Pride Month highlights the LGBTQIA+ community in a variety of ways, whether celebrating our queerness, affirming our identities, presenting drag performances, or reflecting on the inequities the community has faced past & present and taking meaningful action to create the change we want. Access Health Louisiana (AHL) attended several Pride events to support and partake of these celebrations.
The first event Access Health Louisiana took part in was PrideFest at the Phoenix Bar during New Orleans’ Pride weekend–people from all over came here to celebrate. We set up a booth with a wheel to spin to win prizes and also offered HIV testing. It was a magnificent occasion to bring the community together and let people know about the services Access Health Louisiana offers.
We also participated in the Family Equality Day Event. This event is put on every year during Pride Month to provide a space for queer families and allies to come together and show love & support for each other. AHL provided educational materials there and linked people to services at our Pythian and South Broad clinics.
For National HIV Testing Day (NHTD), AHL put on two events. First, we partnered with Women with a Vision to offer HIV testing, as well as blood pressure and glucose screenings. We provided a total of sixty screenings and 12 HIV tests. We also partnered with Walgreens at 1801 Saint Charles Avenue and provided educational material on PrEP, HIV testing, Hepatitis C testing, STI testing, Gender Care, and Medicaid as well as condoms. We provided a total of 13 HIV tests, 10 Hepatitis C tests, two PrEP referrals, and a Medicaid referral.
Access Health Louisiana was also at Slidell’s Connect to Pride Event at the Green Oaks Apothecary. This event was created to offer a space for Slidellians and the surrounding communities to come together in a safe space to celebrate Pride Month. There were a variety of activities, vendors, and live entertainment. AHL had a table there to link clients to PrEP, Gender Care, STI testing, behavioral health, Primary care, and educational materials.
Last but not least, Access Health Louisiana gave an educational presentation at the Mexican Consulate about “Gender, Sexuality, and Stigma in the Hispanic/Latinx Communities.” After the presentation, we provided HIV testing and tested four individuals.
Pride is an important month for the LGBTQIA+ community but we here at Access Health Louisiana want to make sure everyone is celebrated year around. You can find AHL at a variety of events coming up, including Karaoke at Oz hosted by drag queen Debbie with a ‘D’ on July 31st at 9:30pm. where our Linkage Coordinator will give a small talk about sexual health and AHL’s services along with providing education material.
Please visit Access Health Louisiana at https://accesshealthla.org/ to learn more about us and see our clinic locations. Article written by Jordan Probst.
