K. TITANJI

RONALD S. JOHNSON

FACEBOOK / RON A LD JOHNSON

This policy expert has been fighting for gay and bi men of color living with HIV for decades — and is now advocating for this community as they grow older.

Ronald Johnson has been involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS since the earliest days of the epidemic, having witnessed its devastation firsthand in his own community. He says he was especially concerned about gay and bi men of color at the time, who were often discriminated against at predominantly whiteoperated HIV organizations and clinics.

“I got involved in the fight against HIV and stigma in the early 1980s,” Johnson recalls. “As a gay man living in New York City, I was aware of the disease we now know as AIDS early in the epidemic and I wanted to get involved. I started as a volunteer at GMHC [Gay Men’s Health Crisis]. I was also aware of reports of discrimination against Black and Latino men at GMHC — so as a Black gay man, I wanted to ‘see for myself’ and to do what I could to ensure that gay men of color were getting the services we needed.”

From there, Johnson worked tirelessly for these communities over the next several decades. Among his many roles over the years, Johnson served as New York City’s first citywide coordinator for AIDS policy from 1992 to 1997, as the associate executive director of policy at GMHC from 1997 to 2006, and directed policy activities at AIDS Action (an organization that merged with National AIDS Fund in 2011 to become AIDS United). He also served as a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/ AIDS from 1996 to 2001.

Johnson retired at the end of 2017 as the vice president of policy and advocacy at AIDS United but continues to consult with the organization as a senior policy fellow. The spry 75-year-old also currently serves as chair of the U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus as well as board president of Point Source Youth, a nonprofit focused on ending youth homelessness, especially among LGBTQ+ youth. In addition, he advocates for those growing older living with HIV. “I am involved in maintaining and building the organizational infrastructure in the community to ensure the meaningful engagement of people living with HIV [PLHIV] in the response to HIV and other issues that impact the health and well-being of PLHIV,” Johnson says. “I do this through my work in the U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus. I am also involved in policy and advocacy related to HIV and aging and meeting the needs of people aging with HIV. My involvement in issues related to HIV and aging includes working closely with the policy staff at SAGE.” SAGE [sageusa.org] is an organization that addresses issues related to aging within the LGBTQ+ community and works to “achieve a high quality of

life for LGBTQ+ older people, support and advocate for their rights, foster a greater understanding of aging in all communities, and promote positive images of LGBTQ+ life in later years.”

“The first major challenge facing those of us who are growing older with HIV is managing our health care in the context of HIV and aging,” Johnson explains. “Many older adults living with HIV have comorbidities that are not HIV-related but are impacted by HIV, such as cardiovascular disease. We also must manage health conditions that usually are related to aging, such as frailty.”

He adds that some other major challenges for older HIV-positive folks include polypharmacy (s i m u l t a n e o u s l y t a k i n g multiple prescription drugs), mental health, “especially mental health issues that are related to social isolation and loneliness,” and securing and maintaining adequate, safe, and affordable housing.

When he’s not giving his all to his community, Johnson says he enjoys “any opportunity to relax. For me that includes cooking, reading, and traveling.”

Don Hershman’s art tells stories of those affected by HIV and other marginalized people — but doesn’t leave out the joy.

BY D E S I R É E G U E R R E RO

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W

COURTESY DON HERSHMAN (PORTRAIT & ART)

PAINTING OUR STORIES

hile he’s been a successful working artist — and podiatric surgeon — for decades now, Don Hershman’s artwork in recent years feels more invigorated and inspired than ever. His 2021 sold-out show in New York, “Donald and Victor: Under The Influence,” was a thoughtprovoking and loving tribute to his former partner who passed away due to HIVrelated complications in 2001.

This fall, the Brooklyn native returned to NYC to unveil his latest collection of 21 paintings, entitled “The Art of Code Switching.” The series, which was exhibited at Salomon Arts Gallery in Manhattan’s Tribeca district, explores both our conscious and subconscious need to code-switch simply to help us navigate a world that often forces white-patriarchal “norms” upon us. (Ten percent of the proceeds from art sales were donated to The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention among LGBTQ+ youth.)

