I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to attend the Women as the Face of AIDS Summit hosted by Iris House again this year. It was the second in-person summit since the COVID pandemic began, but I was attending virtually. I was still honored to be in the room and listen to the great speakers. Ingrid Floyd, the executive director of Iris House, gave the opening remarks; then there were some great panels talking about reframing HIV. The beautiful and inspirational Ci Ci Covin from The Well Project moderated the discussion and the unstoppable Kimberly Canady, also from The Well Project...
KatieAdsila's blog
I bought a t-shirt in Las Vegas because I thought it was amusing. It said "Bad Bitch" on the front of it. I smiled when I saw it and for whatever reason I decided to buy it. I have plenty of courage, more than most I think. You don't live a transgender existence in a society that wants to erase you, torment you, or kill you without a significant amount of courage. Why did I buy this shirt? It doesn't fit me. Not only is it two sizes too large but it also doesn't fit my personality. Anybody who knows me knows how quiet and shy I am. I'm probably the last person in the world who should be...
I attended the International Workshop on HIV and Women 2023 virtually on February 17-18. I love attending conferences in person, there's nothing like the experience and energy of those in-person meetings, but virtual conferences have their pros as well, like attending the conference in your pajamas, which I did lol. My first day started a little frustrating, because as I was trying to log in to join the conference, my computer decided that it was a good time to update itself, ughh. Once I joined I caught the conclusion remarks of a doctor from Ukraine. I would really have loved to have heard...
I just heard a new word today that struck my heart in a sickening way: "Gendercide", "the deliberate effort to destroy traditions of gender fluidity…". That was a quote from an extremely insightful book...
I know a lot of people don't respect mental illness, they think it's controllable or all in your head, but I know that that's not the reality. I've struggled with mental health issues of some kind for as long as I can remember. I've had suicidal ideations since I was nine years old, I live with severe depression that doesn't even need a reason to bring me to my knees and often crippling anxiety that disregards logic. That's just to start, never mind the post traumatic stress disorder or mild obsessive compulsive behavior. Lately I've been really struggling with my depression, feeling...
What a wonderful joy it has been to attend the 2022 United States Conference on HIV and AIDS in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. I'm so grateful to NMAC for allowing me to attend on their HIV50+ Strong & Healthy Scholarship
After three long years of fearing to gather together, grinding all conferences and in-person events to a halt, condemning us all to a life of isolation and social distancing, at long last life has begun to creep back from the shadows of an epic epidemic, and none too soon. Oh I know the epidemic isn't completely over, but thanks to vaccines, the world is starting to look recognizable again. It's been a long time since I've shared space with like-minded advocates, people who have been friends, mentors, and family to me for years. How I've long anticipated a simple hug from another human being...
The moon is shining beautifully in its full phase lighting up the night sky, and a steady warm breeze blows as I walk across white, shifting sand to the gentle crashing of waves. Before me is the vast expanse of rippling sea with sparkling crests dancing on the water like diamonds and stars, making it difficult to tell the difference between earth and sky in a seemingly endless distance. The air is salty and humid but smells delightful, its hint of saline mist fills my airways as I take a deep breath and smile. I fall to my knees, feet from the washing waves reaching up the shore near where I...
In December 2021 I attended my first International Workshop on HIV and Transgender People and it was a fantastic learning experience.
Have you ever had a bone for science? I used to when I was growing up. I remember I used to want to be a scientist, I had so many questions about so many things and I wanted to know everything. I enjoyed running my little experiments to see what would happen if you froze a coke or mixed things together. I was inquisitive. But as you might guess I never became a scientist -- or even a high school graduate (I was a troubled youth), but I still have an interest and respect for science so I love attending a conference like the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), even...