THE GRAN VARONES — Louie: Describe the moment you know unequivocally...

1.5M ratings
277k ratings

See, that’s what the app is perfect for.

Sounds perfect Wahhhh, I don’t wanna

Louie: Describe the moment you know unequivocally that you were gay?

Adrian: My family used to go to the mall a lot when I was little. I realized I was staring into the Abercrombie window more than the Victoria’s Secret window. And then the men and not the women who were passing by us. I knew I liked boys and the way they made me feel. I was probably 10.

Louie: We have met several varones who have recently been diagnosed, all of them while in the hospital. Many of them are afraid of the stigma that they will unfortunately and inevitably experience. What would you want them to know about the journey of living with HIV?

Adrian: I’d want them to know that they’re not alone. When I went to my first conference (USCA2014) only a few months after I was diagnosed, I saw this huge community. I’m not talking about the pharmaceutical reps and doctors. I’m talking about the advocates. People that were where I was. People my age. Latinx people. Like, I was very fortunate to have a support system. And that’s part of why I got into this work. I want to be there for that person that might not have anyone. Because I get it. I know how uncomfortable that hospital bed is. And I know how scary it is to disclose to someone for the first time. Can we start a big sibling project for newly diagnosed folks? Lol

Louie: Who is the person that got you through your most difficult time?

Adrian: Oh man, my mama. She’s the MVP, almost literally ride or die. When I collapsed she got me into the car and drove me to the hospital. She hates driving at night. She refused to leave my side in the hospital. She’s literally the first person I told. Why are you trying to make me cry? Lol Yeah my mom. I had just left my ex too. She got me through all that. When I was on bed rest for a month after the hospital she was there every second. We were going through a lot with my dad at that time too. I’ve never met anyone more resilient in my life. She’s literally a goddess.

Adrian Castellanos, Rio Grande Valley, Texas
AIDS Activist, Blogger and contributing writer to The Gran Varones

Interviewed by: Louie A. Ortiz-Fonseca

thegranvarones granvarones portrait latino queer gay end stigma HIV/AIDS National Latino AIDS Awareness Day orgullo storytelling Latino Heritage Month LGBT history month texas

More you might like

I moved back from Orlando because I was diagnosed with HIV, I tried doing it on my own and I just couldn’t do it mentally, physically and emotionally. I just had no stability, that comfort to have somebody there. So I ended up moving back to Philly...

I moved back from Orlando because I was diagnosed with HIV, I tried doing it on my own and I just couldn’t do it mentally, physically and emotionally. I just had no stability, that comfort to have somebody there. So I ended up moving back to Philly to be with my mom, my father, my family. They were my support system. They were the ones who took care of me. There were the ones who made sure I was okay with everything. I didn’t have that in Florida because I was on my own. I went to work and came home to myself. Yeah, I had friends. They knew but they did not understand; that was brand new to them. And they tried their best to support me but they just couldn’t grasp the idea of why I had HIV.

When I was first diagnosed, I wanted my parents to be the first to know. I called my mom. You could tell that she had a sense of worry. She just said “everything we be ok. We’re going to get through this together. “ From a mother to a son, I trusted her and I believed her and I sit here today.

Jorian, 22, Philadelphia

thegranvarones granvarones portrait latino gay queer poz boricua north philly end stigma NLAAD familia orgullo pride HIV AIDS Puerto Rican

This goes out to the ones who didn’t get credit for saving the lives of Black youth.

Today, On National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, this goes out to the Black and Brown mothers who never got to tell their stories to the CDC, when the CDC thought mommas couldn’t raise their babies.

This is for the quarantined

This is for prenatal AIDS

This is the breast milk

This is for black babies

This is for the amazing #verticalkids now (adults) who continue to do this work. The strength it takes to not only grow up with HIV BUT also serve community by engaging in leadership is astounding.

This day is for the adults who really do work with youth and empower us daily. This is for yall tho.

Tiffany Moreno, She/Her/Hers

Broward County, Florida

NBHAAD granvarones thegranvarones queer gay trans bi latinx afrolatinx lgbtq qtpoc storytelling hiv aids end stigma
on this date in 1981, the new york times printed an article with the headline “rare cancer seen in 41 homosexuals.” this headline is historic because it is the first mention of what would become the hiv epidemic. at this time, on this date in 1981,...

on this date in 1981, the new york times printed an article with the headline “rare cancer seen in 41 homosexuals.” this headline is historic because it is the first mention of what would become the hiv epidemic. at this time, on this date in 1981, the epidemic didn’t have a name. 

even after 36, it is still chilling to read this headline because it is a sobering reminder of all that the world didn’t know about hiv. what caused it? how to treat it? we didn’t know shit! it took three years to identify HIV. three years to find out that it wasn’t cancer. however, in those three years, stigma, blame, and shame didn’t need a name to thrive. many died not even knowing the name of the disease that robbed them of breath and humanity. 

this headline is historic because it is the first mention of what would become the hiv epidemic. 

