Queer Voices
Queer Voices
February 19th 2025 Queer Voices: Lesbians of Color, Activist Kevin Anderson and Walk to End HIV
From bridging gaps to sparking creative revolutions, Queer Voices takes you on a heartfelt journey through the vibrant initiatives and personal stories within the LGBTQ+ community. We're thrilled to feature Kendra Walker, the inspiring founder of Lesbians of Color, who shares her vision of empowering Black lesbians through her group’s impactful service projects and community-building efforts. Discover how this powerful organization adapted to the challenges of the pandemic with innovative virtual events and continues to foster inclusion and diversity in meaningful ways.
In a soul-stirring conversation, we also welcome Kevin Anderson, the visionary force behind The Truth Project. Kevin opens up about his personal evolution, revealing how his artistic endeavors and background in public health led to the creation of inclusive spaces for LGBTQ communities of color. From the launch of Heart and Soul to the birth of Truth Project, Kevin's story underscores the transformative impact of the arts in overcoming mental health challenges and cultivating community healing. His experiences in the Navy and the creative scene of Houston highlight the power of finding community and strength through personal passions.
As the episode unfolds, join us in exploring the dynamic developments within Houston's LGBTQ+ landscape, including The Truth Project's exciting nomination for the 2025 Grand Marshal and the rebranding of AIDS Foundation Houston to Allies in Hope. Listen to Jeffrey Campbell share insights on these milestones and the upcoming Walk to End HIV event, designed to raise both awareness and spirits with its engaging atmosphere. From Stone Soup to Camp Hope, the initiatives covered will inspire and inform, showcasing the incredible work being done to support those impacted by HIV.
Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here. Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond. Check out our socials at:
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https://www.instagram.com/queervoices90.1kpft/
Hello everybody, this is Queer Voices, a podcast version of a broadcast radio show that's been on the air in Houston, Texas for several decades. This week, Kendra Walker joins Debra Moncrief-Bell to talk about lesbians of color.
Speaker 2:Diversity is when you give me a seat at the table Now you're diverse, I'm sitting there but inclusion is when you actually listen to ideas about different cultures and you actually mold that into your programming. So now, not only are you diverse, but you are inclusive, because I can see elements in your programming that's representative of the person that I am.
Speaker 1:Then Debra has a conversation with Kevin Anderson, who is the director of a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and mobilize LGBTQ communities of color and their allies through a program of mixed social arts.
Speaker 3:Our goal really is building an ecosystem of vibrant programs and spaces for queer communities of color and our allies to truly be able to come together and to address areas of our lives like our sexual health, like our mental health.
Speaker 1:And Brian LaVinca talks with Jeffrey Campbell about the 36th annual Walk to End HIV Houston, which is happening Sunday morning, March 9th. Queer Voices starts now.
Speaker 4:Kendra Walker joins me to talk about Lesbians of Color, a group for women of color of the queer experience. Kendra is one of our community heroes. She was the president of Pride, houston 365, but she founded Lesbians of Color some time ago. How did that come about, kendra?
Speaker 2:We were founded in 2013, and the reason why we were founded. To be honest, I found myself single and young and I didn't really see a lot of places where professional black lesbians of color actually gathered. There were tons of experiences for the men, but nothing for the ladies. So one day I got up and I was talking to my therapist, actually, and I said you know what? I think I want to start a support group. So I went on meetupcom and I just said, honestly, I'm coming to the park with some chicken wings who would like to meet me and what do y'all want to see as far as events and community service for black women of color? And that's how I was born.
Speaker 4:And how many people showed up at that first event 35.
Speaker 2:I was very, very, very appreciative and honored.
Speaker 4:What are some of the things that the group has done?
Speaker 2:Well, one thing that we do annually is we make sure that we raise enough money to donate at least $10,000 to community service projects. We've done domestic violence walks, We've done mentorship for girls and of course, we have some fabulous parties and I think the community basically knows about those. But we use those parties as a means to raise money to put back into the community. We've done scholarships, we've done Feed the Homeless and we've also been able to donate to non-profits in the community.
Speaker 4:You have a relationship with the Ronald McDonald House. I understand. What does that?
Speaker 2:involve. Ronald McDonald House houses parents and family members of terminally ill or seriously ill children, and so we go in and we cook for them. They have where other groups can come in and provide dinner, so we come in, we provide dinner and then we do games with the children, like the siblings of the patients that are at the hospital.
