Raúl | Brooklyn, NY

proud poz bori fag.

decolonize + destigmatize

In today’s health landscape, 1 in 5 queer latinx men and 1 in 2 gay black men will contract HIV by their mid 20s. When I was 21, I became the 1 in 5.

We be afraid to talk about our lived experiences as queer men of color navigating gay culture and healthcare. Statistically, we are not cared for as much as our gay white counterparts with $, and tend to live in neighborhoods or come from families where access to such medicines or sexual health education are not accessible.

While Truvada has made its way into metropolitan cities, poor and working class black and brown queers in predominantly red states are not receiving the same sort of care that those of us who are lucky enough to be in progressive cities receive. Instead, budget cuts, laws, or the culture bars them from getting care or asking questions, perpetuating a fear mongering in our communities.

Fuck that. Get tested. Give medicine to the people who need it. Love a poz person. Talk openly and honestly about shit. Listen n learn.

Raul, They/Them/Theirs

Brooklyn, NY

Gran Varones Fellow

photographed by: Lincoln Mundy

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