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He already has reached out to other HIV groups in the city and said we can expect to see more collaboration in the near future. While they work together on some things, he believes that better collaboration would lead to better outcomes for the population they serve. When I asked Coon what surprises he faced so far on the job, he admitted that he was surprised at the lack of cooperation between the other HIV and AIDS agencies in the city. That's why I rely on the people around me, and we have good people who work for this organization," Coon said. He is seeking other qualified minorities for the board. He has addressed this issue head on by adding two African-Americans to the agency's 13-member board. And although he's white, he is fully aware of the stigma associated with homosexuality in the black community.Ĭoon understands how many can view as a problem the fact that he's a white guy who is the head of an agency that deals with an issue that primarily impacts people of color. She was hurt because in Coon's words "she had no idea."Īlthough gay issues are being talked about more, Coon said the process of coming out is still difficult for many people because they don't have strong support systems. Telling his mother was one of the hardest things he had to do, but it was also one of the most liberating.
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When he attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he said he felt he no longer had to deny that he was gay, so he joined a gay activist organization on campus and he felt that it was time to tell his mother the truth. He said he never got into trouble growing up, but one thing he wasn't honest about to his mother was his sexuality. 1.Ĭoon grew up the youngest of five in a Catholic household in Menomonee Falls. It's difficult, but it's a challenge Coon gladly accepted when he took over the organization Aug. The challenge for Coon is to get people to understand this. Coon said HIV is not synonymous with death, promiscuity, drug use or homosexuality. Some of us still believe that marriage will protect our sexual health, but there are hundreds of stories of spouses being infected with the virus from unfaithful mates. Some of us still associate sexually transmitted infections and HIV with immoral or deviant behavior.
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That's why it's important for young people to have a relationship with health care providers.Ĭoon said one of the things his agency is trying to do is change the perception about HIV by moving the conversation from blaming the victim for contracting the disease to informing the public about how HIV is still a disease that should demand our attention. The bad news: the population most impacted by HIV - young, poor black men know little about the drug. A single pill taken daily interferes with HIV's ability to copy itself in your body after you've been exposed. The good news is that new drugs such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), which keeps HIV negative people from becoming infected are now part of the arsenal to combat HIV. When it comes to fighting AIDS, Coon said there is good news and bad news. Now imagine if Taylor Swift was the spokeswoman for this group.
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Imagine for a minute if the CDC issued a statement saying half of white females ages 13 to 24 will be stricken with cancer in their lifetime. Second, the group most affected has minimal public representation to champion the cause. Twenty-five years ago that wasn't the case, but medical advances have ensured that HIV is no longer an automatic death sentence. This needs to be a high priority on health care agendas across the country.Ĭoon said most of the silence comes from the fact that a majority of the population doesn't know anyone who has died from the disease. In February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that about half of all gay and bisexual black men in the United States will be diagnosed with the virus that causes AIDS during their lifetime if something doesn't change. HIV rates among young, black gay men in Milwaukee and in urban areas across the country are higher than for any other group. As his first anniversary on the job nears, Gerry Coon's goals as president and CEO of Diverse & Resilient are the same as his predecessor: reduce HIV and STI rates among young, black gay men in southeastern Wisconsin and improve health outcomes for those living with HIV.