I was diagnosed with HIV when I was 20 years old. Since then, I knew that I wanted to be part of the movement that works to create a world where “HIV infections are rare but, when they do occur, every person, regardless of age, gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socio-economic circumstances, will have access to high quality life-extending care, free from stigma and discrimination.”

Click below to learn more of the work I’ve done.

  • Stories have an impact. For decades, people living with HIV have shared their personal stories to help reduce stigma, increase awareness of treatment and prevention strategies, and help guide people living with HIV (and their loved ones) through this new chapter in their lives.

    I have been a speaker at college campuses for National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day activities and a guest lecturer in undergraduate classes. I have also been part of media campaigns with LATV (a Latino-owned TV network) and AIDS/LifeCycle (a fundraiser for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center).

    I am a Lambda Literary Emerging LGBTQ Voice Fellow, an alumna of Tin House Workshop, and Write It Out! My goal is to write a novel that advocates for policy changes that will propel towards a future with no new HIV infections.

  • AIDS/LifeCycle (ALC) is a 7-day, 545-mile cycling event that raises funds for the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS that benefits the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Ángeles LGBT Center. My friends and I founded Puro Pinche Papi (PPP), a team of queer BIPOC cyclists, to help raise funds for ALC. Over the past two years, PPP has collectively raised over $200,000 towards the cause. Through our training rides and fundraising efforts, we center and elevate BIPOC voices to educate how HIV/AIDS continues to disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities.

    Unfortunately, Black people account for 41% of new HIV infections and 29% of new HIV infections were among Latines. Thus, we strongly believe that Black and Brown communities need to lead the charge to change these statistics. Follow us on Instagram to learn how to donate and become involved.

  • Molecular HIV Surveillance (MHS) is an umbrella term that describes a wide range of practices focused on the monitoring of HIV varients and the differences and similarities between them for scientific research, public health surveillance and intervention. However, in many cases, MHS is being conducted and HIV data is being shared in ways that puts the rights and safety of people living with HIV in jeopardy. I co-wrote a briefing paper about MHS (available in English, Spanish, French, and Russian), on behalf of Positive Women’s Network and HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE, to support people living with HIV, activists, legal experts, and human rights campaigners understand the complexities and consequences of MHS. Learn more by clicking here.