World AIDS Day

As most everyone knows, tomorrow is World AIDS Day. This day holds very powerful significance to me as an HIV-Positive person. I am so glad that we have this day to remind us that HIV/AIDS is truly the world pandemic that it is. The stigma associated with the disease can be quite overwhelming especially in certain areas. As such, I have started a Yahoo! Group specifically for HIV-Positive Arkansans (see links to join) to serve as a communication tool whereby we can share information, promote events, and support one another.

I hope that everyone will take time to consider how HIV/AIDS has impacted their lives in great and small ways and how we, in turn, can have an impact on the fight against the disease and the impact it has on so many lives.

Tomorrow I will be going to Conway to join PRISM (UCA’s gay-straight alliance) at their World AIDS Day event (see event description below). I have a very special place in my heart for our gay youth. I remember the pain and isolation I felt as a young gay man in an intolerant environment and I would very much like to support our youth programs as they strive to make this a better world for our gay and lesbian young people. Tomorrow I will get to participate in an event that combines two issues very near and dear to me--- gay youth and HIV/AIDS--- I can think of no better way to observe World AIDS Day, can you?


PRISM World AIDS Day event description (thanks to Amanda Harris for the invitation)

World Aids Day is this Friday, December 1. PRISM has been asked to be a part of an event being planned by the UCA Rotaract Club and co-coordinated by several UCA organizations including PRISM.

PRISM was able to get two panel speakers for the forum-style discussion and presentation to be held this Friday.

Where: Brewer-Hegemann Conference center at UCA
When: Friday, Dec. 1 6PM

The bios on the speakers we invited are as follows:

Cornelius Mabin, native Arkansan attended Arkansas State University and Philander Smith College. In 1983, Mr. Mabin served as the first African-American president of the state's GLBT advocacy group, Arkansas Gay Rights and testified before the Arkansas Legislature on issues concerning group diversity on state college campuses. AGR bestowed Mabin with it's 1983 Outstanding Performance Award.

Black and White Men Together, Inc. at its national convention in
1985 recognized Mr. Mabin with a Personal Achievement Award citing his work and dedication in addressing homophobia, interracial unity and his participation in the Healing Racism Institute in Columbus, Ohio.

His human rights activism has also included lobbying Arkansas' 2004 Capitol Hill Congressional delegation on the issue of AIDS funding in the state, engaging community outreach as a past Pride week chairman, various media appearances and former Arkansas AIDS Foundation board member.

A prolific writer, essayist and commentator, Mr. Mabin has contributed numerous works to a host of publications, and now produces CorneliusOnpoint, (www.corneliusonpoint.blogspot. com) featuring The Body Politic, an online multi-platform website featuring items of interest to the GLBT community and beyond.


Eric Reece, is a Same-Gender Loving/Queer identified Black male living in Little Rock AR. Currently, he is the coordinator for PALS- Central Arkansas' Same-Gender Loving/ LGBTQ and allies youth and young adult support program and serves of the board of the Center for Artistic Revolution a non-profit organization that works to dismantle oppressions by education and cultural arts. Eric has worked as an advocate, activist, organizer and educator for over 12 years in the areas of sexual health/comprehensive sex education, SGL/LGBTQ issues, hate/bias motivated violence and anti-oppression. He is the former executive director of the Arkansas Equality Network Arkansas' LGBTQ advocacy organization, and program director for Brothas and Sistas, a community organization dedicated to HIV/STD prevention within Arkansas Black community.

We should all make sure to be there for this event so that the UCA and Conway communities understand that homosexuality/ bisexuality, poverty, and race are all very important components of AIDS... and we want to be representatives of those in the Queer community who are no longer with us because of AIDS."