Speaker 4:And you also have done things like horseback riding and fashion shows and book clubs. So it's really a myriad of different kinds of things that lesbians may be doing or be interested in. You were hit by the pandemic and it seems like even today, as we talk about the pandemic, talking about the COVID pandemic, that it has been an influence either for things to form or change or creativity to be born. How did Lesbians of Color adjust during the pandemic?
Speaker 2:Outsmart actually did an article about this, because I can say my group was never bored. We immediately went into this virtual world where we had dating games, tv shows, movie nights, wind down Wednesdays. So we had a full entertainment calendar where you could just log on and we would do live shows entertainment calendar where you could just log on and we would do live shows, and it was great. We even did a lip sync contest and, of course, once people know well, lessons of Color is still doing events, then people wanted us to, you know, actually buy tickets to attend our virtual events.
Speaker 2:We had and I hate to say this, the best time during the pandemic. My membership still says it to this day. They weren't bored at all and when they would have birthdays or special occasions where we need to honor a member, we would actually have it dropped to their house by courier service so everybody would have their birthday package. And then we would have a big birthday party online. We did a whole crawfish brawl online where we had crawfish sent to all of our members' addresses and then we got online and did it together. So we did a good job of just maintaining community, because that is one thing Lesbians of Color is all about maintaining a community by which we can share our experiences, and then, when we come together, we're able to do great things in the community and give back.
Speaker 4:In that Outsmart article, you said something that I thought was very profound, and you were talking about Houston being one of the most diverse communities, but inclusion is a different thing. So what do you say? What diversity means and what inclusion means?
Speaker 2:Diversity is when you give me a seat at the table. Now you're diverse, I'm sitting there but inclusion is when you actually listen to ideas about different cultures and you actually mold that into your programming. Not now. Not only are you diverse, but you are inclusive, because I can see elements in your programming that's representative of the person that I am you have a number of special events, one of them being an annual black Black Tie Ball.
Speaker 2:This will be our 12th year this year, so our annual ball. That is basically a black tie event for lesbians of color and they go all out, they fly in dresses from Australia. It is our one night to come together and we have a great time. We party We've done it at Art Nouveau. Great time we party We've done it at Art Nouveau. We've done it at Rise Rooftop. And it just continued to grow every year. It came from like a party of 75 to now a party of 400. And I'm really proud of that event. And we also pick a beneficiary to actually donate money to at that event. So all the proceeds from that event goes to a non-profit in the community. When will it be this year?
Speaker 4:It's on March 15th. I had read somewhere that you had limited your membership and I had not thought of any organization limiting its membership. Are you still on hold with who can join, or is it open again?
Speaker 2:It is open again and we had closed membership for a while. I think we had a pretty good cohesive group and then, kind of like the pandemic happened. Loc is definitely a safe space for anyone to join, but it's also a space that may not be for everyone, because we are very heavy on the community service as well as the parties. So if you're looking to just join a party, you can come to an event, because after the party we get to work. So if you're looking to join the group, then our mindset is to sow back into the community of queer Black women of color. Our mindset is to sow back into the community of queer Black women of color.
Speaker 4:One of the things that you have talked about and I think you were planning to do it and then again that pandemic came along is a women's music festival. What are in the works for that?
Speaker 2:We've been working on this all-girl women music festival for about um four years. The first time that it got delayed it's because the venue that we were at the hurricane came in and just tore it up, so we could not do it. And then the pandemic came. And then, after the pandemic, I became pride houston president and so, as you know, the hou Pride Parade and the celebration is a big undertaking where I could not put a music festival under my belt. But now we are back on track and next year, yes, we will be able to finally bring Lesbians of Color First All-Girl Queer Black Music Festival to Houston.
Speaker 4:What would you say that you're proudest of? About your work with lesbians of color?
Speaker 2:The thing that I'm most proud of is some of the members who just the impact that we've had, we've encouraged others to start businesses. We've actually been able to sell money into some of our members' businesses and now they're just large, they've grown just from that small investment. I love the camaraderie of women. That's what I'm most proud of, because I've heard time and time again how they could be having a hard time or giving up on life or even thinking about committing suicide and they come to one lock event and they're like. This gives me the strength to keep going and that's what I'm most proud of. And the fact that we've been in the game over 10 years now. I am most proud of my members and just the love and the community space that they've curated.
Speaker 4:Finding your tribe is a big component to having a healthy and happy life. Tell me about the Super Meetup. What is involved with that?
