February 19, 2025 • 59 mins
From bridging gaps to sparking creative revolutions, Queer Voices takes you on a heartfelt journey through the vibrant initiatives and personal stories within the LGBTQ+ community. We're thrilled to feature Kendra Walker, the inspiring founder of Lesbians of Color, who shares her vision of empowering Black lesbians through her group’s impactful service projects and community-building efforts. Discover how this powerful organization adapted to the challenges of the pandemic with innovative virtual events and continues to foster inclusion and diversity in meaningful ways.
In a soul-stirring conversation, we also welcome Kevin Anderson, the visionary force behind The Truth Project. Kevin opens up about his personal evolution, revealing how his artistic endeavors and background in public health led to the creation of inclusive spaces for LGBTQ communities of color. From the launch of Heart and Soul to the birth of Truth Project, Kevin's story underscores the transformative impact of the arts in overcoming mental health challenges and cultivating community healing. His experiences in the Navy and the creative scene of Houston highlight the power of finding community and strength through personal passions.
As the episode unfolds, join us in exploring the dynamic developments within Houston's LGBTQ+ landscape, including The Truth Project's exciting nomination for the 2025 Grand Marshal and the rebranding of AIDS Foundation Houston to Allies in Hope. Listen to Jeffrey Campbell share insights on these milestones and the upcoming Walk to End HIV event, designed to raise both awareness and spirits with its engaging atmosphere. From Stone Soup to Camp Hope, the initiatives covered will inspire and inform, showcasing the incredible work being done to support those impacted by HIV.
Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here. Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond. Check out our socials at:
https://www.facebook.com/QueerVoicesKPFT/ and
https://www.instagram.com/queervoices90.1kpft/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello everybody, this is Queer Voices, a podcast
version of a broadcast radioshow that's been on the air in
Houston, Texas for severaldecades.
This week, Kendra Walker joinsDebra Moncrief-Bell to talk
about lesbians of color.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Diversity is when you give me a seat at the table Now
you're diverse, I'm sittingthere but inclusion is when you
actually listen to ideas aboutdifferent cultures and you
actually mold that into yourprogramming.
So now, not only are youdiverse, but you are inclusive,
(00:39):
because I can see elements inyour programming that's
representative of the personthat I am.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Then Debra has a conversation with Kevin Anderson
, who is the director of anon-profit organization whose
mission is to educate andmobilize LGBTQ communities of
color and their allies through aprogram of mixed social arts.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Our goal really is building an ecosystem of vibrant
programs and spaces for queercommunities of color and our
allies to truly be able to cometogether and to address areas of
our lives like our sexualhealth, like our mental health.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
And Brian LaVinca talks with Jeffrey Campbell
about the 36th annual Walk toEnd HIV Houston, which is
happening Sunday morning, March9th.
Queer Voices starts now.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Kendra Walker joins me to talk about Lesbians of
Color, a group for women ofcolor of the queer experience.
Kendra is one of our communityheroes.
She was the president of Pride,houston 365, but she founded
Lesbians of Color some time ago.
How did that come about, kendra?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
We were founded in 2013, and the reason why we were
founded.
To be honest, I found myselfsingle and young and I didn't
really see a lot of places whereprofessional black lesbians of
color actually gathered.
There were tons of experiencesfor the men, but nothing for the
(02:17):
ladies.
So one day I got up and I wastalking to my therapist,
actually, and I said you knowwhat?
I think I want to start asupport group.
So I went on meetupcom and Ijust said, honestly, I'm coming
to the park with some chickenwings who would like to meet me
and what do y'all want to see asfar as events and community
(02:38):
service for black women of color?
And that's how I was born.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
And how many people showed up at that first event 35
.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
I was very, very, very appreciative and honored.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
What are some of the things that the group has done?
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Well, one thing that we do annually is we make sure
that we raise enough money todonate at least $10,000 to
community service projects.
We've done domestic violencewalks, We've done mentorship for
girls and of course, we havesome fabulous parties and I
(03:15):
think the community basicallyknows about those.
But we use those parties as ameans to raise money to put back
into the community.
We've done scholarships, we'vedone Feed the Homeless and we've
also been able to donate tonon-profits in the community.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
You have a relationship with the Ronald
McDonald House.
I understand.
What does that?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
involve.
Ronald McDonald House housesparents and family members of
terminally ill or seriously illchildren, and so we go in and we
cook for them.
They have where other groupscan come in and provide dinner,
so we come in, we provide dinnerand then we do games with the
(03:58):
children, like the siblings ofthe patients that are at the
hospital.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
And you also have done things like horseback
riding and fashion shows andbook clubs.
So it's really a myriad ofdifferent kinds of things that
lesbians may be doing or beinterested in.
You were hit by the pandemicand it seems like even today, as
we talk about the pandemic,talking about the COVID pandemic
(04:24):
, that it has been an influenceeither for things to form or
change or creativity to be born.
How did Lesbians of Coloradjust during the pandemic?
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Outsmart actually did an article about this, because
I can say my group was neverbored.
We immediately went into thisvirtual world where we had
dating games, tv shows, movienights, wind down Wednesdays.
So we had a full entertainmentcalendar where you could just
(05:02):
log on and we would do liveshows entertainment calendar
where you could just log on andwe would do live shows, and it
was great.
We even did a lip sync contestand, of course, once people know
well, lessons of Color is stilldoing events, then people
wanted us to, you know, actuallybuy tickets to attend our
virtual events.
We had and I hate to say this,the best time during the
(05:22):
pandemic.
My membership still says it tothis day.
They weren't bored at all andwhen they would have birthdays
or special occasions where weneed to honor a member, we would
actually have it dropped totheir house by courier service
so everybody would have theirbirthday package.
And then we would have a bigbirthday party online.
(05:43):
We did a whole crawfish brawlonline where we had crawfish
sent to all of our members'addresses and then we got online
and did it together.
So we did a good job of justmaintaining community, because
that is one thing Lesbians ofColor is all about maintaining a
community by which we can shareour experiences, and then, when
(06:04):
we come together, we're able todo great things in the
community and give back.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
In that Outsmart article, you said something that
I thought was very profound,and you were talking about
Houston being one of the mostdiverse communities, but
inclusion is a different thing.
So what do you say?
What diversity means and whatinclusion means?
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Diversity is when you give me a seat at the table.
Now you're diverse, I'm sittingthere but inclusion is when you
actually listen to ideas aboutdifferent cultures and you
actually mold that into yourprogramming.
Not now.
Not only are you diverse, butyou are inclusive, because I can
(06:50):
see elements in yourprogramming that's
representative of the personthat I am you have a number of
special events, one of thembeing an annual black Black Tie
Ball.
This will be our 12th year thisyear, so our annual ball.
That is basically a black tieevent for lesbians of color and
(07:13):
they go all out, they fly indresses from Australia.
It is our one night to cometogether and we have a great
time.
We party We've done it at ArtNouveau.
Great time we party We've doneit at Art Nouveau.
We've done it at Rise Rooftop.
And it just continued to growevery year.
It came from like a party of 75to now a party of 400.
(07:33):
And I'm really proud of thatevent.
And we also pick a beneficiaryto actually donate money to at
that event.
So all the proceeds from thatevent goes to a non-profit in
the community.
When will it be this year?
Speaker 4 (07:48):
It's on March 15th.
I had read somewhere that youhad limited your membership and
I had not thought of anyorganization limiting its
membership.
Are you still on hold with whocan join, or is it open again?
Speaker 2 (08:04):
It is open again and we had closed membership for a
while.
I think we had a pretty goodcohesive group and then, kind of
like the pandemic happened.
Loc is definitely a safe spacefor anyone to join, but it's
also a space that may not be foreveryone, because we are very
(08:27):
heavy on the community serviceas well as the parties.
So if you're looking to justjoin a party, you can come to an
event, because after the partywe get to work.
So if you're looking to jointhe group, then our mindset is
to sow back into the communityof queer Black women of color.
Our mindset is to sow back intothe community of queer Black
women of color.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
One of the things that you have talked about and I
think you were planning to doit and then again that pandemic
came along is a women's musicfestival.
What are in the works for that?
Speaker 2 (09:06):
We've been working on this all-girl women music
festival for about um four years.
The first time that it gotdelayed it's because the venue
that we were at the hurricanecame in and just tore it up, so
we could not do it.
And then the pandemic came.
And then, after the pandemic, Ibecame pride houston president
and so, as you know, the houPride Parade and the celebration
is a big undertaking where Icould not put a music festival
(09:29):
under my belt.
But now we are back on trackand next year, yes, we will be
able to finally bring Lesbiansof Color First All-Girl Queer
Black Music Festival to Houston.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
What would you say that you're proudest of?
About your work with lesbiansof color?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
The thing that I'm most proud of is some of the
members who just the impact thatwe've had, we've encouraged
others to start businesses.
We've actually been able tosell money into some of our
members' businesses and nowthey're just large, they've
grown just from that smallinvestment.
I love the camaraderie of women.
(10:13):
That's what I'm most proud of,because I've heard time and time
again how they could be havinga hard time or giving up on life
or even thinking aboutcommitting suicide and they come
to one lock event and they'relike.
This gives me the strength tokeep going and that's what I'm
most proud of.
And the fact that we've been inthe game over 10 years now.
(10:35):
I am most proud of my membersand just the love and the
community space that they'vecurated.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
Finding your tribe is a big component to having a
healthy and happy life.
Tell me about the Super Meetup.
What is involved with that?
Speaker 2 (10:52):
The Super Meetup was something that I created to
bring other groups of lesbianstogether, because what I found
is that there weren't many, butthere were a lot of us and we
were all like doing our ownthing.
So I was like you know what,let me see how many groups would
(11:12):
be interested in hosting acommunity picnic together.
And so the first year we did it, we had like over 18
participating groups and it wasso beautiful.
We have this joke You'reinvited to the cookout, big
cookout of multiple groups whocome together and we all have a
(11:33):
great time.
And the height of the event ofSuper Meetup is our skirts
versus shirts, kickballtournament at the end.
So it's kind of funny to seesome of the mass presenting
women in the little tutus andyou know just a good game of
kickball and it is so fun andthey live for it every year.
