From Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Blog- Justin Lofton considers himself a “warrior” against HIV/AIDS, a fitting term for a young gay Black man living in Mississippi. In 2013, African Americans accounted for 76 percent of the new HIV/AIDSdiagnoses in Mississippi; and in 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the state capitol, Jackson, ranked fourth among all major metropolitan areas in the nation for the highest rates of HIV infection.
While these statistics are staggering, Lofton knows all too well the reasons Mississippians have thus far failed to curb the HIV/AIDS epidemic in their state.
“There’s no talking about it, no communication about HIV,” Lofton told HRC. “Resources exist, but people don’t have access to them, especially in rural areas where people don’t always have jobs and can’t always afford to get to treatment.”
Despite these challenges, Lofton said he is “passionately committed to supporting those in my community who are most affected by HIV.”
“Doing this work in a conservative state is a challenge,” he explained. “People don’t want to create dialogue. They want to push it under the rug and act like it’s not real, instead of listening to our voices.”
Lofton, however, is dedicated to breaking the silence and helping other young men like himself raise their voices. He shared his powerful story about the importance of being open about his gay identity with the Greater Than AIDS Speak Out Youth Voices Campaign.
“If we can accept that this is something that is affecting our communities, we create an environment that will allow people to come forward and be comfortable discussing HIV,” he explained, citing the Speak Out Campaign’s role in encouraging people to speak out to reduce stigma.
He also recently launched the Mississippi Peer Action Committee, which will consist of approximately 20 gay men who will research and educate the community about prevention, and encourage lawmakers and other state leaders to help people access the resources that are available.
“We’re all in this together,” he said regarding his activism. “We may not be infected, but we’re all affected. This is something that we all have to worry about. This isn’t just something happening in one state or community; this is a worldwide issue. We have to uplift each other and work with each other.”
HRC is committed, through a collective effort, to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic and helping secure the health and well-being of people living with HIV, particularly LGBT individuals. To that end, HRC is proud to present a new blog series as part of our #BeInTheKnow campaign — calling attention to the impact of HIV and AIDS on the LGBT community and amplifying the voices of those most affected by the epidemic.
The post In The Fight Against HIV/AIDS, We’re All In This Together appeared first on MUSED Magazine Online.