On Friday, Sept. 21, 2018, the Office of the Mayor in the City of Chicago issued a proclamation in recognition of the International Day of Bisexual Visibility. This important holiday was created by three bisexual activists in 1999 to celebrate bisexual people in the face of invisibility and stigma.
“There is definitely a need for the holiday,” said longtime bisexual community...
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Avery Matthew grew up in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and moved to Chicago 11 years ago. “I was starving for diversity, things to do, culture, museums,” they said.
“A lot of my growth and identification was defined in Chicago.” Avery works in Accounting and Finance recruiting for a management consulting firm. They also support passion projects like serving on the...
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AFC staff and Board were saddened to hear of the passing of our long-time partner and dear friend Dan Bigg. Dan, the founder and executive director of the Chicago Recovery Alliance (CRA), was a brilliant, passionate, persistent and formidable advocate who will be never be forgotten by the many thousands of people whose lives he touched. We stand in solidarity with his family and CRA staff and...
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The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) coordinates 135 case managers throughout the Chicago metropolitan area to support clients who are living with HIV and related chronic diseases. Case managers are there to connect with clients directly and help them achieve goals such as obtaining stable housing or getting connected to a medical provider that may help them reach an undetectable viral load...
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Brandon
My name is Brandon Strawn, and I pride myself on being an educator, a musician and a delight. In 2005, I came out as gay, and in 2009, I had my first HIV test. At this point in my life, I was a fairly chaste first-year teacher who spent his days teaching and his nights preparing for more teaching. So when the test came back positive, I was shocked and devastated. ...
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By Raven Feagins
Hataria James is an outgoing, loving mother of 6 with a passion for giving back to her community. While she is in an incredibly stable place in her life right now, 16 years ago she would have never imagined where she is at today.
Hataria currently works at Men & Women in Prison Ministries (MWIPM) , an organization dedicated to supporting the health, wellness...
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By Isabella Guzman
I was invited and inspired by my uncle, Armando Ramirez, whom I love very much, to participate in AIDS Run & Walk Chicago 6 years ago. He was diagnosed with HIV 14 years ago. All I knew at that time was that I was going to be supportive and have fun with my mom and uncles. I would get my own shirt and my own running number and that was exciting in itself!
My...
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By Raven Feagins
“Imagine putting on multiple hats with each call you receive. Sometimes I’m the person that clients call to laugh and joke with, but oftentimes I’m the person they’re reaching out to because they’re in a crisis. Often, my team and I are the sole individuals that a caller has disclosed their HIV status to at the time of their...
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The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is pleased to announce the top eight Chicago-area care organizations in its HIV medical and non-medical case management network for Dec. 1, 2016 – Nov. 30, 2017. By connecting people living with HIV to case managers who help them achieve their health goals, these eight organizations support more than 711 members of AFC’s 5,869 clients. ...
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By Raven Feagins
When Rex Gaimari was homeless, he was constantly concerned about his safety. He was in and out of shelters for about 3 years, which was the direct result of losing the home he shared with his mom. Rex had been her caretaker for years, but when she passed away he needed to find a new place to live. He tried several times to move in with extended family, but nothing ever...
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