“When I began my formal residency training in the early ’80s I had to relocate to the South, forcing me back into the closet,” Hershman explains. “Creating these new paintings took me on a journey back to a time where there was no political correctness or recourse; easily fired or shunned if it were revealed that I was gay.

After residency, I relocated to San Francisco and worked as a podiatric surgeon in an atmosphere engulfed by the AIDS epidemic, where young men often were not only hiding their sexual orientation, but their HIV status as well. They were constantly code-switching without even knowing it.”

Hershman says he “thought about this clinically. What are the long-term effects of code-switching? Does it have a deleterious effect on our emotional state, a subliminal effect? I don’t know.”

He also explains that his background in health care helped him understand the ways in which other marginalized people had to code-switch as well. “Health care gives you sort of a peak into all forms of life, all forms of society, all forms of religions and races and economic positioning — you are in touch with everyone.”

OPPOSITE & THIS PAGE A sampling of Hershman’s work, including “The Art of CodeSwitching” BELOW The artist poses for a photo

Merriam-Webster defines code-switching as “the switching from the linguistic system of one language or dialect to that of another.” But Hershman’s work pushes beyond that concept — examining how women, people of color, and queer and trans people often have to change much more than the way they speak in order to avoid discrimination, persecution, and even violence on a daily basis. And it couldn’t be more timely, considering the relentless cultural and legislative war the far-right has waged against LGBTQ+ people over the last few years.

Still, the artist insists there is a beauty to code-switching, which is why he wanted to create imagery that felt joyous for this collection. Indeed, the vivid colors and brush strokes of the paintings seem to leap off the canvas and into one’s heart and mind in a truly visceral way. “I didn’t want the paintings to be dark, I wanted them to be beautiful and light.”

“The flip side of code-switching is going back to your home,” he adds, “going back to our families, going back to our friends, and being able to be and speak and act as who we really are.”

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d a i ly d o s e

by john casey

A physician and nurses check on an HIV-positive infant.

HONORING THE LEGACY OF AIDS CAREGIVERS

I

t was recently National Grief Awareness Day. To me, I think a day devoted to acknowledging grieving is more suitable for the gloomier days of fall or winter, rather than a sunny August day in summer; however, it only goes to show that grief is not bound by months or seasons. Grief can be fleeting. It can be consuming, everlasting, and debilitating.

I’m thinking today about my dad, gone 46 years and still thought of every single day. I still grieve for him. Also in my thoughts are my grandparents, my closest friend, Ed, and the most spiritual 42

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person I ever knew, my friend, Father Angelo Gambatese. He helped me come to terms with myself and my sexuality.

One thing about Father Angelo was that he never talked about himself. He was always interested in you, and how you were doing. He was a wonderful listener and incredibly compassionate.

I’ve written before about him, and how I once asked him about what he thought the true meaning of love was. As usual, he was exceptionally insightful. “God’s love is all around us.

We just need to be aware of it, and take notice of it when we see it,” he started.

Then, in a rare bit of self-reflection, he talked about himself.

“During the height of the AIDS crisis, and for a long time after, I was a counselor with an agency in New Jersey that helped people with the HIV virus, and that was during the early days of the epidemic. It was there that I saw the essence of true love,” he said.

“Watching the partners of so many wonderful men who were dying of AIDS was life altering. Their love persevered and was resilient in the face of so much unconscionable sickness, death, and tragedy. That was true love.”

CHERYL CHENE T/GE T T Y IM AGES

We don’t talk enough about those who endured so much, survived, and watched their loved ones slip away.

d a i ly d o s e

Those who exhibited that love watched their lifelong loves wither away and die. That suffering, married with caring, is indescribable. One man lay sick and sullen, while another was a caretaker and comforter. For the survivor, it is something that is enormously difficult to recall, even 40 years later.

I reached out to a couple of people I know who l lived during that era, and who are still alive. I asked to speak to them about how they grieve, and how what they recall affects that grief. Not surprisingly, and with the exception of one, no one was willing to go down that dreadful road with me again.