(11:54):
They take it so seriously.
And is there one scheduled forthis year?
There's one scheduled for wealways do it in the fall, so it
will be October.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
It's always the second saturday in october if
people want to know more aboutlesbian, of color or other
activities going on, what's thebest contact information?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
follow us on facebook at lesbians of color, and also
on instagram at we are loc, andour website is wwwweareloccom
thank you, kendra walker, forbeing with us on queer voices.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
This is deborah moncrief bell did you know that
kpft is completely listenerfunded.
There are no underwriters, soit's up to all of us to pay for
the freedom to say what you hearhere on queer voices and on
this station in general.
That means you participate inour programming just by
(12:56):
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Please do that now by going tothe kpft website and clicking on
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Speaker 4 (13:12):
Thank you this is deborah moncrief bell and I'm
talking with kevin anderson, thedirector of the.
Telling real, unapologetictruth through healing are the
truth project.
It's a 501c3 non-profitorganization whose mission is to
educate, mobilize lgbtqcommunities of color and their
(13:34):
allies through social arts andto promote mental, emotional and
sexual health.
Kevin has said of the truthproject it's been revolutionary
to go up against the norm ofmaking people feel less than and
invite affected people to be ina space of healing.
Kevin, we wanted to talk to youfor several reasons.
(13:55):
One is you just had a milestonebirthday of 50 years old, so
congratulations.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
I did.
Thank you, deborah, who wouldhave thought 50 years old, it
feels.
I did.
Thank you, deborah, who wouldhave thought 50 years old, it
feels good.
It feels good.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
It made you somewhat reflective and you were thinking
about your life and whatbrought you here today and all
the work that you do with theTruth Project.
So share a little bit of yourstory.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
I really have been in a very reflective space.
I was speaking about thatearlier.
I'm at a point in my life whereI truly understand a lot of the
intersections of why, as acreative, why I've chosen
professionally, with abackground in public health, to
be able to integrate not onlypublic health but also my love
(14:44):
and desire to continue healingwork through creative vessels.
When you think about spaceslike the Truth Project, like you
mentioned earlier, and Heartand Soul, which is an open mic,
one of the longest runningqueer-centered open mics in the
country, when you think aboutthose spaces, they were truly
created as spaces to help mealong the way.
(15:07):
Community has played such astrong and had such a strong
presence in my life aroundhealing.
But it was in those spaceswhere we've been able to come
together over many years now 16,17, 18 years been able to come
together and begin our healingtogether.
But for me, on my personaljourney, although I'm curating
(15:29):
the space, I get so much out ofit and I've been able to find
healing for myself.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Explain a little bit about the work that the Truth
Project does.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Our goal really is building an ecosystem of vibrant
programs and spaces for queerand movement healing and sound
healing, utilizing spaces thatare created specifically in the
arts, like art exhibitions thatshowcase queer communities and
open mics and having youthinstallments all of these spaces
(16:20):
being created not only to justmobilize us as community, but to
use these spaces to addressareas of our lives that may be a
little challenging.
Or, when we talk about mentalhealth, everyone's not ready
immediately for therapy or don'teven really know what therapy
means.
Being able to introduce theseareas of healing and these areas
(16:43):
of wellness, but doing itthrough the arts, which is
really such a beautiful,universal way of expression, and
for people to feel a little atease and accepted mother who had
(17:08):
to struggle to keep alivelihood going and to take
care of you, and it caused youto be somewhat introverted.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
How did that introvert status manifest, and
do you still consider yourselfan introvert?
Speaker 3 (17:18):
I still have very introverted ways.
I mean, I am, I'm very splicedinto my community and I love my
community and of course they seea different side of Kevin.
But when it's downtime downtimeis really important I would
choose to be at home playingXbox over going out to have a
cocktail.
I'm just that kind of guy mymother and I.
(17:50):
It's really wild because Iwasn't as aware of our struggles
when I was younger, because mymother did everything she could
as a single parent and althoughI say as a single parent, I
actually had a stepfather in thehouse, but he was extremely
verbally abusive and he was analcoholic.
Because of that, she created aworld for me where we loved on
each other and we would findtime to do things, but it was
basically she and I.
And then when, because I waslatchkey and because she spent a
(18:11):
lot of time away from the houseworking, I had to create my own
world as a creative.
It was an easy thing to dobecause I can keep myself very
entertained, which is reallyinteresting now as I do
community work, because I see alot of those spaces of what then
felt like isolation actuallybecame a space where I would
(18:33):
create and figure out what Iwanted to do next, and so I find
that to kind of show its faceoften in some of the community
work that I've done over theyears.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
It sounds like your creativity and your interest in
the arts and culture actuallywas your saving grace.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Yeah, debra, that's exactly what it was.
I mean, even when, as we movekind of through my life a bit
and kind of get to the pointwhere I became a young adult and
I joined the military I'm a USNavy veteran when I was even in
that space as a veteran althoughthat was the first time in my
life that I found really a senseof community, because, being on
(19:13):
a ship, living on a ship withmany, many men, there was a
small portion of us that kind ofcame together.
But even during that time offeeling a bit isolated, I still
leaned in on the arts, becausethat's when I began I wasn't
able to have art supplies asheavy because I didn't have a
lot of storage space, but that'swhen I began investing time and
(19:37):
really learning the art of thespoken word and began writing
poetry and things that I couldself-contain and keep in my bunk
.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Even though you shunned most other sports, you
did make the school wrestlingteam.
Did you enjoy doing that?
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Wrestling was fun, it was a contact sport.
But it was also during a timein my life where my mother, we
transitioned from living inInglewood and moved to Fresno,
california, and when we moved toFresno I was in a environment
that I'd gone from an all-BlackBaptist Christian school to one
year in public school in LA,which was a lot.
(20:17):
Then I moved to Fresno and nowI'm in an environment where I'm
in a predominantly white school.
Why I bring that up is becausethings like boys' choir,
wrestling they even had a divingteam these were all activities
in school that I had never seenbefore.
I found myself that year.
I believe it was either theseventh or the eighth grade year
(20:38):
.
I remember being in a space ofwanting to try new things and
because it was offered, that wasthe year that I joined the boys
choir and that was the yearthat I joined wrestling and
tried out for wrestling and waspretty good at it.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
Actually when you were in the navy.
That was when you had yourfirst same sex experience while
you were off duty.
But it was also the time ofdon't ask, don't tell.
You remembered that there weretwo sailors who just disappeared
after they were diagnosed withHIV.
And then, after your discharge,you visited your first gay bar
(21:13):
in Northfolk, virginia.
Northfolk is something you havein common with JD Doyle.
He spent some time there andthen, when you left the Navy,
you moved to San Antonio whereyour mother was then living, and
you attended junior college andyour thoughts were you might
become an English teacher, butin the arts community you found
(21:35):
that there was a lacking inblack representation.
Then you went to Prairie ViewA&M and pursued special needs
education classes.
So, with Houston nearby,eventually you found the
thriving Houston arts communityand it also led you to your.
So how did you spend your workyears?
Speaker 3 (21:59):
When I was in, when I was at Prairie View University,
I was actually.
I began getting in the field ofspecial education then, and I
worked for a place calledBrookwood, and I was there for a
couple of years while I was inschool.
During that time, though, I wasstill in a space of craving and
desiring connection when itcame to the art.
I found myself spending a lotof time driving into Houston to
(22:23):
go to open mics that were hereAt the same time.
My career was moving and I waslearning Houston, I was meeting
new folks and really just in areal beautiful space of
discovery and journey.
And you're right that it was alittle bit before that when I
had my first same-sex sexualencounter.
I definitely wanted more ofthat in Houston, in Houston, and
(22:46):
so I found that amid going outto not necessarily the bars, but
finding again the artscommunity for myself.
Interestingly enough, that'salso during a time that it was
after that, after I was a littledeeper in my career, closer to
30, when I was diagnosed withHIV.
So it's interesting when youbring up about the military,
(23:08):
because those guys that Imentioned, that that just kind
of seemed to disappear, andduring that whole don't ask,
don't tell it was such a wassuch a secretive time back then.
I mean, we were not encouragedto just to disclose who we were
and, as a matter of fact, youcould get in trouble and
penalized for it.
Get in trouble and penalizedfor it.
(23:31):
The guys that disappeared.
I didn't realize at that timethat they were missing or no
longer on the ship because theywere diagnosed with HIV.
But at that time, which was anearlier age in my adulthood, I
remember even HIV like animmediate stigma being placed
against it, because I saw whathappened to them they
disappeared and how that made mefeel.
And so as I continue to moveforward in my life and discover
(23:55):
Houston, the creative scene anddating, meeting people, and then
to later have a diagnosis, Ithink it actually kind of placed
me in a bit of a cocoon.
And so when we think aboutisolation, there was still a lot
of fear there for myself.
But I had art.
I had this thriving artcommunity that I was beginning
to become a part of, and thenthere was a moment where I
(24:17):
didn't feel very welcome andaccepted even in that community,
because I began experiencingdiscrimination, where I went to
an open mic and a brother hadthe audacity to say he instead
of she when he spoke about whohe loved on the mic, and so I
stepped away from art forprobably a good year, because I
(24:38):
just I didn't know how toprocess that, and so it was a
little bit after that that Isaid to myself well, I want to
create spaces that arenon-discriminatory and where
people feel welcome.
Create spaces that arenon-discriminatory and where
people feel welcome.
That's when I created Heart andSoul, and Heart and Soul is a
multidisciplinary, open micspace for all, and I was created
in 2009.
(24:59):
That space has, since then, ledto so many other things
happening in community that I'vebeen able to curate, but that
space was really, reallyimportant, and when I talk about
my healing, that was also aspace that began to help me
understand.
Yes, we can come together ascommunity, we can love on each
(25:19):
other and we can learn together.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
Pardon, so you have a monthly event.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Yes, yes, it's a monthly event.
At the 10-year anniversarypoint we became an annual event.
But after COVID, the pandemic Iheard from community and
community was still.
They really were desiring forus to still have this monthly
space, and so we were able tobring Heart and Soul back under
and as a program of the TruthProject and on February 16th
(25:49):
we'll have our 16-yearanniversary of Heart and Soul.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
You actually was spending part-time bartending.
