*NOTE: Most of the images included in the body of this blog are from a campaign entitled "I Love My Boo" from Gay Men's Health Crisis, a New York-based nonprofit AIDS service organization. "The 'I Love My Boo' campaign features real young men of color loving each
other passionately. Rather than sexualizing gay relationships, this
campaign models caring, and highlights the importance of us taking care
of each other." (GMHC.org) For more information on this campaign and ways to get involved in the fight against homophobia and the AIDS virus, visit that site or the other mentioned in this article.
Flint Pride came out of Wellness AIDS
Services’ desire to target a marginalized section of the gay population- black
men. What sprung out of a desire to
lessen the disparity in the African American culture has broadened this year to
include people from many walks of life. It
started as a small event spread by word-of-mouth last year with surprising
results, and this year it promises to be an epic experience for all involved. I sat down with Stevi Atkins, who is the Chief
Executive Officer at Flint’s own Wellness AIDS Services, and discussed the
initial impetus of the event, what it’s shaping up to be this year, and goals
for the future.
In recent history, the incidence of HIV and AIDS in the gay
community has been huge. That is widely
known and it has been addressed by many nonprofit and government groups. What is lesser known is the overwhelming
majority of that statistic being comprised of black men. In fact, CDC.org states “In 2009, African
Americans comprised 14% of the US population but accounted for 44% of all new
HIV infections.” Out of the knowledge of
these statistics, there has been a shift in the way national campaigns have
targeted the gay community. The
commitment to focus on reducing the disparities in the African American
community has increased, and Wellness AIDS Services has added to that
commitment. Flint Pride is a response to
the challenge of getting involved in the black MSM community at large.
Something needs to be
cleared up before we go any further. MSM is a term I had never heard before Stevi
used it in the interview to describe a part of the community that Wellness AIDS
Services works with, which means men who have sex with men. Since I had never heard it used before, and I
consider myself to be on the inside of many conversations surrounding that
concept, I thought I would pause to describe it to the readers who may not have
heard it used either. CDC.gov states
that the term MSM “indicates the behaviors that transmit HIV infection, rather
than how individuals self-identify in terms of their sexuality”. Basically this is a term that is used to encompass
both gay men and men who have sex with men but do not necessarily consider
themselves to be gay or bisexual. It is
an instrumental way to serve the community more effectively, by classifying
based on behavior rather than title, allowing the focus to be on safety rather
than how someone may see themselves.
CDC.gov states that although white MSM comprised 39% of infections in
2009, “Among all MSM, black/African American MSM accounted for 10,800 (37%) new
HIV infections in 2009. Whereas new HIV infections were relatively stable among
MSM overall from 2006–2009, they increased 34% among young MSM—an increase
largely due to a 48% increase among young black/African American MSM aged
13–29.”
Clearly the time has come in recent years to focus a lot of
effort on getting the African American MSM community involved in the discussion
of safe sex and HIV/AIDS prevention. But
how to start? Home parties are a good
place to start. “Home parties are
informational sessions that happen at house parties that are already
happening.” Says Atkins. “We bring food and information as well as a
$50 stipend to the host at the house.
After the presentation, one-on-one HIV testing is offered. The whole thing lasts about 2 hours, and
normally out of 25 people, about 10-15 will test.” This has been a really great way to meet
face-to-face with communities of black MSM in particular, who often stay within
their own communities and safe places and rarely feel safe going out in public
to celebrate and be represented.
From Home parties, the people at Wellness became familiar with
concepts of the underground LGBTQ culture such as House Communities and Ball
Culture. These are a side note in this
post but are more than worth mentioning.
"Houses," also called "drag
houses" or "drag families," are banded together under a
respected "house mother" (sometimes a drag queen
or a transgender
person, but not always) and/or a "house father” which serve to show the
younger LGBTQ members the ropes of the lifestyle they choose to enter. The reason, other than important lessons on
how to be fabulous and own your identity, that these house communities are
imperative especially to the MTF or FTM transgendered youth is that otherwise
this group of individuals would be disowned by their blood families and cast
out on the streets, to starve and engage in activities that would most
certainly infect them with the HIV virus.
House Communities employ many effective techniques on how to avoid
infection, many of which can be used by organizations when working closely with
said communities. House Communities are
closely linked to Ball Culture, wherein participants “walk”, or compete by
strutting down a runway in various categories in order to win prizes and prove
how much pride they take in their identity.
Categories are many and include “Realness”, “Bizarre”, and “Best
Dressed”. Also included in these
competitions are many forms of vogueing and dance-based displays. Are you excited? Because I am!
After a period of time working the Home party circuit,
Atkins reflects “We thought, ‘There has to be another outlet and way to
engage.’” Thus, Flint Pride was
born. The aim is to educate and engage
in the community in order to help in preventative measures against HIV
infection. However, after years of trial
and error, it was discovered that passing out fliers and condoms at clubs will
result in a floor littered with long-planned out and well-edited pamphlets and
a parking lot full of condom balloons.
There is a more effective way to get the MSM community in particular to
come, get comfortable, and become educated enough to test and take preventative
measures. And that is a huge, fabulous,
glitter-filled Gay Pride Event.
The first pride event, spread by word-of-mouth, saw 150
attendees; far more than anticipated.
There were 3 vendors including a DJ who volunteered their time. People came out to dance and have fun at the
Kearsley Park Pavilion and to eat, all day.
One thing that happened at the first pride event was a gay history
workshop, but that had low attendance and so it will not be repeated this
year. Following last year’s pride
event, there were some comments from the gay community that the targeted
demographic was the only one represented.
That means the goal focus was successful, but broadening that horizon
was a necessary and joyous task for this year’s pride event.
This year there will be far more venders, performers, and events-
including a small presentation before the mini-ball (yes there will be a mini-ball!!!!!)
about what House culture is. DJ Envi
will be spinning, there will be a photo booth with Sarah Reed, and the Fischer
Bodies will even perform in the afternoon of the 23rd. There is a suggested donation of $5 for this
event, which helps pay the entertainment and cover other expenses.
This year’s Pride event is a point of much excitement for
me, and if you are like me and want to know how to get involved with this event
or other events planned by Wellness AIDS Services, you’ll want to contact Stevi
Atkins at satkins@wellnessaids.org. Make sure you “like” Flint Gay Pride Society
on facebook to keep updated as well. And
of course, come on out for a weekend of fun, fierce, sexy realness served up to
you as only Wellness AIDS Services can.
I would like to close by sharing this video entitled “Coming
Out Stories”, sponsored by Wellness AIDS Services. You can view it by going to this link: Vimeo.com/34969247
For more information about House Culture and Ball Culture, a
good place to start is “Paris is Burning”, a movie about these cultures in the
‘90’s.
Get educated. Get
involved. We are a community. Together we can make a difference.
