May 31, 2019

In this issue:

Meet our Shero of the Month: Jamie Collins
Spotlight on Colorado: PWN-Colorado Celebrates Huge Victory for Comprehensive Sex Ed
PWN-USA Tribute to Mary Bowman
Deadline for Organizing for Power: Road to 2020
Webinar You Won’t Want to Miss

Meet Our Shero of the Month: Jamie Collins

Our May 2019 Shero of the Month is Jamie Collins of Dallas, Texas. Roxanne Glaxion, co-chair of PWN-USA Dallas/Fort Worth chapter said, “Ms. Jamie is a fierce woman. You will see her smiling, cracking jokes, and she always has her signature fan with her. She is a forced to be reckoned with.” Jamie is policy rep for the PWN Texas chapter and a current PWN policy fellow.

Jamie moved to Dallas from Shreveport in 2011. After being assaulted by her partner, she was diagnosed with HIV in January 2012 after treatment for her injuries. Unbeknownst to her, she had been a champion for the rights of transgender women since 1992 when her best friend became sick. She remembers there was one clinic in Shreveport where services were offered to transgender people. Once it closed down, the only aid came from the local hospital where the environment was neither welcoming, nor affirming. It was while she was caring for her sick friend that she realized more needed to be available. She started protesting the policies of nursing homes which housed people living with HIV.

Spotlight on Colorado: PWN-Colorado Celebrates Huge Victory for Comprehensive Sex Ed

We all know that young people deserve comprehensive, LGBTQ-inclusive sexual education in school so that they can make informed decisions about their sexual health and reproductive options. Seeing that the existing 2013 law requiring comprehensive sex ed in the state was full of loopholes that allowed districts to bypass the requirement, the fearless advocates of PWN Colorado decided to take action. And May 3, they scored a big victory when the state legislature passed HB 19-1032.

Q. How did PWN Colorado contribute to this effort? Who was involved in the planning?

A. PWN Colorado has been a part of the conversation around comprehensive sex education since 2013 and especially since our STI Modernization Act in 2016.

As the bills were being drafted, PWN Colorado was able to provide language for the bill, talk about the importance for statewide comprehensive sex education, and share concerns about the damage abstinence only programs do to Colorado youth, especially those in rural areas and underfunded metropolitan areas.

Read the full interview with PWN Colorado here

PWN-USA Remembers Mary Bowman

The staff, Board of Directors, and membership body at Positive Women’s Network – USA wish to express our heartfelt condolences for the sudden, unexpected loss of one of our most celebrated sisters, Mary Bowman, at only 30 years old.

Mary, who was born with HIV, was a poet, songwriter, and spoken word artist who was not afraid to tackle tough subjects, including HIV, in her work. Her poem, “Dandelions,” which she performed at the 2014 SPEAK UP! Summit, is a favorite among advocates in the HIV community.

“She had a beautiful Spirit
She had a beautiful Soul
Her spoken words were golden
Her presence beholds
A sigh of relief and even though
She isn’t here physically
Mary Bowman will forever be with us SPIRITUALLY
We cry out to you our Angel
We cry out to you
Our PWN Spoken Word GODDESS Forever.”

— Stacy Jennings

Organizing for Power Applications Due TODAY

The deadline to complete applications for Organizing for Power: Road to 2020 is TODAY! May 31, 2019, at 11:59 pm PDT.

As a reminder, we are recruiting teams led by women and people of trans experience living with HIV who want to help elevate issues important to the HIV community in the election cycle between now and November 2020. OFP teams will be trained and supported to lead Get Out the Vote (GOTV) efforts in their cities, congressional districts, and states. OFP teams must be able to commit to participate in GOTV activities from August 2019-November 2020.

Apply here

Join Us Thursday, June 20, at 3pm EDT/12pm PDT for

Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice

Join us Thursday, June 20, at 3pm EDT/12pm PDT for the fifth webinar in our 6-part PWN Policy Agenda series: Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice, with special guest presenters Amanda M. Klassing (Human Rights Watch), Tammy Boyd (Black Women’s Health Imperative), and Beirne Roose-Snyder, JD (Center for Health and Gender Equity).