Poz I Am Radio

This Sunday Robert Breining and Aaron Laxton will be speaking witht he founder of Dab the AIDS Bear Project. Back in 1981 when Dab 1st had friends starting to die from AIDS, the hospitals wouldn't allow visitors into the patient's room unless you wore protective garments (gowns, masks etc.) because they were afraid of this new disease and were not sure how the virus was passed. Because of this, people were usually close to death and had at least one opportunistic infection when they were diagnosed and hospitalized. You could see even seasoned health care professional recoil in fear and not wanting to touch the patients. Even close friends were hesitant or scared to visit their friends in the hospital. Dab started buying Gund teddy bears and giving them to friends so they wouldn't have to feel so alone, abandoned and afraid. That is how Dab the AIDS Bear Project began, Learn more at www.dabtheaidsbearproject.com

Join Robert and his new cohost for the 5th season premiere of POZ I AM Radio. They will be recapping the Positive Living 16 Conference and talking with the man behind Positive Living Butch Mckay. They will also be joined by Rick Vitale this years recipient of the Martin Delany Power of One Award. Feel free to call into the show and share  what your experience at the conference was like . 347-215-9442.

 Butch Mckay is currently Executive Director of Okaloosa AIDS Support and Informational Services, Inc. (OASIS), a position he has held since 1996. He founded the Positive Living Conference Series in 1997. Butch has been involved in the AIDS arena for 24 years, starting his career as a volunteer with Birmingham AIDS Outreach and UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) AIDS Clinic and Research Center. He assisted BASIC in Panama City with initial trainings when they became an AIDS Service Organization in the late 80’s and later served as a case manager, case manager supervisor , and director of education for BASIC for a collective total of 5 years. He served on the planning committee for the White House Summit on HIV and Aging and attended the Presidential Reception for the National AIDS Strategy. He directs the Activate! U Advocacy Academy program that was awarded the ADAP Grassroots Advocacy Campaign of the Year Award by aaa+. Butch was awarded the Florida HIV/AIDS Red Ribbon Excellence Award for Highest A

Join us as we sadly say farewell to the fabulous Jeromy Dunn, Jeromy has been co hosting the show with Robert since its inception. They will be sharing memories about past guests and shows. Call into the show and show some love to Jeromy 347-215-9442

Fellow Blogger & Activist Aaron Laxton sits with Robert and Jeromy for a hour of Hot Topics. Call us with your thoughts at 347-215-9442

Robert and Mark S. King will be discussing news headlines and hot topics in the HIV/AIDS community.

Tune in for our special 1 hour Mother's Day Show. We will be speaking with 3 HIV positive mothers. They will share how they shared their diagnosis with their children and how HIV has played a role in their role as a mother.

This Pretty Boy with HIV name is B. Styliz Ortiz. B. Styliz is a twenty-three year old Homosexual Brooklyn Native. Ortiz is also an Author (Pretty Boy with the House In Virginia), Motivational Speaker, Activist for HIV. Author B. Styliz Ortiz expresses his passion to speak out on HIV and its Stigma because he too is HIV POSITIVE. Mr. Ortiz book "Pretty Boy with the House In Virginia" discloses all the juicy, raw, real, and most in importantly the awareness of the risk that those who live a promiscuous lifestyle put themselves in. Which he speaks from experiences, after many tragic death he became numb, exploring the world with no care. When he contracted the virus in 2010 by his secretive ex boyfriend. Beside the book B. Styliz is a motivational speaker who has spoken at "El Puente for the Youth" for Latino AIDS Day 2012, also a Book Signing at Howard University in Washington D.C. (December 2012) B. Styliz also Hosted a HIV/AIDS Charity Event Fabulous Faces Foto Shoot (October 2012), he plans on spreading the

JZ was born in raised in Georgia by his mother. He grew up poor and didn’t have very man friends. This really messed with his self-esteem. He was always picked to play last when it came to sports. At 19 he left home, because living in the conservative south was too hard for him. At 24 he found out he was HIV+. He thought his life was over. Within the last eleven years, he has realized that life continues and is better than he ever thought it could ever be. He now plays softball, flag football, and basketball. In basketball, the sport he remembers being the most unfriendly as a kid, he recently won the coaches award.

Kristopher Sharp, an openly gay student running for student body vice-president at University of Houston–Downtown, was the target of a horrific smear campaign last week when a flyer with Sharp's photo and the headline "WANT AIDS?" circulated around campus. Accusing Sharp of having a "homosexual agenda," the flyer's creator reached a new level of awful by also printing a copy of Sharp's confidential medical records containing his HIV-positive status on the back. Though he initially considered transferring schools, thanks to the support of his friends and the university, Sharp has decided to stay at UHD and continue his campaign. He is not planning to pursue any legal action: "I just want an apology. And I'm going to wait for that.