Speaker 2:The Super Meetup was something that I created to bring other groups of lesbians together, because what I found is that there weren't many, but there were a lot of us and we were all like doing our own thing. So I was like you know what, let me see how many groups would be interested in hosting a community picnic together. And so the first year we did it, we had like over 18 participating groups and it was so beautiful. We have this joke You're invited to the cookout, big cookout of multiple groups who come together and we all have a great time. And the height of the event of Super Meetup is our skirts versus shirts, kickball tournament at the end. So it's kind of funny to see some of the mass presenting women in the little tutus and you know just a good game of kickball and it is so fun and they live for it every year. They take it so seriously. And is there one scheduled for this year? There's one scheduled for we always do it in the fall, so it will be October.
Speaker 4:It's always the second saturday in october if people want to know more about lesbian, of color or other activities going on, what's the best contact information?
Speaker 2:follow us on facebook at lesbians of color, and also on instagram at we are loc, and our website is wwwweareloccom thank you, kendra walker, for being with us on queer voices.
Speaker 1:This is deborah moncrief bell did you know that kpft is completely listener funded. There are no underwriters, so it's up to all of us to pay for the freedom to say what you hear here on queer voices and on this station in general. That means you participate in our programming just by listening and also by pledging your support. Please do that now by going to the kpft website and clicking on the red donate now button, and please mention queer voices when you do.
Speaker 4:Thank you this is deborah moncrief bell and I'm talking with kevin anderson, the director of the. Telling real, unapologetic truth through healing are the truth project. It's a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, mobilize lgbtq communities of color and their allies through social arts and to promote mental, emotional and sexual health. Kevin has said of the truth project it's been revolutionary to go up against the norm of making people feel less than and invite affected people to be in a space of healing. Kevin, we wanted to talk to you for several reasons. One is you just had a milestone birthday of 50 years old, so congratulations.
Speaker 3:I did. Thank you, deborah, who would have thought 50 years old, it feels. I did. Thank you, deborah, who would have thought 50 years old, it feels good. It feels good.
Speaker 4:It made you somewhat reflective and you were thinking about your life and what brought you here today and all the work that you do with the Truth Project. So share a little bit of your story.
Speaker 3:I really have been in a very reflective space. I was speaking about that earlier. I'm at a point in my life where I truly understand a lot of the intersections of why, as a creative, why I've chosen professionally, with a background in public health, to be able to integrate not only public health but also my love and desire to continue healing work through creative vessels. When you think about spaces like the Truth Project, like you mentioned earlier, and Heart and Soul, which is an open mic, one of the longest running queer-centered open mics in the country, when you think about those spaces, they were truly created as spaces to help me along the way. Community has played such a strong and had such a strong presence in my life around healing. But it was in those spaces where we've been able to come together over many years now 16, 17, 18 years been able to come together and begin our healing together. But for me, on my personal journey, although I'm curating the space, I get so much out of it and I've been able to find healing for myself.
Speaker 4:Explain a little bit about the work that the Truth Project does.
Speaker 3:Our goal really is building an ecosystem of vibrant programs and spaces for queer and movement healing and sound healing, utilizing spaces that are created specifically in the arts, like art exhibitions that showcase queer communities and open mics and having youth installments all of these spaces being created not only to just mobilize us as community, but to use these spaces to address areas of our lives that may be a little challenging. Or, when we talk about mental health, everyone's not ready immediately for therapy or don't even really know what therapy means. Being able to introduce these areas of healing and these areas of wellness, but doing it through the arts, which is really such a beautiful, universal way of expression, and for people to feel a little at ease and accepted mother who had to struggle to keep a livelihood going and to take care of you, and it caused you to be somewhat introverted.
Speaker 4:How did that introvert status manifest, and do you still consider yourself an introvert?
Speaker 3:I still have very introverted ways. I mean, I am, I'm very spliced into my community and I love my community and of course they see a different side of Kevin. But when it's downtime downtime is really important I would choose to be at home playing Xbox over going out to have a cocktail. I'm just that kind of guy my mother and I. It's really wild because I wasn't as aware of our struggles when I was younger, because my mother did everything she could as a single parent and although I say as a single parent, I actually had a stepfather in the house, but he was extremely verbally abusive and he was an alcoholic.
Speaker 3:Because of that, she created a world for me where we loved on each other and we would find time to do things, but it was basically she and I. And then when, because I was latchkey and because she spent a lot of time away from the house working, I had to create my own world as a creative. It was an easy thing to do because I can keep myself very entertained, which is really interesting now as I do community work, because I see a lot of those spaces of what then felt like isolation actually became a space where I would create and figure out what I wanted to do next, and so I find that to kind of show its face often in some of the community work that I've done over the years.
Speaker 4:It sounds like your creativity and your interest in the arts and culture actually was your saving grace.