The Greatest Generation refers to those Americans who lived through the Depression in the 1930s and those who fought in World War II. We are in the midst of saying goodbye to the remaining few who are still alive.

For the LGBTQ+ community, many have said that our Greatest Generation were those who survived or were caregivers during the early years of AIDS. Those who fought for their lives and died during a time when society, government, and even their own families shunned them.

And similarly in the way we are losing members of America’s Greatest Generation, our heroes from those early days of AIDS are also starting to age out, encounter health problems of their own, and die. While they disappear, the deceased take with them so much knowledge, so much insight, and so much heartache about that horrible time, which tragically becomes more of a distant memory with each passing year.

In March of 2021, I wrote about the AIDS Memorial on Instagram and a gentleman — now my friend, Stuart — who curates stories on the platform about those lost to AIDS. For good reason, Stuart doesn’t like to talk about his work, or what he does; rather, he lets the moving remembrances that he posts do the speaking. I have learned a great deal about grieving through the AIDS Memorial account, and so much about life.

There was so much life behind those we’ve lost to AIDS that you wonder, if they had survived, how different our

world would be today? In our culture, we tend to pay attention to those who are noteworthy. So much has been written about the famous men who have died of AIDS, like Rock Hudson or Freddie Mercury.

If you look at the posts on the AIDS Memorial, you will see that while the victims might not have been famous, they were heroes and icons, nevertheless. Particularly to their partners, lovers, husbands, or longtime companions they left behind. Reading the recollections of these individuals, who faced terror each day, can be haunting.

Some are immeasurably sad, some are humorous, and all are deeply personal. The truths they share about their lost loves are etched so deeply in their souls. They want all of us who read about their loss to understand the beauty of their relationships.

Though he’s never posted about it on Instagram, or let alone talked in great detail, I have a friend who lost his first boyfriend, David, to AIDS complications in 1988. I reached out to him, told him I was writing a column about grieving, and wanted to talk about those partners and caregivers who survived. I asked him if he’d be willing to share his story. He reluctantly said yes, on the condition that he remain anonymous.

“Sheesh, I try not to think about that too often,” he said with a very long agonizing sigh. “It’s not that I don’t think about David. I think about him every day, probably every hour of every day, even after all these years, but I don’t think about him suffering. That’s something I’ve just compartmentalized, put in the very back of my mind, and I just don’t go there.”

“I had to care for my mother when she got sick, but it wasn’t the same thing, obviously. Those days when David was so sick were just exhausting, to be perfectly honest. And watching him deteriorate was horrible, just horrible. But it was also so frustrating, to be honest again. There was just nothing you could do, and that burned me up. Didn’t seem like anyone gave a shit about us.”

Did he have anyone to help him?

“That’s a whole other story. Neither one

of us was out at the time. You couldn’t be in our professions, so we tried to hide as best we could. Some friends found out he was sick, and offered to help, but we didn’t want anyone getting into our business, so the answer to your question is no. I wasn’t trying to be a martyr. I’m sure there were a lot of others who went through the same things we did. We just kept it to ourselves to avoid any blow back.”

“I’m still not out to people that I worked with or to some family members, so there’s people in my life that have no idea of the agony that David and I shared. And of course the love we had for each other. I have no desire to ever bring that up with anyone I don’t know really well. Besides, the focus should be on what David went through, and not on me.” He told me that was all he had to say.

There are countless thousands, like my friend, who had the same experience, and can’t bring themselves to talk about the heroism of their caretaking. We don’t often talk about those who endured, and survived, and watched their loved ones slip away. And that’s because treatment options came along to save lives, new fights for equality and marriage, and new generations lifetimes away from knowing about the deaths of those like David.

Part of the reason, too, that the caretakers are not acknowledged often is because they simply do not want to talk about what happened.

And for others, like my friend, they want the spotlight to be on the people who lost their fight with AIDS. Those of us of a certain age who lived through that gruesome time period, but were spared its consequences, feel gratitude along with some guilt. The burden fell so hard on so many, often in silence, and that silence, to some, remains.