Through that, you had a venueto start Heart and Soul.
You had singers, dancers,spoken word artists, and then
that's what eventually becameHeart and Soul, but your career
had been mainly in providingservices, like with the YWCA, st
(26:17):
Hope and the AIDS Foundation,houston now called Allies in
Hope.
What in your career in healthcare has migrated into the work
that the Truth Project does?
Speaker 3 (26:33):
The reality is, when I began my career in public
health, when it began, it wasreally as a means of me needing
to learn so that I couldself-care better.
I've gotten a little burned outfrom special education, but the
reality is I also needed tolearn to self-care and take
better care of me.
That is when I had my first jobwith the YWCA, working with
(26:58):
youth, and I'm going to be areally good facilitator, so I
was facilitating youth programsthen, and then I began to have
the trail of the otherorganizations to have the trail
of the other organizations, butwhile with the other
organizations, in particular StHope, when I was working at St
Hope that's actually when Heartand Soul began.
(27:19):
And then, when I moved fromworking at St Hope as a
prevention specialist, I thentook on a job with now AIDS
Foundation Houston, now Alliesin Hope.
But it was while I was at Alliesin Hope that the Truth Project
was birthed, and so that was in2011 when I first presented the
(27:41):
idea of the Truth Project and inpresenting it, my director
there she approached me.
There was an opportunitythrough the state, we were
actually able to make TruthProject a program under AIDS
Foundation Houston, now Alliesin Hope, and so that was from
2011 to 2013.
(28:02):
And then in 2013 is when theorganization was actually
founded.
We weren't refunded for thatopportunity, which really gave
me a good opportunity to moveforward as sole proprietor and
launch this thing as not just aprogram but an organization that
could be brought to the queercommunity.
(28:23):
So I say all that to say it wasall happening at the same time.
I've had overlap of workingprofessionally and also seed
planning and creating anorganization while working for
another organization.
It was in 2023, when September2023, when I left and resigned
from AIDS Foundation Houston nowAllies in Hope and fully moved
(28:47):
into my role as the chiefexecutive officer for the Truth
Project.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
What do you think has been the greatest achievement
of the Truth Project?
Speaker 3 (28:57):
When I think about the Truth Project and all the
experiences that I've been ableto be a part of and to watch
within community, it really hasbeen the ability to recognize
and for community to recognizeit as a brave space and as a
space that they can come in 2024, a vibe called Rest Fest, and
(29:30):
what this is is a space that isan overabundance of resources
when it comes to wellness.
So mental health, yoga, soundbaths, all of these healing
spaces, therapists,psychologists, licensed
professional counselors,psychologists, licensed
(29:52):
professional counselors butbeing able to bring this space
to communities so that they cancome in and make a decision on
what works best for them and tobe exposed to all of the
different means of wellness.
So what has been the mostbeautiful and just the biggest
highlight is just having theseoptions for community so that
folk can figure out what worksbest for them.
And for me it's the one-on-oneconversations, the inbox
(30:14):
messages, the surveying, thetestimonies that I've received
of knowing that lives have beeneither enhanced or changed based
off of the programs that we'vebeen able to develop.
Speaker 4 (30:28):
We're talking with Kevin Anderson, the director of
the programs that we've beenable to develop.
We're talking with KevinAnderson, the director of the
Truth Project, and Kevin washonored of being Grand Marshal
of Pride.
Houston Was that last year?
Speaker 3 (30:40):
Yes, I was.
2024 Pride, houston, 365, maleidentifying Grand Marshal.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
Now the Truth Project is nominated in the
organizational category.
What do you feel about that andwhat does it mean for you to be
among the organizations thatare being recognized?
Speaker 3 (31:02):
It's an absolute honor to have the organization
the Truth Project as a nomineefor 2025 Grand Marshal for
organizations.
Anytime that the communitymakes the decision, anytime that
the community places their voteto say, hey, we see you and we
want you to represent us, itmeans so much.
(31:22):
Last year, as the maleidentifying Grand Marshal, I was
overwhelmed by the fact thatcommunity came together to say,
yes, we see you and we like whatyou're doing Now to have this
honor as being a nominee for theTruth Project.
It's a great feeling and we'relooking forward to the next
couple of months of sharing moreof who we are to those who may
(31:43):
not be exposed to the TruthProject.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
Is there anything that I didn't ask you about that
you'd like to share?
Speaker 3 (31:51):
I just would really want to share also that you know
, when thinking about ourprograms, it is Black History
Month.
It's also we just recognizedNational Black HIV AIDS
Awareness Day.
I want to mention that becauseone of our programs, plus United
, which is a space for men andnon-binary of color that are
(32:12):
living with HIV.
Like when I think about theability to be able to create
spaces like that, like PlusUnited, and to have short
documentaries that are liftingthe narrative of individuals
that are living with HIV, for meit is a form of resistance and
it is a form of saying thatwe're going to continue to stand
(32:32):
against stigma and shame andthose things that we've been
told that we can't do asindividuals living with HIV.
So I just want to mention thatas one of our programs that
people can look into as theylook into the truth.
Speaker 4 (32:45):
Thank you, Kevin, for being with us on Queer Voices.
This is Deborah Moncrief-Bell.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
This is KPFT 90.1 FM Houston, 89.5 FM Galveston, 91.9
FM Huntsville, and worldwide onthe internet at kpftorg.
Speaker 6 (33:08):
This is Brian Levinka , and today I'm speaking with
the CEO of Allies in Hope,Jeffrey Campbell.
Welcome to the show, Jeffrey.
Speaker 7 (33:14):
Thank you, brian.
I appreciate the opportunity totalk with you today and a
shout-out to all of our QueerVoices listeners today.
Speaker 6 (33:23):
Now, the last time I spoke to you, you worked for a
different organization name.
It used to be AIDS FoundationHouston.
Can you talk about how itchanged to Allies in Hope?
Speaker 7 (33:32):
Sure, sure, so, not a different company.
We just did a rebrand.
So about, let me see?
In late 2021, during theleadership of John Huckabee as
the CEO of the organization, westarted having conversations
(33:53):
about rebranding and there werea few significant reasons.
We were allies, I'm sorry.
We were AIDS Foundation Houstonfor 38 years, the oldest HIV
prevention service organizationin the state HIV prevention
service organization in thestate, and one of the things is
(34:16):
we've never been a foundation.
The second thing is anotherinternational organization had
moved into town with a similarname and similar letters, and
there was constant confusionbetween the two.
But then the third thing wasthat we are in a space and time
(34:36):
now, gladly, where most peoplewith an HIV diagnosis will never
move into the space of what wehave called AIDS for about 40,
45 years.
So that's the good news.
And then there's also a lot ofstigma attached to that term
(34:59):
AIDS.
We were literally havingunhoused people refuse housing
from us because of the stigmaattached to the word AIDS.
So it was a lot of work betweenconversations and focus groups
(35:21):
with former CEOs, board members,our staff and community, along
with our funders.
So we first decided yes, it'stime.
The second thing that we had todo was determine who we would
(35:43):
be, and so, after a lot ofconversations around what would
the new name be, we landed onAllies in Hope, and we landed on
that just before I became notlanded on it, but I became CEO
on March 1st of 2023.
(36:05):
And we announced the rebrand onMay 19th 2023.
But the rebrand was alreadyready for rollout, and so it's
been an interesting two years asAllies in Hope.
Speaker 6 (36:24):
You know I like the Allies in Hope name.
I think it's a good transitionas we kind of evolve with HIV.
What we're here to talk abouttoday is one of your more
visible and popular events theWalk to End HIV.
Can you tell me about thedetails of that?
Speaker 7 (36:43):
Sure, very excited.
Walk to End HIV is coming up onSunday, march 9th.
It will be downtown, at the SamHouston Park, starting at 10 am
.
The interesting thing I thinkabout that is we also we talked
(37:04):
about the rebrand just a momentago we consciously changed the
name of Walk before we changedthe name of the organization.
We moved from calling it theAIDS WOC Houston to WOC to end
HIV Houston, probably in 2021.
(37:25):
And so that was during thepandemic.
So, you know, some people mayhave noticed that, some people
might not have noticed that, butthat was, you know, one of the
the pieces of getting ready torebrand this organization.
It's Sunday, march 9th, downtownSam Houston Park, same place,
(37:51):
at 10 am, and we really areexcited about this 36th annual
walk.
We've been doing this walk for36 years and, you know, each
year there's something a littlebit different.
That I want to share, brian,with the community is that and
(38:13):
this is particularly for thosewho have been following and
supporting this organization fora very long time we're going to
have a tribute trail this yearand that tribute trail is going
to feature pictures and articlesthat are me.
(38:33):
Is that they were concernedthat AIDS Foundation would get
(38:54):
lost or forgotten with this newname, allies in Hope.
One of the things that Iencourage people to know is that
the current CEO, who is me, isa history nerd, and so I love
the history of this organization, and so we'll be having bits
(39:15):
and pieces of the history ofthis organization sprinkled
throughout the walk this year.
So I encourage you, if you comefor nothing else, come to take
a walk down memory lane with usabout AIDS Foundation Houston.
Speaker 6 (39:33):
So what are some of the things that you've
encountered as CEO that youdidn't expect?
Oh my, goodness.
Speaker 7 (39:41):
So I think one of the things that certainly as of
late, like the last three weeks,is, you know, this constant
change.
You know, a few weeks ago,nonprofits across the nation not
(40:03):
just nonprofits that do thework of HIV prevention, but
every nonprofit that receivesany dollar, dime or cent from
the federal government we weretold that our funding would be
paused.
I'm doing air quotes right now,although you can't see me that
(40:24):
our funding would be paused andyou know that was a really
significant issue for us to hear.
And you know, by the end ofthat day a judge had put a stay
on that pause and then the nextday it was rescinded, ended.
(40:57):
So we know that we are incritical times with the current
administration when it comes toour funding, particularly
funding that either comesdirectly from the federal
government or if it'spass-through dollars.
So that was one thing.
Another thing that I think hasbeen really something that I
didn't expect was and thislonger a problem, and that
(41:55):
there's still work to do.
