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Latinos are the largest and fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States. We also are one of the groups most heavily impacted by HIV. According to CDC, we account for 21% of all new HIV infections in the United States. Gay and bisexual men bear the greatest burden of HIV infection in our communities. In some major cities, studies found that nearly 1 in 5 Latino gay and bisexual men are infected with HIV.

So on this day, we are celebrating a few unsung varones who are working everyday to end stigma in our communities. We also send our deepest gratitude to all of you who are having conversations about HIV and working everyday to eliminate stigma and reinforce this beautiful truth: WE ARE THE CURE!

MARCO BENJAMIN foto by: Jesus Rodriguez of LuzAzulStudios

“Today is World AIDS day. I firmly believe in my life time we will see an HIV free generation and always remember that together and only together we will win the war on HIV/AIDS.” Marco does not just speak this beautiful talk but he walks this warrior walk.

A nationally renowned speaker and advocate, Marco works with Latino communities all the over country to develop cultural relative HIV prevention and treatment programs. Diagnosed in 2008, he immediately called his mother and said “Mami, I’m going to ruin your day.” She reacted by saying, “I thought you were going to tell me you were in jail. ‘Mi'jo, you are not the first and you are not going to be the last (to have HIV), Then she made sure I went off to the doctor to see about treatment.“ She also does her part in educating the community. Marco’s approach to HIV prevention and advocacy is a reminder that the fight to end HIV stigma requires love and familia.

Marco currently works with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.

RICARDO “RICKY” MELENDEZ

Ricardo is what North Philly Legends are made of. In the 90s, he was one of the very few Latinos dominating the ballroom scene in Philadelphia. He used that notoriety to create spaces for LGBT Latinos by organizing LGBT events in the heart of North Philly. "Not everyone wanted or could go to the gayborhood. So I wanted to create events in our neighborhood.” He would go on to create the now legendary Travesuda Nights.

“I tested positive on this day 20 years ago. I remember feeling scared and alone. It was a trans Latina friend of mine who held me together. Now it is my mission in life to do that for other varones who have just been diagnosed. Our stories and existence alone ends HIV stigma. We have power chyle!”

On Friday, December 4th, Ricky will be hosting an event commemorating World AIDS Day. Click here for more info. 

ADRIAN CASTELLANOS

Adrian aka Ayden is a twenty-three year old HIV and AIDS advocate/activist from Texas, Rio Grande Valley who utilizes social media to deconstruct stigma and engage with as many people as possible.

At twenty one, Castellanos’ path was redirected as he was diagnosed with AIDS, while he spent two weeks in a hospital room, he decided to “make his mess his message”. Since being diagnosed on March 26, 2014 he has gone on to receive a Youth Initiative Scholarship to attend USCA in OCT. 2014, acquire a position with the Valley AIDS Council (the only HIV/AIDS Agency in his area) JAN. 2015, receive a separate scholarship to attend AIDSWatch in APR. 2015 and receive a Social Media Fellows Scholarship to USCA 2015. Adrian now spends his time doing free HIV screenings at two universities in his area and for the community with his agency. He also participates in outreach and education efforts to raise awareness within his community.

“AIDS is still a very real thing. I want you to remember that. Queer Latinx people often pass away withing the first year of diagnoses because we waited too long before getting tested. Because homphobia won’t allow us to talk about our sex. Because transphobia makes us targets of systemic and interpersonal violence. Because racism puts us at a level of disadvantage that prevents us from seeking medical attention”

Read his inspiring World AIDS Day article here.

Jorian Alexi Veintidos 

At just 23, Jorian Alexi Veintidos has already begun creating a huge shift in the way that HIV is seen and talked about in Latino communities in Philadelphia. He recently shared his story with Gran Varones and it became our most shared and viewed profile. He courage to speak openly about living with HIV has opened the much needed conversation among varones.  “By sharing my story as a young person living and thriving with HIV, I want to be a model of positivity that while my journey was has not been easy journey it also has not been impossible.”

Jorian was recently selected by Advocates for Youth after a national search to be a Youth Ambassador for National Youth AIDS Awareness Day.

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ANTHONY LEON

Anthony moved to Philadelphia in 2013 and immediately began working and mentoring Latino and Black gay and trans* youth. For two years he served as coordinator of Mazzoni Center’s #A1PHA Project, one of Philadelphia’s only prevention project that intentionally and culturally works with young Latino gay men.

Anthony is also the co-creator of the Gran Varones Project and has leveraged that role to unapologetically advocate varones who continue to be marginalized by racism, poverty, homophobia and HIV Stigma. “Because Gran Varones, people disclose to me and reach out for support in navigating care and treatment services.”