If you’re look ing for a way to acknowledge National Grief Awareness Day, and you know someone who survived those dark days of the AIDS crisis, or who was a caretaker to a loved one or partner, reach out and tell them how much they are appreciated.

Afterall, they are the essence of what true love is all about.

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treatment

HEART HELPER

New research shows certain drugs can reduce the risk of cardiovascular issues among people living with HIV.

T

hese days people with HIV are living long, healthy, and productive lives thanks to today’s array of highly effective treatment options. Now, HIV-positive folks have life expectancies on par with HIV-negative people when adhering to their treatment regimens. And because of this we now have a generation of people aging with HIV, and the specific challenges that come along with that.

Despite the great advances made in treatment of HIV over the decades since the epidemic began, this population of people growing older with the virus do unfortunately have higher risks of developing other health issues.

According to a recent report in The New York Times, two-thirds of of people living with HIV die due to causes other than the virus.

This group faces an increased risk of diabetes, liver and kidney disease, osteoporosis, cognitive decline, social isolation, and various cancers — but possibly the most concerning issue is that HIV-positive people are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease than HIV-negative people.

The Times report added that researchers in the Netherlands estimated that by 2030, more than three-quarters of that country’s HIV population will have cardiovascular disease, including high 44

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blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attacks, or strokes.

However, some good news has arrived. Recent studies have shown that statins — common ly used cholesterol-lowering drugs — can significantly lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes among middleaged and older adults living with HIV. “I have been unbelievably impressed at how ca re for the older H I V population has really exploded,” Dr. Nathan Goldstein, who heads a clinic for aging HIV patients at Mount Sinai in NYC, told the Times. “I get emails every day about new models, new grant funding. People are paying so much attention to this.”

Much of this new information comes from an extensive study by the National Institutes of Health, which invested $100 million in a randomized controlled trial called Reprieve. The study tested a statin medication against a placebo among nearly 8,000 people living with HIV ranging from 40 to 75 years old. While participants were relatively healthy and on stable antiretroviral treatment at the time of the study, and therefore would not typically have been recommended a statin, the results published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that the drug lowered the volunteers’

risk of major cardiovascular events by more than one-third.

“This is really an important study,” said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He was one of NIH’s leaders who approved Reprieve’s large budget. “The results, in some respects — they’re even better than I would have expected.”

The Times report also included reactions from people living with HIV about the discovery, like Donté Smith, a health consultant from Kansas City, Mo., who began taking a statin earlier this year. Smith (who is genderqueer and uses gender-neutral pronouns) said they were motivated to take the medication because, in addition to living with HIV, they have a family history of heart disease and diabetes, and is an on-again-off-again smoker.

Smith noted that the v irus is par ticu larly hard on Black and LGBTQ+ communities, adding that of the nearly 1.1 million Americans diagnosed with HIV, 63 percent are gay and bisexual men, and 40 percent are Black.

“A lot of us don’t make it,” said Smith.

“It’s important to buck that trend. The best revenge for me is being an elder and being able to share and exist and to still be here.”

SHUTTERSTOCK

BY D E S I R É E G U E R R E RO

wellness

REDEFINING RECOVERY The Blackyard Collective’s innovative approach is helping queer people of color conquer addiction.

PE XELS/ELIZ AVE TA RUK HTIN A

BY C H R I S TO PH E R W I G G I N S

I N A WO R LD where the intersectionality of race, sexuality, and addiction often goes unaddressed, one organization is carving a path towards healing and community for Black queer individuals recovering from crystal methamphetamine addiction. The Blackyard Collective, cofounded by Michael Crumpler — a 49-year-old minister and the LGBTQ+ and multicultural programs director at the Unitarian Universalist Association — embodies community, inclusivity, and a safe haven for those on the road to recovery.

The Blackyard Collective sprang from humble beginnings.

A monthly brunch started in 2016 by a small group of Black queer individuals navigating the journey of sobriety from crystal meth addiction in New York City. The goal was simple: foster a sense of community amongst those who often felt like outsiders in mainstream 12-step recovery rooms. Crumpler recalls that “we were very, very conscious that we were the only Black people in the room. And it was a way for us to connect and really get to know each other.”

