The end of April concludes Georgia Equality’s Ending the HIV Epidemic Fellowship program, which all culminated in the Fellows’ final event: “Ending Metro Atlanta’s HIV Epidemic” at the Loudermilk Conference Center last Friday. In a crowd of some the most influential elected officials and public health leaders in Metro-Atlanta, the Fellows shared their journeys toward working in ending the HIV epidemic, why it is important to them, what policies our leaders can enact to expedite the epidemic’s end, as well as what lies ahead for the Fellows as individuals.

Guest speakers included Fulton County Commissioner Chair Robb Pitts, and Georgia Representative Jasmine Clark, who concluded the program with a motivational keynote speech. A recording of the event can be found on Georgia Equality’s Facebook, here.

Fellow William (Will) Ramirez (he/him) spoke about his upbringing as the son of immigrants and growing up in the poorest congressional district in the nation. Growing up in the Bronx, NY, and witnessing the detrimental impact that HIV, disinvestment, and discriminatory housing policies had on his community served as a backdrop to early volunteer work with tenant rights and housing advocacy. Making it his purpose to serve others, drove him to first join the military and then become an educator in disadvantaged communities after the completion of his enlistment. Will then moved to Atlanta with his wife and daughter where he earned a Master of Public Administration degree focusing on the intersection of Public Health and the Built Environment. It was during this time that he joined the Fellowship at Georgia Equality, where his work included HIV housing policy, coalition building, advocacy, and organizing community members/stakeholders to advocate for housing for persons living with HIV in Atlanta and surrounding communities. Will and his coalition have made strides in accountability for HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for People With AIDS) dollars in Atlanta, and hopes to continue his policy and advocacy work in Atlanta through this coalition and beyond. Will has also accepted a research fellowship with the CDC, where he hopes to bring an emphasis of housing to harm reduction strategies in the federal government. 

Fellow Taylor Brown (he/they) shared his journey as a disgruntled youth finding his path in public health through his reach in HIV & STI education campaigns in the local LGBTQ+ community, his collegiate work in the opioid and Alcohol Use Disorder epidemics, his position in COVID-19 Response… all leading up to his Fellowship here at Georgia Equality. Here he shared his work as a fellow, which includes drafting policy for increasing PrEP access in Georgia, budget advocacy supporting PrEP programs, Syringe Service Programs, Medicaid Expansion, as well as the numerous community events he put together. Taylor will expand and further push HIV policy work as Georgia Equality’s newest addition to their full time staff!