Anthony is one the most sex and body positive people we know.  approach to ending stigma is essential as we all deserve to feel sexy, fuck, get fucked, make love and have a healthy sex life regardless of our HIV status and body size.

Anthony is currently Youth Education Manager at Mazzoni Center where in addition to overseeing the #A1PHA Project, he manages their Ally Safe Schools Project.

RICHARD “RICHIE” LABOY

Richie has worked for various non-profit organizations since 2002. He has worked deeply with the Ballroom Community in Philadelphia on many social and sexual health issues including; homelessness, HIV/AIDS awareness, mental health treatment, substance abuse rehabilitation, fighting poverty and HIV stigma. He is legendary on both and off of the runway!

“I grew up in the Ballroom community. It was my family and I watched as HIV took many of them away from me. It fuels my passion. I owe it to my community to make sure that they are reached – with dignity and affirmation.”

Deemed  legendary in 2009, Richard continues to be make in the impact in the ballroom scene as part of the House of Miyake-Mugler. He is also working as a Clinical Research Assistant at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where he works on a research project to determine if a culturally-tailored health promotion intervention will reduce health risk behaviors of young men who have sex with men within the Ballroom community in Philadelphia.

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In 1989 in response to the worsening AIDS crisis and coinciding with the World Health Organization’s second annual World AIDS Day on December 1, Visual AIDS organized the first Day Without Art. A Visual AIDS committee of art workers (curators, writers, and art professionals) sent out a call for “mourning and action in response to the AIDS crisis” that would celebrate the lives and achievements of lost colleagues and friends; encourage caring for all people with AIDS; HIV education; and finding a cure. More than 800 arts organizations, museums and galleries throughout the U.S. participated by shrouding artworks and replacing them with information about HIV and safer sex, locking their doors or dimming their lights, and producing exhibitions, programs, readings, memorials, rituals, and performances.

In 1997, it was suggested Day Without Art become a Day With Art, to recognize and promote increased programming of cultural events that draw attention to the continuing pandemic. Though “the name was retained as a metaphor for the chilling possibility of a future day without art or artists.

The AIDS crisis in the 80’s and 90’s STOLE so many brilliant minds, hearts and spirits from our communities.

Don’t let HIV stigma do the same.

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In December of 1995, the FDA approved the release of saquinavir. It would be the first of a new class of drugs called protease inhibitors. This was the biggest AIDS breakthrough because for many, AIDS went from being a death sentence to a manageable disease. Finally, there was some hope. Fast forward 20 years later, we have been presented with another “breakthrough”: HIV stigma and witch hunt is still alive. 

No one, regardless of social standing, status or privilege should ever be backed into a corner and forced to disclose their HIV status.

Much has already been written about Charlie Sheen and he will probably dominate the national conversation about HIV. While we welcome the much needed conversation, we must not allow it to over shadow the thousands of Black and Latino gay men and Trans* women who continue to be disproportionately impacted by both the virus and violence of stigma. We must also ensure that their work in our communities does not go noticed and without celebration.

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adrianplus

World AIDS Day

adrianplus:

Today is World AIDS Day. Today I am alive. Today I still fight.

I went to the edge and made it back because I’m lucky. Because I had family and friends that gave me the time and space to grow strong. To learn and to become motivated. I was wayward before diagnoses. I was an addict and a victim of intimate partner violence. AIDS was the fire that sparked my engine.

However, my story is not in any way like other survivors’. Not everyone lives to tell about their two week stay at a hospital and their 20 TCell count. Not everyone is afforded the luxury of a support system that will not allow them to become stigmatized because the general population and mass media are too lazy and scared to educate themselves and others. 

AIDS is still a very real thing. I want you to remember that. Queer Latinx people often pass away withing the first year of diagnoses because we waited too long before getting tested. Because homphobia won’t allow us to talk about our sex. Because transphobia makes us targets of systemic and interpersonal violence. Because racism puts us at a level of disadvantage that prevents us from seeking medical attention. 

I want you to remember all this.

Today is World AIDS Day. Today we are alive. Today we must still fight.

“Today is World AIDS Day. Today I am alive. Today I still fight.

Today is World AIDS Day. Today we are alive. Today we must still fight.”

words to live, thrive and fight by!

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on this world AIDS day, we lift up and pay homage to the gran varones who have passed and we stand in loving solidarity with all the gran varones who continue to live & thrive.

check out a clip of ricardo’s story. he is one of the gran varones featured in the full length documentary. here he reminds us and the community that the truth can sting at first but then it heals.

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Danny Pintauro owes me an apology.