The brunches, Crumpler recounts, were the seeds from which the Blackyard Collective grew, eventually evolving into a nonprofit that holds regular gatherings, events, and retreats, providing a sense of belonging and recovery support tailored to the unique experiences of Black queer individuals.

The organization’s efforts have now transcended the bounds of New York, with connections fostering recovery from Chicago to L.A. and beyond. Crumpler underlines the importance of such a community, explaining that mainstream recovery spaces often marginalize Black individuals. He asserts, “While we might go to the center or whatever location the meeting is at…whiteness is centered in those spaces, white experiences are centered in those spaces.”

The Blackyard Collective is determined to obliterate the stereotypes surrounding crystal meth use in the Black community. Crumpler debunks the misconception that crystal meth is a “white drug,” stressing that “crystal meth will latch on to anybody who takes it.”

An integral part of the collective’s mission is to offer more than just recovery meetings — it also aims to build a support network that addresses the holistic needs of individuals.

This includes having fun and building connections.

Crumpler cites the Blackyard Collective’s October trip to a popular, and predominantly white, destination for LGBTQ+ people as one such event.

The retreat to Provincetown, fondly referred to as P-town, is not a new venture for the Collective, but each visit heralds a time of bonding, fun, and mutual support.

The retreat isn’t filled with “boring retreat stuff,” as Crumpler humorously puts it. Instead, it’s packed with activities that foster bonding and relaxation, such as biking, shopping, dancing, movie-watching, and gameplaying.

This year, the group rented two passenger vans for the journey, adding a road-trip flavor to the adventure.

They stayed at the John Randall House, owned by one of Provincetown’s only Black B&B owners.

“He basically blocked his entire property, which can sleep 26 people for us, and we just get to be there,” shares Crumpler.

It’s more than just a retreat; it celebrates communal resilience and joy amidst the often arduous recovery journey, he notes.

A National Institutes of Health study sheds light on the prevalence of methamphetamine use among Black gay and bisexual men in New York City, revealing that nearly half reported using the drug in the four months before the assessment. Although this proportion is somewhat lower than their white counterparts, the challenges are significant. The study further elucidates that Black methamphetamine users often do not reside in traditionally gay neighborhoods and are more likely to be HIV-positive, have lower educational attainment, and have lower income levels than other methamphetamine users. These findings underscore the imperative need for community-centric initiatives like the Blackyard Collective.

The collective continues to be a beacon of hope and a testament to the power of community in the path of recovery. Through its innovative approach, it underscores that, with proper support and understanding, overcoming addiction while embracing one’s identity is a journey worth undertaking.

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TERRIBLE TRAGEDY

The life of journalist Josh Kruger, an advocate for people living with HIV and the unhoused, was recently taken by gun violence.

BY TRUDY RING

FACEBOOK / JOSHK RUGERPHL

I

n the early hours of October 2, Philadelphia journalist and activist Josh Kruger, an out gay man, was shot to death at his home in the city.

Police were called to Kruger’s neighborhood about 1:30 a.m., The Philadelphia Inquirer and other outlets reported. He had seven gunshot wounds in his chest and abdomen and had collapsed on the sidewalk outside his home.

Police believe Kruger was shot in his home and went outside to seek help. He was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he died about 2:15 a.m. He was 39.

Kruger had written for numerous news sources, including the Inquirer, The Philadelphia Citizen, Philadelphia Weekly, Philadelphia City Paper, Plus, and The Advocate (a sibling publication of Plus). Many of his articles dealt with LGBTQ+ issues and his experiences of homelessness and living with HIV. Kruger won several awards for his work, including awards for commentary from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2014 and 2015 and the Edith Hughes Emerging Journalist Award from the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association in 2015. He had also worked for the city of Philadelphia in departments including the mayor’s office, the Office of Homeless Services, and the Department of Public Health.