Speaker 3:Yeah, debra, that's exactly what it was. I mean, even when, as we move kind of through my life a bit and kind of get to the point where I became a young adult and I joined the military I'm a US Navy veteran when I was even in that space as a veteran although that was the first time in my life that I found really a sense of community, because, being on a ship, living on a ship with many, many men, there was a small portion of us that kind of came together. But even during that time of feeling a bit isolated, I still leaned in on the arts, because that's when I began I wasn't able to have art supplies as heavy because I didn't have a lot of storage space, but that's when I began investing time and really learning the art of the spoken word and began writing poetry and things that I could self-contain and keep in my bunk.
Speaker 4:Even though you shunned most other sports, you did make the school wrestling team. Did you enjoy doing that?
Speaker 3:Wrestling was fun, it was a contact sport. But it was also during a time in my life where my mother, we transitioned from living in Inglewood and moved to Fresno, california, and when we moved to Fresno I was in a environment that I'd gone from an all-Black Baptist Christian school to one year in public school in LA, which was a lot. Then I moved to Fresno and now I'm in an environment where I'm in a predominantly white school. Why I bring that up is because things like boys' choir, wrestling they even had a diving team these were all activities in school that I had never seen before. I found myself that year. I believe it was either the seventh or the eighth grade year. I remember being in a space of wanting to try new things and because it was offered, that was the year that I joined the boys choir and that was the year that I joined wrestling and tried out for wrestling and was pretty good at it.
Speaker 4:Actually when you were in the navy. That was when you had your first same sex experience while you were off duty. But it was also the time of don't ask, don't tell. You remembered that there were two sailors who just disappeared after they were diagnosed with HIV. And then, after your discharge, you visited your first gay bar in Northfolk, virginia. Northfolk is something you have in common with JD Doyle. He spent some time there and then, when you left the Navy, you moved to San Antonio where your mother was then living, and you attended junior college and your thoughts were you might become an English teacher, but in the arts community you found that there was a lacking in black representation. Then you went to Prairie View A&M and pursued special needs education classes. So, with Houston nearby, eventually you found the thriving Houston arts community and it also led you to your. So how did you spend your work years?
Speaker 3:When I was in, when I was at Prairie View University, I was actually. I began getting in the field of special education then, and I worked for a place called Brookwood, and I was there for a couple of years while I was in school. During that time, though, I was still in a space of craving and desiring connection when it came to the art. I found myself spending a lot of time driving into Houston to go to open mics that were here At the same time. My career was moving and I was learning Houston, I was meeting new folks and really just in a real beautiful space of discovery and journey. And you're right that it was a little bit before that when I had my first same-sex sexual encounter. I definitely wanted more of that in Houston, in Houston, and so I found that amid going out to not necessarily the bars, but finding again the arts community for myself. Interestingly enough, that's also during a time that it was after that, after I was a little deeper in my career, closer to 30, when I was diagnosed with HIV. So it's interesting when you bring up about the military, because those guys that I mentioned, that that just kind of seemed to disappear, and during that whole don't ask, don't tell it was such a was such a secretive time back then. I mean, we were not encouraged to just to disclose who we were and, as a matter of fact, you could get in trouble and penalized for it. Get in trouble and penalized for it. The guys that disappeared. I didn't realize at that time that they were missing or no longer on the ship because they were diagnosed with HIV. But at that time, which was an earlier age in my adulthood, I remember even HIV like an immediate stigma being placed against it, because I saw what happened to them they disappeared and how that made me feel.
Speaker 3:And so as I continue to move forward in my life and discover Houston, the creative scene and dating, meeting people, and then to later have a diagnosis, I think it actually kind of placed me in a bit of a cocoon. And so when we think about isolation, there was still a lot of fear there for myself. But I had art. I had this thriving art community that I was beginning to become a part of, and then there was a moment where I didn't feel very welcome and accepted even in that community, because I began experiencing discrimination, where I went to an open mic and a brother had the audacity to say he instead of she when he spoke about who he loved on the mic, and so I stepped away from art for probably a good year, because I just I didn't know how to process that, and so it was a little bit after that that I said to myself well, I want to create spaces that are non-discriminatory and where people feel welcome. Create spaces that are non-discriminatory and where people feel welcome.
Speaker 3:That's when I created Heart and Soul, and Heart and Soul is a multidisciplinary, open mic space for all, and I was created in 2009. That space has, since then, led to so many other things happening in community that I've been able to curate, but that space was really, really important, and when I talk about my healing, that was also a space that began to help me understand. Yes, we can come together as community, we can love on each other and we can learn together.
