November 25, 2005 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE
AIDS educator remembers a boyhood friend with HIV
by Marilyn Rodriguez
Cleveland "I used to discriminate against people with AIDS," said Cleveland Hispanic Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program's HIV Prevention Specialist Ismael Flores.
Flores was eighteen when a childhood friend disclosed that he was living with HIV.
"We did everything together. We used to play sports, ride bikes, and hang out; but when he disclosed his illness to me, everything changed," Flores said. "I immediately distanced myself from him; I did not want to associate with someone who was gay nor did I want to be seen with him. I did not want people to think that I was also sick and gay."
Though Flores's friend did not disclose how he contracted HIV, Flores assumed that he was gay since at the time AIDS was considered to be a gay man's disease.
"During my childhood, I was taught that homosexuality was a sin and that HIV was a consequence of being gay. For many years I believed it," he said. "Not only did I discriminate against my one of my best friends for having AIDS but I actually believed that he deserved to be infected."
Flores's friend later died at the age of 24, without Flores's support.
Years later, Flores married, had a child and lived a "normal life"-until he came out as gay after nine years of marriage. He later divorced and after some time fell in love with a man who was living with AIDS, though Flores did not know it at the time.
"He told me months into the relationship that he was living with HIV," Flores said. "I was so in love; my feelings for him did not change. I wanted to stay with him and support him as much and as long as possible. After a few years our relationship came to an end but
the lessons I learned about who I was and his HIV still remain with me today."
Later he moved to Florida, in search of a new life. He began to volunteer at a local health organization where he had the opportunity to work with individuals living with HIV or AIDS. It was during this time that Flores made a commitment to keep working for the cause. Flores eventually moved back to Cleveland and after a few months he started to work at Hispanic UMADAOP where he now runs two HIV programs, one for Latino youth and another for Latino men who have sex with
men.
According to Hispanic UMADAOP Program Director Danei Chavez, Flores is very dedicated to his work.
"Flores is committed to ending the spread of this disease," Chavez noted. "He is hard working, compassionate, an excellent coworker and manages to stay grounded despite
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the challenges of working in this field. He is an important asset to our organization."
The man who once discriminated against people living with AIDS or those who were gay, is now using the experiences he learned to educate others about the disease and homosexuality.
"My Latino brothers and sisters need to wake up," Flores said. "HIV is destroying our communities and we cannot sit back and watch, like I once did. We have to take a stand. We can end the spread of this disease and the stigma associated with it," he urged.
Hispanic UMDAOP is hosting a World AIDS Day Celebration on Thursday December 1 at 4:30 pm to honor those who have lost their battle to AIDS. Everyone is welcome to attend; call 216-258-0149 for the location.
Marilyn Rodriguez is the coordinator of the Mas Vida program at the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland.
Educador se SIDA recuerda a un amigo de su niñez
por Marilyn Rodríguez
Cleveland-"Antes discriminaba a la gente con SIDA," decía el Especialista de Prevención contra el VIH del centro de Hispanic UMADAOP en Cleveland, Ismael Flores.
Flores tenia dieciocho años cuando un amigo cercano le confeso que tenia VIH. "Hacíamos todo juntos. Practicábamos deportes, montábamos bicicletas y salíamos juntos, pero cuando él me confeso su enfermedad todo cambio. Inmediatamente me aleje de él; No quería andar con alguien que fuera homosexual ni tampoco quería que alguien me viera con él. No quería que la gente pensara que yo también estaba enfermo o que era homosexual."
A pesar de que el amigo de Flores no le menciono como se había contagiado; Flores pensó que él era homosexual pues en ese tiempo el SIDA sé considerada una enfermedad que solamente les daba a los
hombres homosexuales.
"Durante mi niñez, me enseñaron que la homosexualidad era un pecado y que el VIH era consecuencia de ser homosexual. Por muchos años creí en esto. No, solamente discrimine a uno de mis mejores amigos por tener SIDA, realmente creí que se merecía estar infectado."