I think too, after working inthis field for I don't know,
depends on who you ask I say 25years.
Somebody told me the other dayI've been hanging around this
work for about 30 years.
That dates me just a little bit.
But the reality that even inthis work that is, human
(42:26):
services, that we still dealwith some racism, we still deal
with homophobia, certainly wehave been bombarded by
transphobia.
We have been bombarded bytransphobia, so those things in
2025 still catch me in a spaceof wow, and that's really a wow.
(42:54):
I cannot believe we are stillfighting this battle.
Speaker 6 (43:00):
I'm afraid it's going to get worse before it gets
better.
Speaker 7 (43:03):
Brian, I don't disagree with you.
I don't disagree with you.
As we look at the attacks thatare being made upon our trans
community particularly, itreally does look like it's going
to get worse before it getsbetter.
However, I can tell you that wehave some very, very passionate
(43:28):
people.
I'm going to speak to the localways to respond to these
attacks and how to make surethat the people that we have
(43:54):
been challenged not challengedbut charged to serve and to
protect that we're going tomaintain our duty and we're
going to get this work done.
Speaker 6 (44:08):
So the walk itself is organized around teams.
Can you talk about that, howpeople can join a team or raise
money for the organization?
Speaker 7 (44:17):
Sure, let me tell you the first thing, and this is
the thing I always forget.
It's where you go to sign up asan individual or as a team, or
even to provide sponsorship.
Go to wwwwalk2endhivhoustonorgagain, that's
(44:44):
wwwwalktoendhivhoustonorg andthere you can join a team that
is already in existence or it'salready been set up.
You can form your own team andsay hey, my goal is to raise
(45:06):
$2,000 for Walk this year, andthen you can invite your friends
.
You know, technology is ourfriend today, and so there is a
way in the webpage where you cantake the link and share it.
You can share it via textmessage, you can share it in
(45:27):
emails, you can share it on yoursocial media pages and in an
effort to raise money for thewalk, yes, I'm a team captain.
Speaker 6 (45:40):
I have a team from work that I'm building right now
, building the team and hopingto raise a lot of money.
Speaker 7 (45:47):
You know what, Brian?
I appreciate that and I have abig smile on my face.
So thank you for leading theteam at your job in raising
money for the walk.
Have great appreciation forfolks like you who continue to
support this very, verynecessary work.
Speaker 6 (46:07):
Can you talk about the apathy in the community with
the onset of PrEP?
Where people are less, theydon't see the destruction of HIV
AIDS from the 80s and 90s.
Can you talk about that effectthese days?
Speaker 7 (46:22):
Yeah, great question.
So, you know, we don't see theHIV and the AIDS from the 80s
and 90s that we see today, andI'm grateful for that, because
that is a result of science andmedication that is a result of a
lot of research that hasbrought us both treatment
(46:46):
medications that are easier totake we are down to one pill a
day for individuals living withHIV, rather than cocktails that
were 24, 25, 30 pills a day andthen also we have medications
that are both oral and oral, aswell as shots, injections, that
(47:14):
prevent the acquisition of HIVfor the person.
That is already negative.
I think that's amazing.
However, we still and I thinkthat this is still rooted in
(47:38):
stigma we still have communitiesthat are not accessing it.
Another part of it is just, youknow, having to go in and talk
to a medical provider aboutsomething that's very, you know,
deemed to be very personal andprivate, and that is their sex
life, you know.
(47:59):
But I say that you know sex issomething that most people have
had, will have, and that thebest way to protect yourself and
your sexual health andwell-being is to talk with your
doctor, talk with your provider.
(48:20):
And I say to individuals whohave providers who won't provide
testing for them, say thatthey're not in the target
audience or they're not at riskor vulnerable, get you another
doctor, and if you don't want toget another primary care
provider, if they're serving youin all of those ways, then come
(48:41):
to a place like Allies in Hope,where we will provide you PrEP,
npep.
We will provide HIV treatmentservices for you in a very
caring and confidential way.
And I say caring because notsaying that the primary care
(49:02):
providers are not caring, but wedo this every day, and so my
team that's in my clinic and onmy prevention staff.
They care about every personthat they sit and talk with, and
they are doing it in a way thatis encouraging.
(49:24):
They're doing it in a way thathelps make individuals feel
comfortable about talking aboutsomething that has deemed to be
so private.
Speaker 6 (49:35):
Now I understand that you opened a clinic in Midtown.
Is that right?
Yes, we did, talking aboutmoving to Midtown, and what was
the idea behind that?
Speaker 7 (49:45):
Yes, so we opened a second location and it is at
2328 Fannin, located at thecorner of Fannin and McElhenney.
We wanted to be in thatlocation because, first of all,
it's in Midtown.
There's a lot of homelessnessor unhoused individuals in
(50:09):
Midtown and you know we don'tjust do HIV prevention when it
comes to treatment and prep.
We provide housing.
We provide food support forthose who are living with food
insecurities through our StoneSoup food pantry.
We felt like being in Midtownwhere a lot of that exists is
(50:32):
important.
We're also adjacent to theMontrose community.
We are also adjacent to GreaterThird Ward, greater Second Ward
, downtown Houston and just ahop skip and a jump from Fifth
Ward.
And I make mention of all ofthose places because they all
(50:55):
have a high prevalence rate ofnew HIV diagnoses HIV diagnoses
but they also have a significantnumber of individuals that are
unhoused and or having foodinsecurity.
In addition to that, there area number of other organizations
(51:17):
in that Midtown area that doservices that help us to be able
to do ready, be ready to walk aperson down the street to
another organization forresources for care.
There's, I think it's aboutnine or 10 other organizations
(51:38):
within a four to five block areawhere we partner with them to
get the work done.
Speaker 6 (51:48):
If you're joining us.
We're speaking with JeffreyCampbell, the CEO of Allies in
Hope, about the Walk to End HIVon March 9th in downtown Houston
.
Now, jeffrey, can you tell mewhat the experience would be
like for someone who hasn't donethe walk before me?
What?
Speaker 7 (52:02):
the experience would be like for someone who hasn't
done the walk before.
First of all, it's going to befun.
The walk to end HIV is a very,very fun event.
There will be music, there willbe for pet lovers, particularly
dog lovers.
There's going to be a costumecontest for your dogs.
So feel free, when you sign upand when you come out on Sunday
(52:23):
March 9th, bring your dog out incostume.
And there's going to be a 36thannual Walk to End HIV t-shirt.
Once you raise $500, I believeadded to that t-shirt is an
(52:54):
umbrella and then, when you getto $1,000, add it to the t-shirt
and the umbrella is a box thatwill be branded for the walk and
for Allies in Hope.
So there will be gifts andopportunity.
There'll be opportunity forcommunity, there'll be food
(53:16):
trucks out there, there'll bemusic and dancing and we have a
great group of guys actually Ithink it's a duo that's coming
out to get us warmed up, uh,before we take off on the walk
down, uh, down allen parkway.
But overall it is going to be afun event it is so much fun.
Speaker 6 (53:40):
I uh created a team for my work last year and
brought about 15 people, andthey all had the best time.
Speaker 7 (53:47):
So excellent.
There's your testimony.
Speaker 6 (53:49):
If you can get engineers happy, then you've
done a good job.
Speaker 7 (53:53):
You're absolutely right, I agree.
Speaker 6 (53:56):
Jeffrey, is there anything that I forgot to ask
you about?
About the event or the Alliesin Hope?
Speaker 7 (54:01):
about the event, or the Allies in Hope.
I just always want to tellpeople thank you for the way in
which they support thisorganization.
You know, even with, there'salways a way to support us, and
(54:22):
I'll throw out an easy way.
That's outside the scope ofwalk, but I've talked about
Stone Soup and I've mentioned it, and Stone Soup has been around
a long time under the umbrellaof AIDS Foundation Houston, now
Allies in Hope, and so there areways to give to support our
food pantry.
We have Camp Hope, which is acamp that's been around almost
(54:46):
30 years.
Thank you, mike Miswa, forbirthing Camp Hope almost 30
years ago, and at that time itwas for children who were living
with HIV.
But because of medicationscience, we have changed the
scope of Camp Hope just a littlebit, where it is not just
children living with HIV butit's children impacted by HIV.
(55:10):
That's a camp that we have inthe summer and there's ways to
volunteer to help support andhelp run Camp Hope with a lot of
wonderful children and youthduring the summer.
And this, most of all, it isimportant for us to remember
(55:31):
that.
You know our mission is to endthe HIV epidemic in the greater
Houston area.
The walk to end HIV is one ofthe ways that we work, use to
help in this epidemic, but we'vestill got a ways to go, and so
please know that HIV, althoughit is not you can't see it the
(55:59):
way we used to see it in the 80sand 90s it is still very
present.
It is impacting mostlyindividuals who are black and
brown.
It is impacting our queercommunity, our trans males and
trans females.
It is impacting our women ofcolor black and Hispanic Latino
(56:24):
women, and then, of course, itis impacting gay men, and so we
want to not forget that,although we've made great
advancements in this40-something years, there is
still work to do.
It's not over.
(56:44):
It is not.
Speaker 6 (56:47):
Is there a way people can find out more information
about Allies in Hope?
Speaker 7 (56:50):
Yes, yes, you can go to www-O-Norg.
That's wwwaihhoustonorg andthat is our website.
(57:14):
You can follow us on Instagramat AIHHOU A-I-H-H-O-U, and that
will.
No, that's not it.
I am so sorry.
It is alliesandhopehou.
That's where you get us onInstagram, alliesandhopehou, and
(57:39):
we're really trying to build upour Instagram presence.
We want to see, you know, folksfollowing us there, following
us on Facebook and on LinkedIn.
A lot of our professional folksfollow us on LinkedIn and we do
a lot of great stuff onLinkedIn, so please follow us.
Learn more about not just whowe have been over these last 43
(58:03):
years, but who we are becomingas we continue to do the work of
ending the HIV epidemic.
Speaker 1 (58:12):
This has been Queer Voices, heard on KPFT Houston
and as a podcast available fromseveral podcasting sources.
Check our webpage availablefrom several podcasting sources.
Check our webpageQueerVoicesorg for more
information.