36 years later we know so much. we have survived so much. we now have life-saving meds. we now even have PrEP - the pill that helps to prevent hiv infection. this is huge because, in 1981, treatment for any virus was rare, yet alone a virus that was virtually unknown. 

we still have work to do. we still have to shift culture and we still have to fight health care and access. we still have to fight to live. but we know so much more now than we did on july 3, 1981.

thegranvarones granvarones hiv aids end hiv end stigma history lgbtq gay queer latino latinx qpoc lgbtq history
today is national HIV long-term survivors day. today we honor, celebrate and continue to stand alongside the long-term survivors of the HIV epidemic. this year’s theme is HIV Resilient. there was a time when surviving and thriving with HIV was...

today is national HIV long-term survivors day. today we honor, celebrate and continue to stand alongside the long-term survivors of the HIV epidemic. this year’s theme is HIV Resilient. there was a time when surviving and thriving with HIV was science fiction - but here we are. still existing and still resisting! 

many of us have defied the odds. and we still have years to go! we salute you and know that many of us are here because many of you fought for the possibility for us just to simply be. thank you.

“because even AIDS, stigma, homophobia, racism, white supremacy, violence and oppression can’t keep us from rising. and when we become ancestors, we will continue rise in the voices of those who speak our names without shame.

so keep rising varones because resurrections are real.”

thegranvarones granvarones hiv aids national hit long-term survivors day gay queer orgullo pride end stigma affirmation latino latinx
today is national hiv testing day. if ya want to inspire folks to get tested, then just say, “hey, hiv testing is a part of sexual health. here are a few places where you can get tested.” or you can say, “if ya thinking about getting tested today but...

today is national hiv testing day. if ya want to inspire folks to get tested, then just say, “hey, hiv testing is a part of sexual health. here are a few places where you can get tested.” or you can say, “if ya thinking about getting tested today but feel a little scared, i am here to support you.” but chyle, please DO NOT post statistics about how black and latino gay men are more at risk than anyone else. it’s low-key victim blaming cuz hiv is an epidemic driven by poverty, racism, homophobia, transphobia and white supremacy.

so if any of you have any questions about where to get tested, what is the process like, or just need someone to talk to about maybe getting tested today or next week or whenever the hell you want, feel free to inbox me.

to find a free, fast and confidential testing locations near you: https://gettested.cdc.gov/

thegranvarones granvarones national hiv testing day hiv aids queer gay latino latinx lgbtq pride orgullo health gay men latino gay men end hiv nhtd

so yesterday, trump released a statement to commemorate national HIV testing day. admittedly, i didn’t read it because i thought, why read a statement from a president who just had six people resigned from his HIV/AIDS advisory board? another reason is that some days i do not have the emotional labor to process shit.

anywho, my bestie and comrade Dullé Muhammad informed me that the president referred to people living with hiv as “HIV carriers” in his statement. in the same section, it reads “people who are not currently receiving treatment transmit more than 90 of infections.” this passively blames people living with hiv for the epidemic and reinforces hiv stigma that is now fuels policies and laws that criminal people living with hiv. of course, this should not be surprising. well not for me because it has been my experience that some “woke” folks and organizers have used similar violent language and framing when talking about people living with hiv.

right now, more than ever, we have to DO something. hiv is a social justice issue. And this includes calling-out shit and standing in solidarity with people living with HIV whenever HIV stigma is used to criminalize the lives and bodies of people living with HIV.

act-up! fight aids! end stigma! resist trump!

thegranvarones granvarones queer gay latino latinx hiv aids fuck trump end hiv stigma hiv stigma pride lgbtq resisttrump

the voices of our community in philadelphia have been (finally!) heard!

on sunday, april 23, 2017, the mazzoni center board of directors asked for and accepted nurit shein’s resignation. the board president, jimmy ruiz, also offered his resignation and it was accepted.

this is huge and is a beautiful reminder that:
1. our voices matter!

2. our community has power!

3. patients of hiv/aids service orgs deserve access to medical care without harassment.

4. frontline staff of lgbtq and hiv/aids non-profit deserve to thrive in a transparent work environment that affirms and celebrates their dignity.