Danny Pintauro is the type of person I cannot stand in the advocate/activist field. I have heard about other people who seem to speak without thought. “They mean well. They’re new to this work. They just need to be taught.” Fuck that. If someone chooses to be a representative for any cause, it would be in their best interest and the best interest of their cause for them to, maybe, I don’t know, do some research. Read a few articles or studies. Watch a documentary or interview.

Before I hear “He didn’t choose this. He disclosed and people started asking him those questions.” He accepted that chat with Oprah. He accepted that sit down with those morons on The View. He accepted that magazine interview. He is accepting each appearance he is making and without preparation.
Pintauro has set our community back. Science is science. Oral transmission of HIV has never been reported. Oral sex is referenced as a “safer” option when having condomless sex. Many of us who work in this industry are trained with this knowledge. Trained to offer oral sex over penetrative sex as an option to folks, who may not use condoms for whatever reason, to reduce the risk of HIV transmission. So when Danny, an HIV positive person (that gives him ALL the merit in the world), says that he was infected by oral sex and that “It’s that easy.” He kinda messes it up for a lot of us.

Like those of us who may be in a magnetic relationship with a partner whose mother is afraid of you ruining her child’s life. Or those of us who are beaten or murdered because we failed to disclose our undetectable status to someone we used a condom with. Or those of us who are jailed because we are diseased and dangerous to the public. Because, it’s that easy.
The logic for someone who only knows what they hear on television about HIV will probably be, “It’s as easy as a blowjob to get HIV. So any other sexual activity is probably way more dangerous.”

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I have been asked time and time again if I know how I got it or who gave it to me. I don’t, nor do I care. I don’t care because it’s not conducive to my health. Because it won’t change my status. I don’t care because there’s no point in assigning blame to anyone for being HIV positive. I think the only reason I’d like to know would be to make sure that person did find out their status and is in good health. Which is allegedly what Pintauro wants. Except for the fact that he went on to say about the man he thinks infected him “The lifestyle he was leading was really irresponsible.” What? I understand that substance abuse is a bitch. Believe me. But if I was high off my ass and putting myself at risk at the same time with someone, I would not say “Dude was super reckless. Not me.”
This was an attempt to make the audience view Danny as an innocent victim who got “the AIDS” because of “the gay lifestyle”. I’m all for a good consensual, anonymous bareback session. Live your life be happy, but when you toss drugs into the mix there are some factors of risk that you may want to consider. Risks that you accept with or without inhibitions. I’ve taken some of those risks that could very well be the reason I sero-converted, however, I have never felt the need to defend how I was infected. I’m not sorry that I am positive. No one should be.

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Danny owes an apology to everyone. I am personally pissed off because I’ve sat through terribly dehumanizing conversations trying to help people understand that I am not dangerous. We work so hard to improve not only the quality of health for those with HIV but the quality of life as well.

Danny Pintauro got bored of managing a PF Changs and now wants to be a poster boy. That’s fine and dandy, Danny. Just do the work and the research.

written by: Adrian Castellanos



Adrian Castellanos is a twenty-three year old HIV and AIDS advocate/activist. He was born and raised in the southern-most part of Texas known as the Rio Grande Valley. A border area of Texas to Mexico and South Padre Island.

Adrian studied art and fashion for a brief amount of time in Texas before he moved on to becoming a hair stylist in his home town.

At twenty one, Castellanos’ path was redirected as he was diagnosed with AIDS, while he spent two weeks in a hospital room, he decided to “make his mess his message”. Since being diagnosed on March 26, 2014 he has gone on to receive a Youth Initiative Scholarship to attend USCA in OCT. 2014, acquire a position with the Valley AIDS Council (the only HIV/AIDS Agency in his area) JAN. 2015, receive a separate scholarship to attend AIDSWatch in APR. 2015 and receive a Social Media Fellows Scholarship to USCA 2015. Adrian now spends his time doing free HIV screenings at two universities in his area and for the community with his agency. He also participates in outreach and education efforts to raise awareness within his community.

Castellanos utilizes social media to deconstruct stigma and engage with as many people as possible. He is just out of his first year of diagnoses but already has a strong outlook on what he plans to do for the fight to end the epidemic.

You can follow Adrian at:
facebook.com/aydenplus
Twitter.com/_ayden_plus

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Latinos are the largest and fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States. We also are one of the groups most heavily impacted by HIV. According to CDC, we account for 21% of all new HIV infections in the United States. Gay and bisexual men bear the greatest burden of HIV infection in our communities. In some major cities, studies found that nearly 1 in 5 Latino gay and bisexual men are infected with HIV. Many don’t even know they have HIV because they have never been tested or are not testing regularly.
So on this day let us remind ourselves and our each other that knowing our HIV status is beautiful. Having conversations about HIV helps to eliminate stigma and reinforces the truth: WE ARE THE CURE!

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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

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