Speaker 4:Pardon, so you have a monthly event.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, it's a monthly event. At the 10-year anniversary point we became an annual event. But after COVID, the pandemic I heard from community and community was still. They really were desiring for us to still have this monthly space, and so we were able to bring Heart and Soul back under and as a program of the Truth Project and on February 16th we'll have our 16-year anniversary of Heart and Soul.
Speaker 4:You actually was spending part-time bartending. Through that, you had a venue to start Heart and Soul. You had singers, dancers, spoken word artists, and then that's what eventually became Heart and Soul, but your career had been mainly in providing services, like with the YWCA, st Hope and the AIDS Foundation, houston now called Allies in Hope. What in your career in health care has migrated into the work that the Truth Project does?
Speaker 3:The reality is, when I began my career in public health, when it began, it was really as a means of me needing to learn so that I could self-care better. I've gotten a little burned out from special education, but the reality is I also needed to learn to self-care and take better care of me. That is when I had my first job with the YWCA, working with youth, and I'm going to be a really good facilitator, so I was facilitating youth programs then, and then I began to have the trail of the other organizations to have the trail of the other organizations, but while with the other organizations, in particular St Hope, when I was working at St Hope that's actually when Heart and Soul began. And then, when I moved from working at St Hope as a prevention specialist, I then took on a job with now AIDS Foundation Houston, now Allies in Hope.
Speaker 3:But it was while I was at Allies in Hope that the Truth Project was birthed, and so that was in 2011 when I first presented the idea of the Truth Project and in presenting it, my director there she approached me. There was an opportunity through the state, we were actually able to make Truth Project a program under AIDS Foundation Houston, now Allies in Hope, and so that was from 2011 to 2013. And then in 2013 is when the organization was actually founded. We weren't refunded for that opportunity, which really gave me a good opportunity to move forward as sole proprietor and launch this thing as not just a program but an organization that could be brought to the queer community. So I say all that to say it was all happening at the same time. I've had overlap of working professionally and also seed planning and creating an organization while working for another organization. It was in 2023, when September 2023, when I left and resigned from AIDS Foundation Houston now Allies in Hope and fully moved into my role as the chief executive officer for the Truth Project.
Speaker 4:What do you think has been the greatest achievement of the Truth Project?
Speaker 3:When I think about the Truth Project and all the experiences that I've been able to be a part of and to watch within community, it really has been the ability to recognize and for community to recognize it as a brave space and as a space that they can come in 2024, a vibe called Rest Fest, and what this is is a space that is an overabundance of resources when it comes to wellness.
Speaker 3:So mental health, yoga, sound baths, all of these healing spaces, therapists, psychologists, licensed professional counselors, psychologists, licensed professional counselors but being able to bring this space to communities so that they can come in and make a decision on what works best for them and to be exposed to all of the different means of wellness. So what has been the most beautiful and just the biggest highlight is just having these options for community so that folk can figure out what works best for them. And for me it's the one-on-one conversations, the inbox messages, the surveying, the testimonies that I've received of knowing that lives have been either enhanced or changed based off of the programs that we've been able to develop.
Speaker 4:We're talking with Kevin Anderson, the director of the programs that we've been able to develop. We're talking with Kevin Anderson, the director of the Truth Project, and Kevin was honored of being Grand Marshal of Pride. Houston Was that last year?
Speaker 3:Yes, I was. 2024 Pride, houston, 365, male identifying Grand Marshal.
Speaker 4:Now the Truth Project is nominated in the organizational category. What do you feel about that and what does it mean for you to be among the organizations that are being recognized?
Speaker 3:It's an absolute honor to have the organization the Truth Project as a nominee for 2025 Grand Marshal for organizations. Anytime that the community makes the decision, anytime that the community places their vote to say, hey, we see you and we want you to represent us, it means so much. Last year, as the male identifying Grand Marshal, I was overwhelmed by the fact that community came together to say, yes, we see you and we like what you're doing Now to have this honor as being a nominee for the Truth Project. It's a great feeling and we're looking forward to the next couple of months of sharing more of who we are to those who may not be exposed to the Truth Project.
Speaker 4:Is there anything that I didn't ask you about that you'd like to share?
Speaker 3:I just would really want to share also that you know, when thinking about our programs, it is Black History Month. It's also we just recognized National Black HIV AIDS Awareness Day. I want to mention that because one of our programs, plus United, which is a space for men and non-binary of color that are living with HIV. Like when I think about the ability to be able to create spaces like that, like Plus United, and to have short documentaries that are lifting the narrative of individuals that are living with HIV, for me it is a form of resistance and it is a form of saying that we're going to continue to stand against stigma and shame and those things that we've been told that we can't do as individuals living with HIV. So I just want to mention that as one of our programs that people can look into as they look into the truth.