Queer Voices executive produceris Brian Levinka.
Debra Moncrief-Bell isco-producer, brett Cullum and
(58:42):
David Mendoza-Druzman arecontributors and Brett is also
our webmaster.
The News Wrap segment is partof another podcast called this
Way Out, which is produced inLos Angeles.
Speaker 5 (58:50):
Some of the material in this program has been edited
to improve clarity and runtime.
This program does not endorseany political views or animal
species.
Views, opinions andendorsements are those of the
participants and theorganizations they represent.
In case of death, pleasediscontinue use and discard
remaining product.
Speaker 1 (59:02):
For Queer Voices.
I'm Glenn Holt, Thank you.
Hello everybody, this is Queer Voices, a podcast
version of a broadcast radioshow that's been on the air in
Houston, Texas for severaldecades.
This week, Kendra Walker joinsDebra Moncrief-Bell to talk
about lesbians of color.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Diversity is when you give me a seat at the table Now
you're diverse, I'm sittingthere but inclusion is when you
actually listen to ideas aboutdifferent cultures and you
actually mold that into yourprogramming.
So now, not only are youdiverse, but you are inclusive,
(00:39):
because I can see elements inyour programming that's
representative of the personthat I am.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Then Debra has a conversation with Kevin Anderson
, who is the director of anon-profit organization whose
mission is to educate andmobilize LGBTQ communities of
color and their allies through aprogram of mixed social arts.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Our goal really is building an ecosystem of vibrant
programs and spaces for queercommunities of color and our
allies to truly be able to cometogether and to address areas of
our lives like our sexualhealth, like our mental health.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
And Brian LaVinca talks with Jeffrey Campbell
about the 36th annual Walk toEnd HIV Houston, which is
happening Sunday morning, March9th.
Queer Voices starts now.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Kendra Walker joins me to talk about Lesbians of
Color, a group for women ofcolor of the queer experience.
Kendra is one of our communityheroes.
She was the president of Pride,houston 365, but she founded
Lesbians of Color some time ago.
How did that come about, kendra?
Speaker 2 (01:56):
We were founded in 2013, and the reason why we were
founded.
To be honest, I found myselfsingle and young and I didn't
really see a lot of places whereprofessional black lesbians of
color actually gathered.
There were tons of experiencesfor the men, but nothing for the
(02:17):
ladies.
So one day I got up and I wastalking to my therapist,
actually, and I said you knowwhat?
I think I want to start asupport group.
So I went on meetupcom and Ijust said, honestly, I'm coming
to the park with some chickenwings who would like to meet me
and what do y'all want to see asfar as events and community
(02:38):
service for black women of color?
And that's how I was born.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
And how many people showed up at that first event 35
.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
I was very, very, very appreciative and honored.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
What are some of the things that the group has done?
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Well, one thing that we do annually is we make sure
that we raise enough money todonate at least $10,000 to
community service projects.
We've done domestic violencewalks, We've done mentorship for
girls and of course, we havesome fabulous parties and I
(03:15):
think the community basicallyknows about those.
But we use those parties as ameans to raise money to put back
into the community.
We've done scholarships, we'vedone Feed the Homeless and we've
also been able to donate tonon-profits in the community.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
You have a relationship with the Ronald
McDonald House.
I understand.
What does that?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
involve.
Ronald McDonald House housesparents and family members of
terminally ill or seriously illchildren, and so we go in and we
cook for them.
They have where other groupscan come in and provide dinner,
so we come in, we provide dinnerand then we do games with the
(03:58):
children, like the siblings ofthe patients that are at the
hospital.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
And you also have done things like horseback
riding and fashion shows andbook clubs.
So it's really a myriad ofdifferent kinds of things that
lesbians may be doing or beinterested in.
You were hit by the pandemicand it seems like even today, as
we talk about the pandemic,talking about the COVID pandemic
(04:24):
, that it has been an influenceeither for things to form or
change or creativity to be born.
How did Lesbians of Coloradjust during the pandemic?
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Outsmart actually did an article about this, because
I can say my group was neverbored.
We immediately went into thisvirtual world where we had
dating games, tv shows, movienights, wind down Wednesdays.
So we had a full entertainmentcalendar where you could just
(05:02):
log on and we would do liveshows entertainment calendar
where you could just log on andwe would do live shows, and it
was great.
We even did a lip sync contestand, of course, once people know
well, lessons of Color is stilldoing events, then people
wanted us to, you know, actuallybuy tickets to attend our
virtual events.
We had and I hate to say this,the best time during the
(05:22):
pandemic.
My membership still says it tothis day.
They weren't bored at all andwhen they would have birthdays
or special occasions where weneed to honor a member, we would
actually have it dropped totheir house by courier service
so everybody would have theirbirthday package.
And then we would have a bigbirthday party online.
(05:43):
We did a whole crawfish brawlonline where we had crawfish
sent to all of our members'addresses and then we got online
and did it together.
So we did a good job of justmaintaining community, because
that is one thing Lesbians ofColor is all about maintaining a
community by which we can shareour experiences, and then, when
(06:04):
we come together, we're able todo great things in the
community and give back.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
In that Outsmart article, you said something that
I thought was very profound,and you were talking about
Houston being one of the mostdiverse communities, but
inclusion is a different thing.
So what do you say?
What diversity means and whatinclusion means?
Speaker 2 (06:28):
Diversity is when you give me a seat at the table.
Now you're diverse, I'm sittingthere but inclusion is when you
actually listen to ideas aboutdifferent cultures and you
actually mold that into yourprogramming.
Not now.
Not only are you diverse, butyou are inclusive, because I can
(06:50):
see elements in yourprogramming that's
representative of the personthat I am you have a number of
special events, one of thembeing an annual black Black Tie
Ball.
This will be our 12th year thisyear, so our annual ball.
That is basically a black tieevent for lesbians of color and
(07:13):
they go all out, they fly indresses from Australia.
It is our one night to cometogether and we have a great
time.
We party We've done it at ArtNouveau.
Great time we party We've doneit at Art Nouveau.
We've done it at Rise Rooftop.
And it just continued to growevery year.
It came from like a party of 75to now a party of 400.
(07:33):
And I'm really proud of thatevent.
And we also pick a beneficiaryto actually donate money to at
that event.
So all the proceeds from thatevent goes to a non-profit in
the community.
When will it be this year?
Speaker 4 (07:48):
It's on March 15th.
I had read somewhere that youhad limited your membership and
I had not thought of anyorganization limiting its
membership.
Are you still on hold with whocan join, or is it open again?
Speaker 2 (08:04):
It is open again and we had closed membership for a
while.
I think we had a pretty goodcohesive group and then, kind of
like the pandemic happened.
Loc is definitely a safe spacefor anyone to join, but it's
also a space that may not be foreveryone, because we are very
(08:27):
heavy on the community serviceas well as the parties.
So if you're looking to justjoin a party, you can come to an
event, because after the partywe get to work.
So if you're looking to jointhe group, then our mindset is
to sow back into the communityof queer Black women of color.
Our mindset is to sow back intothe community of queer Black
women of color.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
One of the things that you have talked about and I
think you were planning to doit and then again that pandemic
came along is a women's musicfestival.
What are in the works for that?
Speaker 2 (09:06):
We've been working on this all-girl women music
festival for about um four years.
The first time that it gotdelayed it's because the venue
that we were at the hurricanecame in and just tore it up, so
we could not do it.
And then the pandemic came.
And then, after the pandemic, Ibecame pride houston president
and so, as you know, the houPride Parade and the celebration
is a big undertaking where Icould not put a music festival
(09:29):
under my belt.
But now we are back on trackand next year, yes, we will be
able to finally bring Lesbiansof Color First All-Girl Queer
Black Music Festival to Houston.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
What would you say that you're proudest of?
About your work with lesbiansof color?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
The thing that I'm most proud of is some of the
members who just the impact thatwe've had, we've encouraged
others to start businesses.
We've actually been able tosell money into some of our
members' businesses and nowthey're just large, they've
grown just from that smallinvestment.
I love the camaraderie of women.
(10:13):
That's what I'm most proud of,because I've heard time and time
again how they could be havinga hard time or giving up on life
or even thinking aboutcommitting suicide and they come
to one lock event and they'relike.
This gives me the strength tokeep going and that's what I'm
most proud of.
And the fact that we've been inthe game over 10 years now.
(10:35):
I am most proud of my membersand just the love and the
community space that they'vecurated.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
Finding your tribe is a big component to having a
healthy and happy life.
Tell me about the Super Meetup.
What is involved with that?
Speaker 2 (10:52):
The Super Meetup was something that I created to
bring other groups of lesbianstogether, because what I found
is that there weren't many, butthere were a lot of us and we
were all like doing our ownthing.
So I was like you know what,let me see how many groups would
(11:12):
be interested in hosting acommunity picnic together.
And so the first year we did it, we had like over 18
participating groups and it wasso beautiful.
We have this joke You'reinvited to the cookout, big
cookout of multiple groups whocome together and we all have a
(11:33):
great time.
And the height of the event ofSuper Meetup is our skirts
versus shirts, kickballtournament at the end.
So it's kind of funny to seesome of the mass presenting
women in the little tutus andyou know just a good game of
kickball and it is so fun andthey live for it every year.
(11:54):
They take it so seriously.
And is there one scheduled forthis year?
There's one scheduled for wealways do it in the fall, so it
will be October.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
It's always the second saturday in october if
people want to know more aboutlesbian, of color or other
activities going on, what's thebest contact information?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
follow us on facebook at lesbians of color, and also
on instagram at we are loc, andour website is wwwweareloccom
thank you, kendra walker, forbeing with us on queer voices.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
This is deborah moncrief bell did you know that
kpft is completely listenerfunded.
There are no underwriters, soit's up to all of us to pay for
the freedom to say what you hearhere on queer voices and on
this station in general.
That means you participate inour programming just by
(12:56):
listening and also by pledgingyour support.
Please do that now by going tothe kpft website and clicking on
the red donate now button, andplease mention queer voices when
you do.
Speaker 4 (13:12):
Thank you this is deborah moncrief bell and I'm
talking with kevin anderson, thedirector of the.