Tiempo después el amigo de Flores murió a la edad de 24 años, sin el apoyo de Flores.
Años mas tarde, Flores se caso, tuvo un hijo y vivió una “vida normal”—hasta que después de él salió con que era homosexual después de nueve años de casado. Se divorcio y después de un tiempo se enamoro de un hombre que tenia SIDA, Flores no lo sabía. "Después de varios meses de estar en la relación él me confeso que tenia VIH. Estaba tan enamorado; que mis sentimientos para el no cambiaron. Quería quedarme con él para apoyarlo lo más que pudiera y por el mayor tiempo posible. Después de unos cuantos años nuestra relación llega a un fin, pero las
Dykes Towatch Out For by Alison Bechdel
strange bedfellows
IN THE HALLS OF BUFFALO LAKE STATE...
BUT THE REASON YOU'RE ABLE TO SIT HERE BEING ALL LIBERAL AND TOLERANT IS BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE USING FORCE-AND TORTURE WHEN NECESSARY--TO GET TERRORISTS OFF THE STREETS AND PROTECT YOU FROM FUTURE ATTACKS!
THAT'S SO BOGUS! TORTURE DOESN'T PRODUCE GOOD INTELLIGENCE! EVEN IF THE PEOPLE YOU'RE TORTURING ARE ACTUAL TERRORISTS, AND NOT FARMERS OR JAYWALKERS, LIKE MOST OF THE 83,000 PEOPLE WE'VE DETAINED IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS!
lecciones que yo aprendí de quien era yo y su enfermedad de VIH todavía las recuerdo hasta el día de hoy."
Flores luego se mudo a Florida, en busca de una nueva vida. Él ofreció sus servicios como voluntario en una organización local de salud, donde tuvo la oportunidad de trabajar con individuos que tenían VIH/SIDA. Fue en este tiempo donde Flores se comprometió a seguir trabajando para la causa. Flores volvió a mudarse a Cleveland y después de unos meses comenzó a trabajar en Hispanic UMADAOP, donde ahora esta a cargo de dos programas de VIH, uno para la juventud Latina y otro para los hombres Latinos que tienen sexo con otros hombres.
De acuerdo a la Directora de Programas de Hispanic UMADAOP Danei Chávez, Flores es muy dedicado a su trabajo. "Ismael se ha comprometido a terminar con el transmisión de esta enfermedad. Él es un trabajador compasivo, un excelente compañero de trabajo y se mantiene fuerte a pesar del desafió tan grande que es trabajar en este campo. El es una persona muy
GOD! ENOUGH! I CAME HERE TO STUDY FOR THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE FINAL, NOT TO WATCH YOU TWO FLIRT.
valiosa para nuestra organización."
El hombre que una vez discrimino a la gente con VIH/SIDA o a los que eran homosexuales, ahora esta utilizando su experiencia para poder ensañarle a otros de esta enfermedad y la homosexualidad. "Mis hermanos y hermanas Latinas necesitan despertar. El VIH esta destruyendo nuestra comunidad y no podemos sentarnos a ver, como yo hice una vez. Tenemos que ser firmes. Juntos podemos terminar la transmisión de esta enfermedad y el enigma que la asocia."
EL centro Hispanic UMADAOP patrocinara una celebración en el Día Mundial del SIDA el Jueves primero de Diciembre a las 4:30 p.m. para honor a aquellos que han perdido la batalla contra el SIDA. Todos están bienvenidos para asistir.
Marilyn Rodriguez es la coordinadoar del programa de Mas Vida en el SIDA Taskforce de Mayor Cleveland.
MEANWHILE, AT THEIR PROFESSOR'S DOMICILE... SAMIA? CAN I COME OVER? I HAVE FORTY HARLEM RENAISSANCE PAPERS TO GRADE AND I CAN'T HEAR MYSELF THINK.
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