Having the Hard Conversations

Having the Hard Conversations

About SOFA and how AHF meets our community where they stand

GUEST BIO:

Tatiana Williams represents Transinclusive Group, a trans-led organization in affiliation with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

Devina Boga is a member of the SOFA board and is a PhD candidate in the Prevention Science and Community Health Program, as well as a trainee in the Change T32 program.

Vie works with Planned Parenthood as a sexual health educator and works in community partnership with AHF through Decrim 305, striving to decriminalize sex work across the state of Florida.

Valoria Thomas is a former program manager at Broward House over counseling and testing, in an affiliate role with AHF. 

Crystal Echevarria is a community mobilizer for AHF, collaborating with other community partners to help educate people on the resources AHF has to offer.

CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:

[3:07] - What is SOFA?

More than an advocacy group

Tatiana describes SOFA as a source of community feedback for AHF. Its goal is to initiate important conversations that relate to meeting marginalized communities where they are, allowing those community members to take an active part in that conversation.

Meanwhile, Vie talks about conversations that are already happening behind closed doors to the forefront of public discourse, providing medically accurate information and reducing stigma surrounding these topics.  

[19:08] - Lessons from Megan Thee Stallion’s Story

Understanding the roots of domestic violence — and why we fail to trust women

All our guests speak on the very public situation regarding Megan Thee Stallion becoming a victim of domestic violence and evening being shot as a result. The consensus overall is that again and again, even among publicly beloved figures, we doubt their stories until we have irrefutable proof. We ask about the circumstances surrounding their victimhood, whether there was anything they did to “cause” it. And as long as we continue to do that, women will continue to be victimized and kept from being empowered to escape these situations.

[26:16] - Keeping Sex Education in School

Not talking about it doesn’t mean it won’t happen

For many young people, sex education in school is the only sex education available. There’s simply no evidence to suggest that sex education leads to increased sexual activity — in fact, sex education has been proven to reduce unwanted pregnancies, STDs, and other negative impacts to young people’s lives. That all begs the question — why is it continuously being removed from the curriculum? We have to ask ourselves who policies like this serve. Because it certainly isn’t the students and young people who are negatively impacted.

RESOURCES:

• [1:29] About Change T32
• [1:49] About Decrim 305
• [2:07] About Broward House

FOLLOW:

• Follow Lauren Hogan: LinkedIn
• Follow AHFter Hours: Instagram

ABOUT AFTER HOURS:

AIDS Healthcare Foundation is the world’s largest HIV/AIDS service organization, operating in 45 countries globally. The mission? Providing cutting-edge medicine and advocacy for everyone, regardless of ability to pay.

The After Hours podcast is an official podcast of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, in which host Lauren Hogan is joined by experts in a range of fields to educate, inform, and inspire listeners on topics that go far beyond medical information to cover leadership, creativity, and success. 

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