health & equity
health stories PRODUCED BY LGBTQ MEDIA illuminate critical issues,
from inequitable access to groundbreaking advancements that benefit the community. In a city as medically advanced and renowned as Houston, it may surprise people to find such inequity or lack of solutions. The OutSmart Foundation is committed to funding the research and documentation of disparities, breakthroughs and important resources.
DOCUMENTING HISTORYCOMMUNICATING THE ORAL History of AIDS in Houston
May 2016 Issue
In this age of PrEP therapy and antiretroviral cocktails, the devastating early years of AIDS seem hard to imagine. And many who lived through that era have shut a mental door on those memories. But however painful the memories are, it would be even more tragic to allow them to be lost to history. Toward that goal, The oH Project was founded to collect, preserve, and make available the experiences of people impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Houston, Harris County, and Southeast Texas, with special emphasis on the early years of the epidemic.
COMMUNITYAvery Belyeu
March 2024 issue & ACCOMPANYING video
OutSmart Media was honored to profile Avery Beyleu, upon her appointment as CEO of the Montrose Center. With more than a decade of experience in national nonprofit leadership experience, Beyleu brings an abundance of perspective to Houston’s largest LGBTQ resource center.
MEDICAL RESEARCHJonatan Gioia
February 2019 issue
In an interview with OutSmart Media reporter Lourdes Zavaleta, Dr. Jonatan Gioia shared background and stories about his role in the development of a medical milestone: the first injectable PrEP treatment, approved by the FDA in 2021. “Diversity in clinical trials is absolutely fundamental,” said Gioia, who helped coordinate the trials for the new injectable. “We need to really understand the communities that we serve. We know that underserved communities are the most impacted by HIV. Therefore, those are the folks that also have to be represented in these clinical trials.”
COMMUNITYALLIES IN HOPE
june 2023 issue
As the conversation around HIV/AIDS has evolved, so have the organizations working tirelessly to combat stigma and provide critical resources. The AIDS Foundation Houston recently rebranded as Allies in Hope to foster inclusivity and connect with a broader community; it also named Jeffrey Campbell as its first Black CEO. The changes represent a hopeful new chapter in the fight to end HIV/AIDS in Houston.
LEGACY COMMUNITY HEALTH: A 30-year history
October 2011 Issue
DOCUMENTING HISTORYWhat began as a grassroots effort by LGBTQ activists grew into the Montrose Clinic, a vital resource for Houston’s LGBTQ community. Over time, it expanded its reach and services, evolving into what is now Legacy Community Health — Houston’s largest community health provider, serving diverse populations with care and compassion.
OutSmart Media chronicled the evolution of Legacy with photos, an oral history and timeline.
COMMUNITYIn a cover story and profile in the November 2021 issue of OutSmart Media, Houstonian Caleb Brown spoke with reporter Zach McKenzie about ways he challenges the stigma of living with HIV. “My first post was a video of me taking my medicine and talking about what living with HIV is like. I wanted to normalize it and explain that there was no reason to be scared. I’m a normal person just like anyone else.” Brown’s posts caught fire and his reach expanded outside of his social circles. “Strangers started messaging me, asking about where they could get PrEP, what next steps they should take after getting a diagnosis, or about free clinics in their area. These questions forced me to do the research, and I was glad to do it. It eventually became second nature.”
Caleb Brown
November 2021 issue
COMMUNITYPaula chambers
June 2024 online feature
Colorectal cancer is the second-most-fatal cancer in the United States — and it’s also probably one of the most stigmatized cancers. “There’s no point in being ashamed in talking about colorectal cancer. And yet, so many people are ashamed to talk about it, especially men, and even more so with men of color. As I have said many times, we all have a gut and we all have a butt,” activist Paula Chambers shared with OutSmart during Colorectcal Cancer Awareness Month.
Archival photos courtesy of houstonlgbthistory.org