Telling real, unapologetictruth through healing are the
truth project.
It's a 501c3 non-profitorganization whose mission is to
educate, mobilize lgbtqcommunities of color and their
(13:34):
allies through social arts andto promote mental, emotional and
sexual health.
Kevin has said of the truthproject it's been revolutionary
to go up against the norm ofmaking people feel less than and
invite affected people to be ina space of healing.
Kevin, we wanted to talk to youfor several reasons.
(13:55):
One is you just had a milestonebirthday of 50 years old, so
congratulations.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
I did.
Thank you, deborah, who wouldhave thought 50 years old, it
feels.
I did.
Thank you, deborah, who wouldhave thought 50 years old, it
feels good.
It feels good.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
It made you somewhat reflective and you were thinking
about your life and whatbrought you here today and all
the work that you do with theTruth Project.
So share a little bit of yourstory.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
I really have been in a very reflective space.
I was speaking about thatearlier.
I'm at a point in my life whereI truly understand a lot of the
intersections of why, as acreative, why I've chosen
professionally, with abackground in public health, to
be able to integrate not onlypublic health but also my love
(14:44):
and desire to continue healingwork through creative vessels.
When you think about spaceslike the Truth Project, like you
mentioned earlier, and Heartand Soul, which is an open mic,
one of the longest runningqueer-centered open mics in the
country, when you think aboutthose spaces, they were truly
created as spaces to help mealong the way.
(15:07):
Community has played such astrong and had such a strong
presence in my life aroundhealing.
But it was in those spaceswhere we've been able to come
together over many years now 16,17, 18 years been able to come
together and begin our healingtogether.
But for me, on my personaljourney, although I'm curating
(15:29):
the space, I get so much out ofit and I've been able to find
healing for myself.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
Explain a little bit about the work that the Truth
Project does.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Our goal really is building an ecosystem of vibrant
programs and spaces for queerand movement healing and sound
healing, utilizing spaces thatare created specifically in the
arts, like art exhibitions thatshowcase queer communities and
open mics and having youthinstallments all of these spaces
(16:20):
being created not only to justmobilize us as community, but to
use these spaces to addressareas of our lives that may be a
little challenging.
Or, when we talk about mentalhealth, everyone's not ready
immediately for therapy or don'teven really know what therapy
means.
Being able to introduce theseareas of healing and these areas
(16:43):
of wellness, but doing itthrough the arts, which is
really such a beautiful,universal way of expression, and
for people to feel a little atease and accepted mother who had
(17:08):
to struggle to keep alivelihood going and to take
care of you, and it caused youto be somewhat introverted.
Speaker 4 (17:11):
How did that introvert status manifest, and
do you still consider yourselfan introvert?
Speaker 3 (17:18):
I still have very introverted ways.
I mean, I am, I'm very splicedinto my community and I love my
community and of course they seea different side of Kevin.
But when it's downtime downtimeis really important I would
choose to be at home playingXbox over going out to have a
cocktail.
I'm just that kind of guy mymother and I.
(17:50):
It's really wild because Iwasn't as aware of our struggles
when I was younger, because mymother did everything she could
as a single parent and althoughI say as a single parent, I
actually had a stepfather in thehouse, but he was extremely
verbally abusive and he was analcoholic.
Because of that, she created aworld for me where we loved on
each other and we would findtime to do things, but it was
basically she and I.
And then when, because I waslatchkey and because she spent a
(18:11):
lot of time away from the houseworking, I had to create my own
world as a creative.
It was an easy thing to dobecause I can keep myself very
entertained, which is reallyinteresting now as I do
community work, because I see alot of those spaces of what then
felt like isolation actuallybecame a space where I would
(18:33):
create and figure out what Iwanted to do next, and so I find
that to kind of show its faceoften in some of the community
work that I've done over theyears.
Speaker 4 (18:43):
It sounds like your creativity and your interest in
the arts and culture actuallywas your saving grace.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Yeah, debra, that's exactly what it was.
I mean, even when, as we movekind of through my life a bit
and kind of get to the pointwhere I became a young adult and
I joined the military I'm a USNavy veteran when I was even in
that space as a veteran althoughthat was the first time in my
life that I found really a senseof community, because, being on
(19:13):
a ship, living on a ship withmany, many men, there was a
small portion of us that kind ofcame together.
But even during that time offeeling a bit isolated, I still
leaned in on the arts, becausethat's when I began I wasn't
able to have art supplies asheavy because I didn't have a
lot of storage space, but that'swhen I began investing time and
(19:37):
really learning the art of thespoken word and began writing
poetry and things that I couldself-contain and keep in my bunk
.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
Even though you shunned most other sports, you
did make the school wrestlingteam.
Did you enjoy doing that?
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Wrestling was fun, it was a contact sport.
But it was also during a timein my life where my mother, we
transitioned from living inInglewood and moved to Fresno,
california, and when we moved toFresno I was in a environment
that I'd gone from an all-BlackBaptist Christian school to one
year in public school in LA,which was a lot.
(20:17):
Then I moved to Fresno and nowI'm in an environment where I'm
in a predominantly white school.
Why I bring that up is becausethings like boys' choir,
wrestling they even had a divingteam these were all activities
in school that I had never seenbefore.
I found myself that year.
I believe it was either theseventh or the eighth grade year
(20:38):
.
I remember being in a space ofwanting to try new things and
because it was offered, that wasthe year that I joined the boys
choir and that was the yearthat I joined wrestling and
tried out for wrestling and waspretty good at it.
Speaker 4 (20:51):
Actually when you were in the navy.
That was when you had yourfirst same sex experience while
you were off duty.
But it was also the time ofdon't ask, don't tell.
You remembered that there weretwo sailors who just disappeared
after they were diagnosed withHIV.
And then, after your discharge,you visited your first gay bar
(21:13):
in Northfolk, virginia.
Northfolk is something you havein common with JD Doyle.
He spent some time there andthen, when you left the Navy,
you moved to San Antonio whereyour mother was then living, and
you attended junior college andyour thoughts were you might
become an English teacher, butin the arts community you found
(21:35):
that there was a lacking inblack representation.
Then you went to Prairie ViewA&M and pursued special needs
education classes.
So, with Houston nearby,eventually you found the
thriving Houston arts communityand it also led you to your.
So how did you spend your workyears?
Speaker 3 (21:59):
When I was in, when I was at Prairie View University,
I was actually.
I began getting in the field ofspecial education then, and I
worked for a place calledBrookwood, and I was there for a
couple of years while I was inschool.
During that time, though, I wasstill in a space of craving and
desiring connection when itcame to the art.
I found myself spending a lotof time driving into Houston to
(22:23):
go to open mics that were hereAt the same time.
My career was moving and I waslearning Houston, I was meeting
new folks and really just in areal beautiful space of
discovery and journey.
And you're right that it was alittle bit before that when I
had my first same-sex sexualencounter.
I definitely wanted more ofthat in Houston, in Houston, and
(22:46):
so I found that amid going outto not necessarily the bars, but
finding again the artscommunity for myself.
Interestingly enough, that'salso during a time that it was
after that, after I was a littledeeper in my career, closer to
30, when I was diagnosed withHIV.
So it's interesting when youbring up about the military,
(23:08):
because those guys that Imentioned, that that just kind
of seemed to disappear, andduring that whole don't ask,
don't tell it was such a wassuch a secretive time back then.
I mean, we were not encouragedto just to disclose who we were
and, as a matter of fact, youcould get in trouble and
penalized for it.
Get in trouble and penalizedfor it.
(23:31):
The guys that disappeared.
I didn't realize at that timethat they were missing or no
longer on the ship because theywere diagnosed with HIV.
But at that time, which was anearlier age in my adulthood, I
remember even HIV like animmediate stigma being placed
against it, because I saw whathappened to them they
disappeared and how that made mefeel.
And so as I continue to moveforward in my life and discover
(23:55):
Houston, the creative scene anddating, meeting people, and then
to later have a diagnosis, Ithink it actually kind of placed
me in a bit of a cocoon.
And so when we think aboutisolation, there was still a lot
of fear there for myself.
But I had art.
I had this thriving artcommunity that I was beginning
to become a part of, and thenthere was a moment where I
(24:17):
didn't feel very welcome andaccepted even in that community,
because I began experiencingdiscrimination, where I went to
an open mic and a brother hadthe audacity to say he instead
of she when he spoke about whohe loved on the mic, and so I
stepped away from art forprobably a good year, because I
(24:38):
just I didn't know how toprocess that, and so it was a
little bit after that that Isaid to myself well, I want to
create spaces that arenon-discriminatory and where
people feel welcome.
Create spaces that arenon-discriminatory and where
people feel welcome.
That's when I created Heart andSoul, and Heart and Soul is a
multidisciplinary, open micspace for all, and I was created
in 2009.
(24:59):
That space has, since then, ledto so many other things
happening in community that I'vebeen able to curate, but that
space was really, reallyimportant, and when I talk about
my healing, that was also aspace that began to help me
understand.
Yes, we can come together ascommunity, we can love on each
(25:19):
other and we can learn together.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
Pardon, so you have a monthly event.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Yes, yes, it's a monthly event.
At the 10-year anniversarypoint we became an annual event.
But after COVID, the pandemic Iheard from community and
community was still.
They really were desiring forus to still have this monthly
space, and so we were able tobring Heart and Soul back under
and as a program of the TruthProject and on February 16th
(25:49):
we'll have our 16-yearanniversary of Heart and Soul.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
You actually was spending part-time bartending.
Through that, you had a venueto start Heart and Soul.
You had singers, dancers,spoken word artists, and then
that's what eventually becameHeart and Soul, but your career
had been mainly in providingservices, like with the YWCA, st
(26:17):
Hope and the AIDS Foundation,houston now called Allies in
Hope.
What in your career in healthcare has migrated into the work
that the Truth Project does?
Speaker 3 (26:33):
The reality is, when I began my career in public
health, when it began, it wasreally as a means of me needing
to learn so that I couldself-care better.
I've gotten a little burned outfrom special education, but the
reality is I also needed tolearn to self-care and take
better care of me.
