Kicking off the Global Black Pride (GBP) festivities, health leaders from around the world are meeting for the Health and Human Rights Conference to discuss advocacy around Black LGBTQ rights worldwide. The conference commenced this morning with an opening reception, featuring speakers who welcomed attendees to the event and highlighted the work that needs to be done for and by the Black LGBTQ community.
Dr. Lakara Foster, a pastor at The Vision Church of Atlanta, poignantly opened up the event with the following prayer:
God, creator of the universe, expanded consciousness, divine energy, eternal presence, infinite wisdom, the all that was, is, and ever will be, or the God of your understanding, we thank you for this moment in time, for giving us breath in our bodies to do this amazing work. We thank you for deeming us worthy to be intricately invaluable pieces to the puzzle of your divine design. We thank you for this opportunity to teach one another, but more importantly, to learn from one another, to see one another, but more importantly, to serve one another, to lead one another, but most importantly, to love one another. Thank you for allowing our influence to be impactful, because if it isn’t impactful, then it is irrelevant. With that, may we be guided by wisdom, strengthened by our purpose, and blessed in our work ahead. May this conference be a time of inspiration, connection and empowerment for all who participate, and may we leave here not only with new knowledge, but with renewed determination to make the world a better place for our community. Thank you, and welcome once again to the Global Black Pride, Health and Human Rights Conference. Let’s continue to make history together.
Micheal Ighodaro and Rikki Nathanson, the president and vice president, respectively, of GBP, briefly welcomed guests, with Ighodaro pointing to the conference as “more than just a series of discussions and panels” but “a powerful statement about the importance of our voices, our experiences, and our rights,” before turning the stage over to Princess Jauan Durbin for the keynote address.
Durbin is a 26-year-old emerging global health leader and HIV youth advocate who used their time on the stage to share their personal story highlighting the harsh realities of HIV care that need to be addressed.
“When I was 17, my life changed with one phone call from the health department,” they said. “On that call, I was told that someone I had been in contact with had tested positive for HIV and that I needed to come in for confirmatory testing. At that moment, I didn’t understand much about HIV beyond the ignorant and stigmatizing rhetoric that society feeds us. I was scared, I was confused, and I felt completely alone. As I listened to the cold voice on the other end of the line, I made an active decision to not go to the Health Department. The person speaking to me was cold. They were unempathetic, and they were so dismissive of the questions that I had, and their approach made me feel less of a person and more of a problem. That night, I ended up sleeping on my floor, consumed not just by fear but loneliness. Thankfully, I had a mentor, a community health worker who I trusted. I scheduled to get tested with them that next day.”
“This experience taught me the critical importance of having culturally competent, empathetic healthcare providers who understand the unique challenges that young black queer people face,” they continued. “Unfortunately, my experience with the health department where I encountered cold and dismissive treatment is not at all unique across the Southern U.S. Black LGBT youth frequently encounter healthcare providers who lack the training or the awareness or the understanding needed to offer care that is both respectful and affirming of our identities. This isn’t just a matter of personal insensitivity, it’s a systemic failure that often leaves us feeling unseen and unsupported.”
Along with increasing access to culturally competent care, Durbin also pointed to the need for better sexual education in schools, increasing knowledge and awareness around HIV (citing a 2023 study from GLAAD which found that Gen Z was the least knowledgeable generation about HIV, despite being the most diverse and openly LGBTQ), and collecting more data on the distribution of health resources to ensure systems and their leaders are held accountable for the Black LGBTQ people who are being systemically left behind.
Durbin also pointed to the need to address economic disparities and barriers to health care and preventative services. According to a 2024 Deloitte and Meharry School of Global Health analysis, the U.S. currently spends an estimated $477.5 billion annually in avoidable and unnecessary expenses related to mental health inequities. This total includes approximately $2.4 billion in HIV-related disparities, which is expected to increase to $7.8 billion by 2040.
Durbin’s speech led into the rest of the day’s discussions and panels, which covered topics including All Black Lives Matter, Addressing the Criminalization of Black Bodies, Combatting HIV in Black LGBTQ Communities, Health Trends Affecting Black LGBTQ Populations, and more. Tomorrow, the conference will open with a keynote address from Kelley Robinson, the president of the Human Rights Campaign.
To learn more about the Global Black Pride Health and Human Rights Conference, visit globalblackpride.org/human-rights-and-health-conference.