5. all power to the people!

while there is so much more work to done in the name of liberation, this is a great victory for black and brown trans and queer people in philadelphia!

abdul released this statement:

“Subhan Allah

I’m lead by ANCESTOR

I’m lead by the spirit of my Ummi Melody Beverly💓

And so it is SEALED. This is what Collective Liberation looks like. The labor and love of Shani Akilah manifested in the creation of Black & Brown Workers Collective which has been steadfast in disrupting Colonialism in the City of Philadelphia. With direct actions we confronted spaces and called the leaders of those spaces to be accountable for violence enacted against their most marginalized staff and patients. We worked collectively with the Front-Line staff at Mazzoni Center . We were in coalition with amazing comrades at: THE GRAN VARONES, Philly Coalition for REAL Justice-Steering Committee, Black Lives Matter Philly, The Womanist Working Collective, ACT UP Philadelphia, Juntos, and TransHealth Information Project - TIP, a program of GALAEI Galaei Philly and we will continue to do the work.

I want to take a moment to uplift someone who gets the worst forms of attack Ernest Owens has weathered the storm and has reported honestly, passionately and appropriately on this matter for a few years now. If you’ve called G Philly to threaten his work, you need to APOLOGIZE to him now.

I want to uplift Louie A. Ortiz-Fonseca who challenges me to show up for community everyday. Without Louie’s guidance I wouldn’t be as #Petty and #Revolutionary as I am.

Anthony Leon thanks for your labor and direct action to bring change to Mazzoni Center.

Thanks Vicky Borgia for your bravery, you exemplify what an accomplice is!❤️❤️

I want to uplift Christian Axavier Lovehall for standing and being in this work! I love you.💓💜

I want to thank Jose de Marco for being a FIERCE elder.

Thanks Amber Hikes for always being collaborative, your predecessor could LEARN SO MUCH FROM YOU!!!

Thanks Rue Landau and Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations and D D'Ontace Keyes for taking this seriously enough to take action.

Thanks to Stro Kyle, Hazel Gotti Edwards, Kemar Jewel and the other young folx who I do this work for.

Thanks Sharron L Cooks for all you do!
Thanks Ariana Sanchez for all you do!
Thanks Madelyn Pryor Grey for all you do!
Thanks Yuizana Ortiz for all you do!

Anti-Blackness Anywhere
                  IS
Anti-Blackness Everywhere!

THE WORK CONTINUES!!”

juan david franco, current mazzoni front-line staff, courageously wore his gran varones shirt to work today and posted it today with the caption:

“Feelin myself in my #GranVarones tshirt type of day.”

today is a beautiful day! abdul has now resumed taking his HIV meds. <3

thegranvarones granvarones queer gay latino afrolatino liberation nuritknew lgbtq latinx hiv aids
“When I think of my mom, I think of her big smile. I was adopted by my aunt but i know I have my mother’s spirit with me. She passed when I was about 8 years old from HIV/AIDS. I took it really hard. I don’t know, it’s like when they first tell you,...

“When I think of my mom, I think of her big smile. I was adopted by my aunt but i know I have my mother’s spirit with me. She passed when I was about 8 years old from HIV/AIDS. I took it really hard. I don’t know, it’s like when they first tell you, I really didn’t comprehend it until about a couple of hours later and my brain just snapped. And I felt like everything was just done. Being 8 years old and only knowing your mother and not your father, only knowing certain people in your family and the only thing you’re left with is people that you’re not really that close to.

I think my mother would actually be proud of the fact that I can be who i am by myself. Like, I didn’t need anyone there by my side. I have always been there for myself. So I think she would be really proud that I can do this on my own. I don’t need anybody on my shoulder telling me "you can do this.” because she is there telling me every day that I walk, “You can take the next step.” Ya know, I was born myself and I don’t need anybody to be there to help me.

I just wish she could be here. It’s hard. It’s hard just being here without her. But it makes me smile to know she would be proud of me and proud that I did it.“

Giovanni Martinez-Cruz, Philadelphia

Interviewed by Anthony Leon & Photographed by: Louie A. Ortiz-Fonseca

thegranvarones granvarones boricua survivor mother HIV AIDS gay queer lgbt family portrait photo journalism bw photography storytelling

Affirming a transgender student’s gender by using pronouns that align with their gender identity has been shown to improve mental health outcomes. We’re dedicating today to uplifting the need for normalizing the usage of pronouns and a report on transgender students’ intersectional health disparities. Hit the link below for more information.

https://actionnetwork.org/forms/on-all-sides

#PronounsDay

international pronouns day pronounsday protect trans youth
See this in the app Show more