That is when I had my first jobwith the YWCA, working with
(26:58):
youth, and I'm going to be areally good facilitator, so I
was facilitating youth programsthen, and then I began to have
the trail of the otherorganizations to have the trail
of the other organizations, butwhile with the other
organizations, in particular StHope, when I was working at St
Hope that's actually when Heartand Soul began.
(27:19):
And then, when I moved fromworking at St Hope as a
prevention specialist, I thentook on a job with now AIDS
Foundation Houston, now Alliesin Hope.
But it was while I was at Alliesin Hope that the Truth Project
was birthed, and so that was in2011 when I first presented the
(27:41):
idea of the Truth Project and inpresenting it, my director
there she approached me.
There was an opportunitythrough the state, we were
actually able to make TruthProject a program under AIDS
Foundation Houston, now Alliesin Hope, and so that was from
2011 to 2013.
(28:02):
And then in 2013 is when theorganization was actually
founded.
We weren't refunded for thatopportunity, which really gave
me a good opportunity to moveforward as sole proprietor and
launch this thing as not just aprogram but an organization that
could be brought to the queercommunity.
(28:23):
So I say all that to say it wasall happening at the same time.
I've had overlap of workingprofessionally and also seed
planning and creating anorganization while working for
another organization.
It was in 2023, when September2023, when I left and resigned
from AIDS Foundation Houston nowAllies in Hope and fully moved
(28:47):
into my role as the chiefexecutive officer for the Truth
Project.
Speaker 4 (28:52):
What do you think has been the greatest achievement
of the Truth Project?
Speaker 3 (28:57):
When I think about the Truth Project and all the
experiences that I've been ableto be a part of and to watch
within community, it really hasbeen the ability to recognize
and for community to recognizeit as a brave space and as a
space that they can come in 2024, a vibe called Rest Fest, and
(29:30):
what this is is a space that isan overabundance of resources
when it comes to wellness.
So mental health, yoga, soundbaths, all of these healing
spaces, therapists,psychologists, licensed
professional counselors,psychologists, licensed
(29:52):
professional counselors butbeing able to bring this space
to communities so that they cancome in and make a decision on
what works best for them and tobe exposed to all of the
different means of wellness.
So what has been the mostbeautiful and just the biggest
highlight is just having theseoptions for community so that
folk can figure out what worksbest for them.
And for me it's the one-on-oneconversations, the inbox
(30:14):
messages, the surveying, thetestimonies that I've received
of knowing that lives have beeneither enhanced or changed based
off of the programs that we'vebeen able to develop.
Speaker 4 (30:28):
We're talking with Kevin Anderson, the director of
the programs that we've beenable to develop.
We're talking with KevinAnderson, the director of the
Truth Project, and Kevin washonored of being Grand Marshal
of Pride.
Houston Was that last year?
Speaker 3 (30:40):
Yes, I was.
2024 Pride, houston, 365, maleidentifying Grand Marshal.
Speaker 4 (30:47):
Now the Truth Project is nominated in the
organizational category.
What do you feel about that andwhat does it mean for you to be
among the organizations thatare being recognized?
Speaker 3 (31:02):
It's an absolute honor to have the organization
the Truth Project as a nomineefor 2025 Grand Marshal for
organizations.
Anytime that the communitymakes the decision, anytime that
the community places their voteto say, hey, we see you and we
want you to represent us, itmeans so much.
(31:22):
Last year, as the maleidentifying Grand Marshal, I was
overwhelmed by the fact thatcommunity came together to say,
yes, we see you and we like whatyou're doing Now to have this
honor as being a nominee for theTruth Project.
It's a great feeling and we'relooking forward to the next
couple of months of sharing moreof who we are to those who may
(31:43):
not be exposed to the TruthProject.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
Is there anything that I didn't ask you about that
you'd like to share?
Speaker 3 (31:51):
I just would really want to share also that you know
, when thinking about ourprograms, it is Black History
Month.
It's also we just recognizedNational Black HIV AIDS
Awareness Day.
I want to mention that becauseone of our programs, plus United
, which is a space for men andnon-binary of color that are
(32:12):
living with HIV.
Like when I think about theability to be able to create
spaces like that, like PlusUnited, and to have short
documentaries that are liftingthe narrative of individuals
that are living with HIV, for meit is a form of resistance and
it is a form of saying thatwe're going to continue to stand
(32:32):
against stigma and shame andthose things that we've been
told that we can't do asindividuals living with HIV.
So I just want to mention thatas one of our programs that
people can look into as theylook into the truth.
Speaker 4 (32:45):
Thank you, Kevin, for being with us on Queer Voices.
This is Deborah Moncrief-Bell.
Speaker 1 (32:51):
This is KPFT 90.1 FM Houston, 89.5 FM Galveston, 91.9
FM Huntsville, and worldwide onthe internet at kpftorg.
Speaker 6 (33:08):
This is Brian Levinka , and today I'm speaking with
the CEO of Allies in Hope,Jeffrey Campbell.
Welcome to the show, Jeffrey.
Speaker 7 (33:14):
Thank you, brian.
I appreciate the opportunity totalk with you today and a
shout-out to all of our QueerVoices listeners today.
Speaker 6 (33:23):
Now, the last time I spoke to you, you worked for a
different organization name.
It used to be AIDS FoundationHouston.
Can you talk about how itchanged to Allies in Hope?
Speaker 7 (33:32):
Sure, sure, so, not a different company.
We just did a rebrand.
So about, let me see?
In late 2021, during theleadership of John Huckabee as
the CEO of the organization, westarted having conversations
(33:53):
about rebranding and there werea few significant reasons.
We were allies, I'm sorry.
We were AIDS Foundation Houstonfor 38 years, the oldest HIV
prevention service organizationin the state HIV prevention
service organization in thestate, and one of the things is
(34:16):
we've never been a foundation.
The second thing is anotherinternational organization had
moved into town with a similarname and similar letters, and
there was constant confusionbetween the two.
But then the third thing wasthat we are in a space and time
(34:36):
now, gladly, where most peoplewith an HIV diagnosis will never
move into the space of what wehave called AIDS for about 40,
45 years.
So that's the good news.
And then there's also a lot ofstigma attached to that term
(34:59):
AIDS.
We were literally havingunhoused people refuse housing
from us because of the stigmaattached to the word AIDS.
So it was a lot of work betweenconversations and focus groups
(35:21):
with former CEOs, board members,our staff and community, along
with our funders.
So we first decided yes, it'stime.
The second thing that we had todo was determine who we would
(35:43):
be, and so, after a lot ofconversations around what would
the new name be, we landed onAllies in Hope, and we landed on
that just before I became notlanded on it, but I became CEO
on March 1st of 2023.
(36:05):
And we announced the rebrand onMay 19th 2023.
But the rebrand was alreadyready for rollout, and so it's
been an interesting two years asAllies in Hope.
Speaker 6 (36:24):
You know I like the Allies in Hope name.
I think it's a good transitionas we kind of evolve with HIV.
What we're here to talk abouttoday is one of your more
visible and popular events theWalk to End HIV.
Can you tell me about thedetails of that?
Speaker 7 (36:43):
Sure, very excited.
Walk to End HIV is coming up onSunday, march 9th.
It will be downtown, at the SamHouston Park, starting at 10 am
.
The interesting thing I thinkabout that is we also we talked
(37:04):
about the rebrand just a momentago we consciously changed the
name of Walk before we changedthe name of the organization.
We moved from calling it theAIDS WOC Houston to WOC to end
HIV Houston, probably in 2021.
(37:25):
And so that was during thepandemic.
So, you know, some people mayhave noticed that, some people
might not have noticed that, butthat was, you know, one of the
the pieces of getting ready torebrand this organization.
It's Sunday, march 9th, downtownSam Houston Park, same place,
(37:51):
at 10 am, and we really areexcited about this 36th annual
walk.
We've been doing this walk for36 years and, you know, each
year there's something a littlebit different.
That I want to share, brian,with the community is that and
(38:13):
this is particularly for thosewho have been following and
supporting this organization fora very long time we're going to
have a tribute trail this yearand that tribute trail is going
to feature pictures and articlesthat are me.
(38:33):
Is that they were concernedthat AIDS Foundation would get
(38:54):
lost or forgotten with this newname, allies in Hope.
One of the things that Iencourage people to know is that
the current CEO, who is me, isa history nerd, and so I love
the history of this organization, and so we'll be having bits
(39:15):
and pieces of the history ofthis organization sprinkled
throughout the walk this year.
So I encourage you, if you comefor nothing else, come to take
a walk down memory lane with usabout AIDS Foundation Houston.
Speaker 6 (39:33):
So what are some of the things that you've
encountered as CEO that youdidn't expect?
Oh my, goodness.
Speaker 7 (39:41):
So I think one of the things that certainly as of
late, like the last three weeks,is, you know, this constant
change.
You know, a few weeks ago,nonprofits across the nation not
(40:03):
just nonprofits that do thework of HIV prevention, but
every nonprofit that receivesany dollar, dime or cent from
the federal government we weretold that our funding would be
paused.
I'm doing air quotes right now,although you can't see me that
(40:24):
our funding would be paused andyou know that was a really
significant issue for us to hear.
And you know, by the end ofthat day a judge had put a stay
on that pause and then the nextday it was rescinded, ended.
(40:57):
So we know that we are incritical times with the current
administration when it comes toour funding, particularly
funding that either comesdirectly from the federal
government or if it'spass-through dollars.
So that was one thing.
Another thing that I think hasbeen really something that I
didn't expect was and thislonger a problem, and that
(41:55):
there's still work to do.
I think too, after working inthis field for I don't know,
depends on who you ask I say 25years.
Somebody told me the other dayI've been hanging around this
work for about 30 years.
That dates me just a little bit.
But the reality that even inthis work that is, human
(42:26):
services, that we still dealwith some racism, we still deal
with homophobia, certainly wehave been bombarded by
transphobia.
We have been bombarded bytransphobia, so those things in
2025 still catch me in a spaceof wow, and that's really a wow.
(42:54):
I cannot believe we are stillfighting this battle.
Speaker 6 (43:00):
I'm afraid it's going to get worse before it gets
better.
Speaker 7 (43:03):
Brian, I don't disagree with you.