“We are shocked and saddened by Josh’s death,” said a statement from Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. “Josh cared deeply about our city and its residents, which was evident both in his public service and in his writing,” the mayor continued. “His intelligence, creativity, passion, and wit shone bright in everything that he did — and his light was dimmed much too soon. We were exceedingly fortunate to call him a colleague and our prayers are with everyone who knew and loved him.”

District Attorney Larry Krasner released a statement and said, “Josh Kruger lifted up the most vulnerable and stigmatized people in our communities — particularly unhoused people living with addiction. As an openly queer writer who wrote about his own journey surviving substance use disorder and homelessness, it was encouraging to see Josh join the Kenney administration as a spokesperson for the Office of Homeless Services.”

K rasner added, “I extend my deepest condolences to Josh’s loved ones and to all those mourning this loss.”

The DA’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Committee said that many knew Kruger to be someone who advocated strongly for queer people in Philadelphia.

“His struggles mirrored so many of ours — from community rejection, to homelessness, to addiction, to living with HIV, to poverty — and his recovery, survival, and successes showed what’s possible when politicians and elected leaders reject bigotry and work affirmatively to uplift all people,” the committee stated. “We are devastated that Josh’s life was ended so violently.”

The suspect in Kruger’s murder is Robert Davis, 19, who remains at large as of press time.

“The warrant includes charges for murder and related crimes,” the Inquirer reports.

Police say Kruger and Davis knew each other.

Davis had been experiencing homelessness and other problems, and Kruger “was just trying to help him get through life,” said Lt. Hamilton Marshmond of the homicide unit. Another police source, speaking to the paper anonymously, said Davis and Kruger had been in a relationship.

Police haven’t determined a motive in Kruger’s killing or how Davis got into Kruger’s home, which showed no sign of forced entry, Marshmond said. They don’t believe Davis was staying there, however, he said. Another person of interest in the case was cleared, and surveillance video, plus information from Kruger’s friends and relatives, resulted in Davis being identified as the suspect.

Kruger’s friends said he did not hesitate to write about the hardships he’s faced, including addiction and homelessness, and he supported himself through sex work at one point. He said his Christian faith and his friends helped him through tough times.

“Make no mistake: I would not be alive today and living the life I have were it not for the charity and good works of human beings,” he wrote on Medium in 2017. “Yet, I am convinced with absolute certainty that there were also invisible forces around, behind, and within me, too.”

Kruger was proud of having bought his row house, and he loved bicycling and rescuing cats, including those that were difficult to place. He had most recently taken in Mason, a senior cat with one tooth.

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parting shot

Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS The Beverly Hills Hotel

I N L ATE S E P TE M B E R, the stars gathered at The

Beverly Hills Hotel for the annual Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS fundraising gala. The event, sponsored by Gilead Sciences and Bulgari, honored NBA Hall of Fame legend and businessman Earvin “Magic” Johnson and his wife, entrepreneur Cookie Johnson, for their philanthropy and dedication to the fight against HIV/AIDS over the past three decades.

Special guests included Angela Bassett, Samuel L. Jackson, Courtney B. Vance, Christine Chiu, and Paris Jackson. Attendees were also treated to a special performance by musical legend Gladys Knight.

(L-R) EJ Johnson, Elisa Johnson, Magic Johnson, Cookie Johnson, Lisa Johnson, and Andre Johnson Gladys Knight

Paris Jackson

Barbara Berkowitz

JON KOPA LOFF/GE T T Y IM AGES FOR THE ELIZ A BE TH TAYLOR A IDS FOUNDATION

Magic and Cookie Johnson

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Starting + Staying

on HIV treatment The best time to start treatment is ASAP after diagnosis Model portrayal

You can live well with HIV

By starting HIV treatment as soon as possible after diagnosis and staying on treatment as prescribed, you can help control your HIV viral load, which can help you live a longer and healthier life.

Today’s HIV treatments can fit into your schedule, and some can even be started right away. So be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about what’s right for you.

And remember, you are not alone. There are many people to help support you, alongside your healthcare provider.

Work together with your healthcare provider to find an HIV treatment option that is right for you and start your treatment journey today.

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