Speaker 4:Thank you, Kevin, for being with us on Queer Voices. This is Deborah Moncrief-Bell.
Speaker 1:This is KPFT 90.1 FM Houston, 89.5 FM Galveston, 91.9 FM Huntsville, and worldwide on the internet at kpftorg.
Speaker 6:This is Brian Levinka, and today I'm speaking with the CEO of Allies in Hope, Jeffrey Campbell. Welcome to the show, Jeffrey.
Speaker 7:Thank you, brian. I appreciate the opportunity to talk with you today and a shout-out to all of our Queer Voices listeners today.
Speaker 6:Now, the last time I spoke to you, you worked for a different organization name. It used to be AIDS Foundation Houston. Can you talk about how it changed to Allies in Hope?
Speaker 7:Sure, sure, so, not a different company. We just did a rebrand. So about, let me see? In late 2021, during the leadership of John Huckabee as the CEO of the organization, we started having conversations about rebranding and there were a few significant reasons. We were allies, I'm sorry. We were AIDS Foundation Houston for 38 years, the oldest HIV prevention service organization in the state HIV prevention service organization in the state, and one of the things is we've never been a foundation.
Speaker 7:The second thing is another international organization had moved into town with a similar name and similar letters, and there was constant confusion between the two. But then the third thing was that we are in a space and time now, gladly, where most people with an HIV diagnosis will never move into the space of what we have called AIDS for about 40, 45 years. So that's the good news. And then there's also a lot of stigma attached to that term AIDS. We were literally having unhoused people refuse housing from us because of the stigma attached to the word AIDS.
Speaker 7:So it was a lot of work between conversations and focus groups with former CEOs, board members, our staff and community, along with our funders. So we first decided yes, it's time. The second thing that we had to do was determine who we would be, and so, after a lot of conversations around what would the new name be, we landed on Allies in Hope, and we landed on that just before I became not landed on it, but I became CEO on March 1st of 2023. And we announced the rebrand on May 19th 2023. But the rebrand was already ready for rollout, and so it's been an interesting two years as Allies in Hope.
Speaker 6:You know I like the Allies in Hope name. I think it's a good transition as we kind of evolve with HIV. What we're here to talk about today is one of your more visible and popular events the Walk to End HIV. Can you tell me about the details of that?
Speaker 7:Sure, very excited. Walk to End HIV is coming up on Sunday, march 9th. It will be downtown, at the Sam Houston Park, starting at 10 am. The interesting thing I think about that is we also we talked about the rebrand just a moment ago we consciously changed the name of Walk before we changed the name of the organization. We moved from calling it the AIDS WOC Houston to WOC to end HIV Houston, probably in 2021. And so that was during the pandemic.
Speaker 7:So, you know, some people may have noticed that, some people might not have noticed that, but that was, you know, one of the the pieces of getting ready to rebrand this organization.
Speaker 7:It's Sunday, march 9th, downtown Sam Houston Park, same place, at 10 am, and we really are excited about this 36th annual walk. We've been doing this walk for 36 years and, you know, each year there's something a little bit different. That I want to share, brian, with the community is that and this is particularly for those who have been following and supporting this organization for a very long time we're going to have a tribute trail this year and that tribute trail is going to feature pictures and articles that are me. Is that they were concerned that AIDS Foundation would get lost or forgotten with this new name, allies in Hope. One of the things that I encourage people to know is that the current CEO, who is me, is a history nerd, and so I love the history of this organization, and so we'll be having bits and pieces of the history of this organization sprinkled throughout the walk this year. So I encourage you, if you come for nothing else, come to take a walk down memory lane with us about AIDS Foundation Houston.
Speaker 6:So what are some of the things that you've encountered as CEO that you didn't expect? Oh my, goodness.
Speaker 7:So I think one of the things that certainly as of late, like the last three weeks, is, you know, this constant change. You know, a few weeks ago, nonprofits across the nation not just nonprofits that do the work of HIV prevention, but every nonprofit that receives any dollar, dime or cent from the federal government we were told that our funding would be paused. I'm doing air quotes right now, although you can't see me that our funding would be paused and you know that was a really significant issue for us to hear. And you know, by the end of that day a judge had put a stay on that pause and then the next day it was rescinded, ended. So we know that we are in critical times with the current administration when it comes to our funding, particularly funding that either comes directly from the federal government or if it's pass-through dollars. So that was one thing.