I don't disagree with you.
As we look at the attacks thatare being made upon our trans
community particularly, itreally does look like it's going
to get worse before it getsbetter.
However, I can tell you that wehave some very, very passionate
(43:28):
people.
I'm going to speak to the localways to respond to these
attacks and how to make surethat the people that we have
(43:54):
been challenged not challengedbut charged to serve and to
protect that we're going tomaintain our duty and we're
going to get this work done.
Speaker 6 (44:08):
So the walk itself is organized around teams.
Can you talk about that, howpeople can join a team or raise
money for the organization?
Speaker 7 (44:17):
Sure, let me tell you the first thing, and this is
the thing I always forget.
It's where you go to sign up asan individual or as a team, or
even to provide sponsorship.
Go to wwwwalk2endhivhoustonorgagain, that's
(44:44):
wwwwalktoendhivhoustonorg andthere you can join a team that
is already in existence or it'salready been set up.
You can form your own team andsay hey, my goal is to raise
(45:06):
$2,000 for Walk this year, andthen you can invite your friends
.
You know, technology is ourfriend today, and so there is a
way in the webpage where you cantake the link and share it.
You can share it via textmessage, you can share it in
(45:27):
emails, you can share it on yoursocial media pages and in an
effort to raise money for thewalk, yes, I'm a team captain.
Speaker 6 (45:40):
I have a team from work that I'm building right now
, building the team and hopingto raise a lot of money.
Speaker 7 (45:47):
You know what, Brian?
I appreciate that and I have abig smile on my face.
So thank you for leading theteam at your job in raising
money for the walk.
Have great appreciation forfolks like you who continue to
support this very, verynecessary work.
Speaker 6 (46:07):
Can you talk about the apathy in the community with
the onset of PrEP?
Where people are less, theydon't see the destruction of HIV
AIDS from the 80s and 90s.
Can you talk about that effectthese days?
Speaker 7 (46:22):
Yeah, great question.
So, you know, we don't see theHIV and the AIDS from the 80s
and 90s that we see today, andI'm grateful for that, because
that is a result of science andmedication that is a result of a
lot of research that hasbrought us both treatment
(46:46):
medications that are easier totake we are down to one pill a
day for individuals living withHIV, rather than cocktails that
were 24, 25, 30 pills a day andthen also we have medications
that are both oral and oral, aswell as shots, injections, that
(47:14):
prevent the acquisition of HIVfor the person.
That is already negative.
I think that's amazing.
However, we still and I thinkthat this is still rooted in
(47:38):
stigma we still have communitiesthat are not accessing it.
Another part of it is just, youknow, having to go in and talk
to a medical provider aboutsomething that's very, you know,
deemed to be very personal andprivate, and that is their sex
life, you know.
(47:59):
But I say that you know sex issomething that most people have
had, will have, and that thebest way to protect yourself and
your sexual health andwell-being is to talk with your
doctor, talk with your provider.
(48:20):
And I say to individuals whohave providers who won't provide
testing for them, say thatthey're not in the target
audience or they're not at riskor vulnerable, get you another
doctor, and if you don't want toget another primary care
provider, if they're serving youin all of those ways, then come
(48:41):
to a place like Allies in Hope,where we will provide you PrEP,
npep.
We will provide HIV treatmentservices for you in a very
caring and confidential way.
And I say caring because notsaying that the primary care
(49:02):
providers are not caring, but wedo this every day, and so my
team that's in my clinic and onmy prevention staff.
They care about every personthat they sit and talk with, and
they are doing it in a way thatis encouraging.
(49:24):
They're doing it in a way thathelps make individuals feel
comfortable about talking aboutsomething that has deemed to be
so private.
Speaker 6 (49:35):
Now I understand that you opened a clinic in Midtown.
Is that right?
Yes, we did, talking aboutmoving to Midtown, and what was
the idea behind that?
Speaker 7 (49:45):
Yes, so we opened a second location and it is at
2328 Fannin, located at thecorner of Fannin and McElhenney.
We wanted to be in thatlocation because, first of all,
it's in Midtown.
There's a lot of homelessnessor unhoused individuals in
(50:09):
Midtown and you know we don'tjust do HIV prevention when it
comes to treatment and prep.
We provide housing.
We provide food support forthose who are living with food
insecurities through our StoneSoup food pantry.
We felt like being in Midtownwhere a lot of that exists is
(50:32):
important.
We're also adjacent to theMontrose community.
We are also adjacent to GreaterThird Ward, greater Second Ward
, downtown Houston and just ahop skip and a jump from Fifth
Ward.
And I make mention of all ofthose places because they all
(50:55):
have a high prevalence rate ofnew HIV diagnoses HIV diagnoses
but they also have a significantnumber of individuals that are
unhoused and or having foodinsecurity.
In addition to that, there area number of other organizations
(51:17):
in that Midtown area that doservices that help us to be able
to do ready, be ready to walk aperson down the street to
another organization forresources for care.
There's, I think it's aboutnine or 10 other organizations
(51:38):
within a four to five block areawhere we partner with them to
get the work done.
Speaker 6 (51:48):
If you're joining us.
We're speaking with JeffreyCampbell, the CEO of Allies in
Hope, about the Walk to End HIVon March 9th in downtown Houston
.
Now, jeffrey, can you tell mewhat the experience would be
like for someone who hasn't donethe walk before me?
What?
Speaker 7 (52:02):
the experience would be like for someone who hasn't
done the walk before.
First of all, it's going to befun.
The walk to end HIV is a very,very fun event.
There will be music, there willbe for pet lovers, particularly
dog lovers.
There's going to be a costumecontest for your dogs.
So feel free, when you sign upand when you come out on Sunday
(52:23):
March 9th, bring your dog out incostume.
And there's going to be a 36thannual Walk to End HIV t-shirt.
Once you raise $500, I believeadded to that t-shirt is an
(52:54):
umbrella and then, when you getto $1,000, add it to the t-shirt
and the umbrella is a box thatwill be branded for the walk and
for Allies in Hope.
So there will be gifts andopportunity.
There'll be opportunity forcommunity, there'll be food
(53:16):
trucks out there, there'll bemusic and dancing and we have a
great group of guys actually Ithink it's a duo that's coming
out to get us warmed up, uh,before we take off on the walk
down, uh, down allen parkway.
But overall it is going to be afun event it is so much fun.
Speaker 6 (53:40):
I uh created a team for my work last year and
brought about 15 people, andthey all had the best time.
Speaker 7 (53:47):
So excellent.
There's your testimony.
Speaker 6 (53:49):
If you can get engineers happy, then you've
done a good job.
Speaker 7 (53:53):
You're absolutely right, I agree.
Speaker 6 (53:56):
Jeffrey, is there anything that I forgot to ask
you about?
About the event or the Alliesin Hope?
Speaker 7 (54:01):
about the event, or the Allies in Hope.
I just always want to tellpeople thank you for the way in
which they support thisorganization.
You know, even with, there'salways a way to support us, and
(54:22):
I'll throw out an easy way.
That's outside the scope ofwalk, but I've talked about
Stone Soup and I've mentioned it, and Stone Soup has been around
a long time under the umbrellaof AIDS Foundation Houston, now
Allies in Hope, and so there areways to give to support our
food pantry.
We have Camp Hope, which is acamp that's been around almost
(54:46):
30 years.
Thank you, mike Miswa, forbirthing Camp Hope almost 30
years ago, and at that time itwas for children who were living
with HIV.
But because of medicationscience, we have changed the
scope of Camp Hope just a littlebit, where it is not just
children living with HIV butit's children impacted by HIV.
(55:10):
That's a camp that we have inthe summer and there's ways to
volunteer to help support andhelp run Camp Hope with a lot of
wonderful children and youthduring the summer.
And this, most of all, it isimportant for us to remember
(55:31):
that.
You know our mission is to endthe HIV epidemic in the greater
Houston area.
The walk to end HIV is one ofthe ways that we work, use to
help in this epidemic, but we'vestill got a ways to go, and so
please know that HIV, althoughit is not you can't see it the
(55:59):
way we used to see it in the 80sand 90s it is still very
present.
It is impacting mostlyindividuals who are black and
brown.
It is impacting our queercommunity, our trans males and
trans females.
It is impacting our women ofcolor black and Hispanic Latino
(56:24):
women, and then, of course, itis impacting gay men, and so we
want to not forget that,although we've made great
advancements in this40-something years, there is
still work to do.
It's not over.
(56:44):
It is not.
Speaker 6 (56:47):
Is there a way people can find out more information
about Allies in Hope?
Speaker 7 (56:50):
Yes, yes, you can go to www-O-Norg.
That's wwwaihhoustonorg andthat is our website.
(57:14):
You can follow us on Instagramat AIHHOU A-I-H-H-O-U, and that
will.
No, that's not it.
I am so sorry.
It is alliesandhopehou.
That's where you get us onInstagram, alliesandhopehou, and
(57:39):
we're really trying to build upour Instagram presence.
We want to see, you know, folksfollowing us there, following
us on Facebook and on LinkedIn.
A lot of our professional folksfollow us on LinkedIn and we do
a lot of great stuff onLinkedIn, so please follow us.
Learn more about not just whowe have been over these last 43
(58:03):
years, but who we are becomingas we continue to do the work of
ending the HIV epidemic.
Speaker 1 (58:12):
This has been Queer Voices, heard on KPFT Houston
and as a podcast available fromseveral podcasting sources.
Check our webpage availablefrom several podcasting sources.
Check our webpageQueerVoicesorg for more
information.
Queer Voices executive produceris Brian Levinka.
Debra Moncrief-Bell isco-producer, brett Cullum and
(58:42):
David Mendoza-Druzman arecontributors and Brett is also
our webmaster.
The News Wrap segment is partof another podcast called this
Way Out, which is produced inLos Angeles.
Speaker 5 (58:50):
Some of the material in this program has been edited
to improve clarity and runtime.
This program does not endorseany political views or animal
species.
Views, opinions andendorsements are those of the
participants and theorganizations they represent.
In case of death, pleasediscontinue use and discard
remaining product.
Speaker 1 (59:02):
For Queer Voices.
I'm Glenn Holt, Thank you.
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