The HIV and Aging Conference for 2024 was June 14th and we had a great time celebrating multiple aspects of thriving and growing into ‘seasoned’ adults (panelist Ms. Victoria’s term for ‘older adults’). The theme of the conference was Celebration, starting with an inspiring keynote by Rod McCoy on how HIV lives with him – not that he’s living with HIV. Rod’s keynote brought up points he regularly makes in his podcast Listen to Daddy – sex positivity, harm reduction, and thriving more and more each day.
By focusing the conversation back on celebrating ourselves, we can work towards the things we want – and that HIV is just another component to that complex map.
Throughout the rest of the conference, various panels and the attendees discussed sexual freedom and possibilities – including a few panelists of lived experience where they shared their wisdom. We also learned more about the right to celebrate from SAGE and The Legal Action Center, including aspects around how our HIV information is covered under more specific privacy laws than HIPAA. For more information about NYS Article 27-F, visit Legal Action Center’s short guide here.
The last panel discussed how to continue flourishing in today’s world. The last panel of folks ended the event with their own testimonies, led by Reginald Brown, which inspired many in the audience to stand up and share their own truths.
We want to thank all of our speakers for their hard work, the information they shared, and their presence in the community. Here is a link to the program so you can read about all of our speakers.
