Conference Updates

"[Presenters] talked about some common challenges and barriers to trans people advancing through the ranks in their organizations, such as tokenism, biases, microaggressions, and just plain hateful discrimination."

"This time of networking is as vital to an advocate as the workshops, because it's one thing to learn about HIV, but it's another to build relationships and alliances."

"Where are the deaf people living with HIV? Where are the blind people? Where are people with physical, intellectual, and other disabilities?"

"Being the first is rarely about being fearless. It means coming out of the comfort zone knowing that the tribe will grow."

"Being in prison may take away person's freedom but it must never take away their access to life-saving medicines."

"I was there as a woman, as an advocate, as a changemaker, as a deaf person, and as someone who has spent years turning my own journey into lived experience for others."

Four The Well Project staff members were at AIDS 2026 in Rio de Janeiro to present a poster based on our original research, which included the input of a multidisciplinary group of more than 10 women co-authors.

The Well Project team makes sure to be in places where research is presented. To that end, Bridgette Picou was in Prague in April 2026 to present a poster based on our study on stigmatizing language.

"We in HIV have much to learn from our cousins in the reproductive justice movement – which was founded on centering the needs of women most likely to be ignored in mainstream feminist spaces."

"Have you ever wondered how some people can contract HIV and not need medication? Did you know that there are different kinds of controllers? Wait, what's a controller?"