Michelle Anderson is an African-American woman who has been living for HIV since 1999. She currently resides in Dallas, Texas and is very active in her community as Co-Chair of Campaign to End AIDS Texas , The Afiya Center Peer Educator , Public Speaker , as well as a board member for AIDS Services of Dallas, and ADAP Advocacy Association where she is the Treasurer. Michelle has dedicated much of her personal life to educating others on HIV/AIDS throughout the greater Dallas area and beyond. She plans to finish her degree in Social Work where she will be able to continue to spread the message, and educate people regarding HIV/AIDS. Michelle has stepped out of the box and was previously crowned  Ms. Duncanville Plus America 2010 and 2011. She plans to use her title to become the voice of positive women of color. Michelle has experience as a group facilitator and has attended many conferences where she received training in Advocacy, Project LEAP (Learning, Empowerment, Advocacy, Participation), and Common Threa

Tonight Robert & Jeromy will be discussinga range of topic and news headlines. Call the show with your comments. 347-215-9442

Positive since 2005, Danny now is a staunch advocate/activist in the AIDS community. Working as as outreach supervisor and peer group facilitator he fights everyday to end stigma and AIDS related health disparities. He had recently been named chairperson for the Southern Maryland region for The HIV Planning Group, which has been newly created by the CDC.  Together with the amazing network of advocates/activists that are available to our community Danny can see the day when AIDS is no more.

The Needle Prick Project is an editorial and visual project with the mission of sparking a new conversation about HIV today.  The editorial project is a profile series featured in The Advocate online magazine that is intended to place a modern face on HIV. These profiles not only feature people who are positive but also those who have an experience with HIV - whether it be a partner, brother, mother or friend.  The visual project allows others to become involved in the project by taking a photo with a red band aid and the "get pricked" logo.  Each photo represents a commitment to having a conversation about HIV with friends and family. The project began with the initial article, "The Needle Prick" Reluctant Commentary from a Newly HIV Positive 20-Something."  The Needle Prick is a metaphor for being afraid of something that ultimately makes us feel better.  Most people are afraid of discussing HIV, but education through conversation is the best way to erase stigma, increase awareness and prevent transmission

At the age of 17, Jake was doing things that no 17 year old should be doing, and he was doing these things without any protection. On June 2nd 2012 Jake was told something no one wants to ever hear, He at the young age of 17 was HIV positive. Jake is open to his family and friends and has always been, this is one reason why he believes he’s come so far in so little time with coming to terms with his diagnosis. This was a Jake knew that this was going to be a life changing event and vowed from that day forward that he would do everything in his power to not let it happen to any other youth. Today, 9 months after his diagnosis, Jake is happy, healthy, and now fulfilling his vow he made to himself and doing everything in his power to prevent youth from contracting HIV. View Jakes Letter to HIV

 DISCLOSURE - STIGMA - DATING - STARTING MEDICATIONS ..Call us with your topics and comments at 347-215-9442

On Sunday February 3rd Kevin Maloney the founder of RiseUpToHIV is going to be talking about his new Anti-Stigma Campaign - No SHame in Being HIV Positive. This is a Global public campaign inspired by Chelsea Clinton raising awareness by holding a simple sign for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Kevin's vision for this campaign is to mobilize people in places across the United States and the World willing to stand up to Stigma and Rise Up To HIV, all in an effort of realizing the UN Goals of getting to ZERO. The biggest barrier Kevin believes to realizing these goals is STIGMA.  

Robert Breining & Jeromy Dunn will be dicussing a range of hot topics this evening. DISCLOSURE - STIGMA - DATING - STARTING MEDICATIONS ETC...Call in and weigh in with your comments at 347-215-9442

Alexander Smith is a teacher, licensed clinical social worker, coach, writer, speaker, actor, and artist. Living with HIV since 2003, he was diagnosed on St. Patrick’s Day, and views that “lucky” day as the moment he began to live. In June of 2011, he was featured on CNN, commemorating 30 years of HIV/AIDS. Coming Out with his status has shifted the isolation, stigma, discrimination, and judgement that has accompanied his journey with the virus. Through this courageous and necessary action, more love, support, friendship, health, and abundance has graced his life. He is the vision behind Bless Your Virus, a movement and conversation aimed to inform and inspire. Its mission is to: 1.Deconstruct shame, stigma and secrets. 2.Spread compassion, courage, connection, kindness and kinship. 3.Teach others a mindfulness as they learn to bless their fear, disease, and virus. 4.Speak the C Word (cure). Alexander is a native of Salt Lake City, Utah, and is currently living in Southern California. He has studied film and

Josh Kruger, a child of the nineties, grew up in a rural town in Pennsylvania.  In 2002, he moved to Philadelphia where he attended the University of Pennsylvania studying political science and anthropology.  For five years, he worked in community and LGBT non-profit development, fundraising, and marketing.  Diagnosed as HIV positive in his late twenties, he left the non-profit industry and started Emapwerks, his company focusing on writing, editing, and marketing, in 2012. Josh writes often utilizing his personal perspective with sero-discordant relationships, online sex and dating, alcoholism, homelessness, Philadelphia's street economy, and depression.  In particular, he writes on LGBT political issues, small business, HIV/AIDS, gay culture, bathhouses, sex, alcohol and drug abuse, and personal ethics.  His work has been produced predominantly for Philadelphia-based print publications and national blogs and his Myers-Briggs personality type indicator is ENTJ. Josh currently lives and writes in Philadelp