Speaker 7:Another thing that I think has been really something that I didn't expect was and this longer a problem, and that there's still work to do. I think too, after working in this field for I don't know, depends on who you ask I say 25 years. Somebody told me the other day I've been hanging around this work for about 30 years. That dates me just a little bit. But the reality that even in this work that is, human services, that we still deal with some racism, we still deal with homophobia, certainly we have been bombarded by transphobia. We have been bombarded by transphobia, so those things in 2025 still catch me in a space of wow, and that's really a wow. I cannot believe we are still fighting this battle.
Speaker 6:I'm afraid it's going to get worse before it gets better.
Speaker 7:Brian, I don't disagree with you. I don't disagree with you. As we look at the attacks that are being made upon our trans community particularly, it really does look like it's going to get worse before it gets better. However, I can tell you that we have some very, very passionate people. I'm going to speak to the local ways to respond to these attacks and how to make sure that the people that we have been challenged not challenged but charged to serve and to protect that we're going to maintain our duty and we're going to get this work done.
Speaker 6:So the walk itself is organized around teams. Can you talk about that, how people can join a team or raise money for the organization?
Speaker 7:Sure, let me tell you the first thing, and this is the thing I always forget. It's where you go to sign up as an individual or as a team, or even to provide sponsorship. Go to wwwwalk2endhivhoustonorg again, that's wwwwalktoendhivhoustonorg and there you can join a team that is already in existence or it's already been set up. You can form your own team and say hey, my goal is to raise $2,000 for Walk this year, and then you can invite your friends. You know, technology is our friend today, and so there is a way in the webpage where you can take the link and share it. You can share it via text message, you can share it in emails, you can share it on your social media pages and in an effort to raise money for the walk, yes, I'm a team captain.
Speaker 6:I have a team from work that I'm building right now, building the team and hoping to raise a lot of money.
Speaker 7:You know what, Brian? I appreciate that and I have a big smile on my face. So thank you for leading the team at your job in raising money for the walk. Have great appreciation for folks like you who continue to support this very, very necessary work.
Speaker 6:Can you talk about the apathy in the community with the onset of PrEP? Where people are less, they don't see the destruction of HIV AIDS from the 80s and 90s. Can you talk about that effect these days?
Speaker 7:Yeah, great question. So, you know, we don't see the HIV and the AIDS from the 80s and 90s that we see today, and I'm grateful for that, because that is a result of science and medication that is a result of a lot of research that has brought us both treatment medications that are easier to take we are down to one pill a day for individuals living with HIV, rather than cocktails that were 24, 25, 30 pills a day and then also we have medications that are both oral and oral, as well as shots, injections, that prevent the acquisition of HIV for the person. That is already negative. I think that's amazing. However, we still and I think that this is still rooted in stigma we still have communities that are not accessing it.
Speaker 7:Another part of it is just, you know, having to go in and talk to a medical provider about something that's very, you know, deemed to be very personal and private, and that is their sex life, you know.
Speaker 7:But I say that you know sex is something that most people have had, will have, and that the best way to protect yourself and your sexual health and well-being is to talk with your doctor, talk with your provider.
Speaker 7:And I say to individuals who have providers who won't provide testing for them, say that they're not in the target audience or they're not at risk or vulnerable, get you another doctor, and if you don't want to get another primary care provider, if they're serving you in all of those ways, then come to a place like Allies in Hope, where we will provide you PrEP, npep. We will provide HIV treatment services for you in a very caring and confidential way. And I say caring because not saying that the primary care providers are not caring, but we do this every day, and so my team that's in my clinic and on my prevention staff. They care about every person that they sit and talk with, and they are doing it in a way that is encouraging. They're doing it in a way that helps make individuals feel comfortable about talking about something that has deemed to be so private.
Speaker 6:Now I understand that you opened a clinic in Midtown. Is that right? Yes, we did, talking about moving to Midtown, and what was the idea behind that?
Speaker 7:Yes, so we opened a second location and it is at 2328 Fannin, located at the corner of Fannin and McElhenney. We wanted to be in that location because, first of all, it's in Midtown. There's a lot of homelessness or unhoused individuals in Midtown and you know we don't just do HIV prevention when it comes to treatment and prep. We provide housing. We provide food support for those who are living with food insecurities through our Stone Soup food pantry. We felt like being in Midtown where a lot of that exists is important.
Speaker 7:We're also adjacent to the Montrose community. We are also adjacent to Greater Third Ward, greater Second Ward, downtown Houston and just a hop skip and a jump from Fifth Ward. And I make mention of all of those places because they all have a high prevalence rate of new HIV diagnoses HIV diagnoses but they also have a significant number of individuals that are unhoused and or having food insecurity. In addition to that, there are a number of other organizations in that Midtown area that do services that help us to be able to do ready, be ready to walk a person down the street to another organization for resources for care. There's, I think it's about nine or 10 other organizations within a four to five block area where we partner with them to get the work done.
