Going to AIDSWatch was a wonderful experience that I'm honored to have been a part of.
KatieAdsila's blog
I just had an awesome experience in Washington DC at my very first AIDSWatch, and I plan to share my experience with you in full honesty, though I'm a little ashamed to do so. But in order to benefit you, should you ever get the opportunity to speak with your legislators as a representative of your community, and I hope you will, I will share my humiliation with you. The thing that I'm ashamed to tell you is that I committed an advocate's greatest sin; I went in less prepared than I should have. I went to the plenary and the workshops, I read all the materials and talking points, I planned and...
When I was a child, 5 or 6 years old, we lived on the banks of the Tennessee River. I couldn’t swim so I had to wear a life jacket anytime I wanted to go by the water.
By now I’m sure we’ve all seen the news about the Supreme Court ruling allowing the transgender military ban to take effect, a policy imposed on America by the trump administration via tweet in July 2017.
The lights have come out all over town, in the department stores, on the city lampposts, and in homes and yards across the country. How I used to love those lights, along with everything else that made the holidays festive: annoying dinners with family, shopping in crowded stores, and watching memorized Christmas specials… but it was still special.
It was a normal quiet Monday night when I got the first email. It was after eleven o’clock and I was winding down for the night while watching tv, who could be emailing me I wondered, pinkfoxxphoenix?? Who the hell is this?
I may never forget the night I got the email from Bruce Richman (founder and Executive Director of the Prevention Access Campaign U=U) asking if I would be interested in joining a campaign.
I love September, because it’s that time of year again, time for the end of summer conference on the sands of Fort Walton…Positive Living. I love this conference and look forward to going every year, because of all the HIV conferences, this one is special, let me tell you why by sharing my experience with Positive Living that began four years ago.
Touchdown… I finally land in Huntsville International Airport at 10:00 pm. I felt like it was two in the morning and I walked all the way to Huntsville from Orlando on foot. I was exhausted, but what a week it had been. As I walked into the hotel upon my arrival I was awed by its size. I felt lost as I scanned the room for a familiar face and it didn't take long for one to emerge. Bruce Richman came up to me and greeted me with a hug and I felt instantly at ease knowing that I wasn't alone. He showed me around the hotel where everything would be, helped me to get registered for the conference...
I'm sitting here thinking about an upcoming conference that I'll be attending in the next few weeks, thinking about my schedule, my expectations and anticipations, but mostly about the people I'm excited to see and others I'm eager to meet. I love these conferences, these gatherings of community. Community is a wonderful thing, it gives us a sense of belonging and security in commonality. We're comforted in knowing that we're not alone and have strength and support in numbers with common goals, and familial-like bonds form. These are important issues to us as human beings so we seek community...