Make Change Real: 2011 USCA Trailer

We Were Here Screening At USCA

My Trip To China/USCA Youth Leadership Program

I just got back from China, serving on a delegation to support China’s growing LGBT movement. As a result of the trip, the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) invited Beibei Ye the Director of the Zhixing Guangzhou LGBT Center to speak at this year’s United States Conference on AIDS (http://www.2011USCA.org) and to join our Executive Director’s Summit.

Beibei will be at USCA as part of a cultural exchange on the LGBT community and the fight against HIV/AIDS. To support that exchange, we are giving out an additional 10 Youth Scholarships, thanks to funding from ViiV Healthcare. We’ve selected youth because the Beibei is only 24 years old. In fact, most of China’s LGBT leaders are under 30.

I was invited to China to discuss HIV/AIDS challenges for gay men. I made presentations at universities, LGBT centers, coffee houses and undisclosed homes in Beijing and Guangzhou. I’m exhausted, but really happy and inspired. Being in China, I've come to appreciate my life here and the freedoms I sometimes take for granted.

China’s LGBT movement is very young, both literally and figuratively. Most of the activists are under 30. The risks these young people take in coming out cannot be over stated. Change is always difficult, but trying to change China can seem almost impossible. It was wonderful to see and remember that passion to make the world a better place. Who knew it would be young people half way across the world to remind me of the value of our work. I want to thank the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center and all the amazing people who were part of the delegation for allowing me to join them on this adventure and to learn about the wonderful work The Center is doing in China.

To support a cultural exchange, NMAC is pleased to announce another special scholarship round for youth activists. Thanks to ViiV Healthcare, NMAC will launch a Youth Leadership Development Program track at this year’s U.S. Conference on AIDS. Ten young leaders (18-24) will attend this year’s meeting, join in a roundtable discussion with other HIV community members, participate in a cultural exchange with our special guest from China, and report on their experience at USCA. Young leaders selected for this program will also reflect on how they plan to leverage what they learn and the connections they make to make a difference in their own communities. In addition, participants will also receive:

We are looking for young people (18-24) who are committed to fighting HIV/AIDS. Given this year’s USCA target population, we are particularly interested in awarding scholarships to young gay men, particularly young gay me of color; however, all youth activists are invited to apply.

To apply for a scholarship, please submit your name and contact information to info@nmac.org, please be sure to include your age. Tell us how you are committed to the fight against HIV/AIDS. Applications are due Monday, October 3rd. Please feel free to share this scholarship opportunity with your networks. We want a diverse pool of scholarship recipients.

Educate, Connect and Inspire: Participants of this scholarship program will have access to the entire USCA conference. They will be asked to participate in a taped interview to answer the question - "what do you hope to learn at USCA and how do you plan to bring it back to your community?" They will interact with and learn from our delegate from China. On Sunday, November 13th, youth scholarship recipients will participate in a roundtable to discuss what they have learned/experienced at USCA and how their experiences will impact their next steps as future leaders. Scholarship recipients will be asked to write a summary on their experiences at USCA and how they will take this information back to their communities. The write ups will be posted on NMAC’s website (http://www.nmac.org)

The Courage To Come Out

I am continually surprised about the courage it takes to come out. On the day that Don't Ask Don't Tell is repealed, a young solider tells his father he is gay, live on Youtube.

Why I Love The President

“No country should deny people their rights — the freedom of speech and freedom of religion — but also no country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere.”

- American President Barack Obama speaking to the UN General Assembly today.

More Scholarships For USCA

NMAC is giving up to 30 additional scholarships to People with AIDS to this year's United States Conference on AIDS. Applications are due September 30th. Please go to http://www.nmac.org/index/scholarship-information for more information

What's Your Game Plan? - Paul Kawata

What's Your Game Plan? - Paul Kawata