Women's History Month

March is Women’s History Month. Every year in elementary school, middle school and high school we have a lesson about this month where we discuss the big feats accomplished by many honorable women. We discuss women’s rights groups and famous activists. When a young girl sits in classrooms listening to her teachers explain these impressive women in history, she feels empowered. Usually, this lesson takes place on International Women’s Day which is on March 8th every year. It is important for a little girl to grow up knowing these powerful women and their impact on her very life to date. Just to name a few, we have Maya Angelou, Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, Malala Yousafzai, Anne Frank, Queen Elizabeth I, Catherine the Great, Jane Austen, and those are just some that mostly all of us know. Mothers,  grandmothers, and sisters are also some women in our own life we may look up to. Had these women not changed the course for all women, our present would be quite different. Many of these women didn’t just stand for women, they stood for everyone. Rosa Parks refused to get up from her seat, and that marked a very important point in history not just for women’s rights, but for the entire civil rights movement. The Seneca Falls Convention ladies changed the political scene for everyone, not just women. Women voting, getting the same education and work opportunities as men is still a worldwide issue. But women like Malala Yousafzai are working towards changing that. Every girl has the power to stand for her rights. Every girl has the right to voice her opinions. Every girl has the right to an education. It is not just a one-day thing or a one-month thing. It is a twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year thing. On March 10th, we observe National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.  It is crucial that the health of women also be of great importance. After all, the next generation of honorable women is among us. 

National Black HIV and AIDS Awareness Day

Earvin “Magic” Johnson is one of the most influential and popular black figures of all time. He is a business mogul, retired legendary NBA player, millionaire,devoted father and loving husband. And he has been living with HIV since 1991. When he went public with his diagnosis he was met with much disgust and disrespect, especially from the African-American community (the stigma around black men having HIV was much more prevalent in the 1990s than today).

In the 1990s, many people thought that only gay males can contract HIV, which is why it was so heavily stigmatized. Not only were black people stigmatizing each other and labeling, but as a community there was lack of social,emotional and mental support.. HIV affects us all so we as a community must take a stand to prevent the virus from infecting us.

Even with all the negativity he was receiving, Magic stayed strong, fought the disease and got all the treatment available. Now, 29 years later, Magic is still enjoying life, making business deals, making tv appearances and spending time with his family, all while living with HIV. Contracting HIV was not the end of the road for Magic Johnson and doesn’t have to be for you either. The treatment plans are out there and you don’t have to be rich like Magic Johnson to receive them either. Contracting HIV is not where your story ends. HIV is not a black thing or white thing, young or old, pretty or ugly, neither gay or straight. Instead of discriminating against each other and stigmatizing, let’s spread awareness and create a better future together. #HIVandminorities #LYFE #protectingyourdrems #blackhistorymonth #HIVawareness

Majoring In Public Health

Many Peer Leaders and Youth Advocates are majoring in Public Health and clinical studies in college after devoting their high school years to Peer Leadership Programs. The THEO Program is proud to say that many of the young people who have joined and worked for their program over the years have become Physicians, Nurses, Health Educators, Program Directors, Physician Assistants and Patient Navigators. It is amazing to watch young people pursue their goals and dreams!

Learning All About the Trans Experience!

Some people may ask what a transgender is, why someone may want to come out as transgender, how to tell if someone is transgender, and more. In this blog, you will be learning a little more about the transgender community.

When a man or woman identifies as transgender it means that they identify as the opposite gender they were assigned to at birth. People who identify as transgender say that they were assigned a gender that is not true to who they are. Also for some transgender identified people, they do not want to fit into the category of male or female. They feel that those two genders do not fit them. In Latin the word “trans” means cross, meaning that transgender is another way of saying cross gender.

Coming out as transgender may be hard for some people. Some people may not want to come out as transgender because they think they might lose close friends, family members, and more things that mean a lot to them. Also they might not want to come out because they feel they would be bullied, thought of as weird, and they think that people will discriminate them.

Some of many ways that a person can come out as transgender is by knowing the person you are going to come out too, inform yourself about transgender people and or do research, being confident when coming out to someone, having patience during the process, and even reaching out to an LGBTQ hotline for advice. You should know the person you are coming out too because you have to have a person that you can trust with the information you are giving them. Being confident when you come out shows another person that it does not matter what people say you are who you are. Having patience when coming out is important because people may say ignorant things and you have to be ready for it. One LGBTQ hotline that can be called is “The Trevor Project” @ 866-488-7386.

Thanks for visiting this blog come back in two more weeks to find out more terms from the LGBTTQQIAAP !!

For more about transgender people click this link:

Video About the Trans Experience!