Speaker 6:If you're joining us. We're speaking with Jeffrey Campbell, the CEO of Allies in Hope, about the Walk to End HIV on March 9th in downtown Houston. Now, jeffrey, can you tell me what the experience would be like for someone who hasn't done the walk before me? What?
Speaker 7:the experience would be like for someone who hasn't done the walk before. First of all, it's going to be fun. The walk to end HIV is a very, very fun event. There will be music, there will be for pet lovers, particularly dog lovers. There's going to be a costume contest for your dogs. So feel free, when you sign up and when you come out on Sunday March 9th, bring your dog out in costume.
Speaker 7:And there's going to be a 36th annual Walk to End HIV t-shirt. Once you raise $500, I believe added to that t-shirt is an umbrella and then, when you get to $1,000, add it to the t-shirt and the umbrella is a box that will be branded for the walk and for Allies in Hope. So there will be gifts and opportunity. There'll be opportunity for community, there'll be food trucks out there, there'll be music and dancing and we have a great group of guys actually I think it's a duo that's coming out to get us warmed up, uh, before we take off on the walk down, uh, down allen parkway. But overall it is going to be a fun event it is so much fun.
Speaker 6:I uh created a team for my work last year and brought about 15 people, and they all had the best time.
Speaker 7:So excellent. There's your testimony.
Speaker 6:If you can get engineers happy, then you've done a good job.
Speaker 7:You're absolutely right, I agree.
Speaker 6:Jeffrey, is there anything that I forgot to ask you about? About the event or the Allies in Hope?
Speaker 7:about the event, or the Allies in Hope. I just always want to tell people thank you for the way in which they support this organization. You know, even with, there's always a way to support us, and I'll throw out an easy way. That's outside the scope of walk, but I've talked about Stone Soup and I've mentioned it, and Stone Soup has been around a long time under the umbrella of AIDS Foundation Houston, now Allies in Hope, and so there are ways to give to support our food pantry. We have Camp Hope, which is a camp that's been around almost 30 years.
Speaker 7:Thank you, mike Miswa, for birthing Camp Hope almost 30 years ago, and at that time it was for children who were living with HIV. But because of medication science, we have changed the scope of Camp Hope just a little bit, where it is not just children living with HIV but it's children impacted by HIV. That's a camp that we have in the summer and there's ways to volunteer to help support and help run Camp Hope with a lot of wonderful children and youth during the summer. And this, most of all, it is important for us to remember that. You know our mission is to end the HIV epidemic in the greater Houston area.
Speaker 7:The walk to end HIV is one of the ways that we work, use to help in this epidemic, but we've still got a ways to go, and so please know that HIV, although it is not you can't see it the way we used to see it in the 80s and 90s it is still very present. It is impacting mostly individuals who are black and brown. It is impacting our queer community, our trans males and trans females. It is impacting our women of color black and Hispanic Latino women, and then, of course, it is impacting gay men, and so we want to not forget that, although we've made great advancements in this 40-something years, there is still work to do. It's not over. It is not.
Speaker 6:Is there a way people can find out more information about Allies in Hope?
Speaker 7:Yes, yes, you can go to www-O-Norg. That's wwwaihhoustonorg and that is our website. You can follow us on Instagram at AIHHOU A-I-H-H-O-U, and that will. No, that's not it. I am so sorry. It is alliesandhopehou. That's where you get us on Instagram, alliesandhopehou, and we're really trying to build up our Instagram presence. We want to see, you know, folks following us there, following us on Facebook and on LinkedIn. A lot of our professional folks follow us on LinkedIn and we do a lot of great stuff on LinkedIn, so please follow us. Learn more about not just who we have been over these last 43 years, but who we are becoming as we continue to do the work of ending the HIV epidemic.
Speaker 1:This has been Queer Voices, heard on KPFT Houston and as a podcast available from several podcasting sources. Check our webpage available from several podcasting sources. Check our webpage QueerVoicesorg for more information. Queer Voices executive producer is Brian Levinka. Debra Moncrief-Bell is co-producer, brett Cullum and David Mendoza-Druzman are contributors and Brett is also our webmaster. The News Wrap segment is part of another podcast called this Way Out, which is produced in Los Angeles.
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Speaker 1:For Queer Voices. I'm Glenn Holt, Thank you.
