Nov. 17, 2022
Contact: Allen Harvey, aharvey@aidsunited.org
(202) 768-8645
WASHINGTON — Today, AIDS United and Game Changing Men announced the release of “Changing the Game: Visibility of Trans Men in the South,” a groundbreaking survey of transmasculine communities in the South. From a grant provided by the Southern HIV Impact Fund, Game Changing Men spent the last year collecting data from more than 1,200 people who identify as transmasculine.
“The stories and narratives of trans men and transmasculine folx have been erased from almost any tangible documentation. As an organization that prides itself on bringing representation and visibility for trans men and transmasculine folx we knew that we must capture the true needs within the community,” said Quinton Reynolds, executive director of Game Changing Men.
The organization’s mission is to erase stigmas and barriers for the progression of Black transmasculine men in society by addressing toxic masculinities and promoting health to end violence and ensure the safety and wellness for communities of color.
As a response to the lack of transmasculine visibility, Reynolds teamed up with survey evaluator, Vienna Mbagaya, MPH., to present this survey report. The goal of the survey is to highlight some of the needs of trans men and transmasculine folx and barriers they face with regards to access to prevention, contraceptive methods and other resources needed to add to their quality of life. Its release during Transgender Awareness Week brings great visibility to the existence of trans men and transmasculine folks and tells a small part of their story — while knocking down the doors of stigma, societal barriers and any exclusion that misrepresents trans men and transmasculine folx.
“Commissioning this report as a deliverable for Game Changing Men was an act of activism to ensure that the voices of trans men and transmasculine folx in the United States South could be heard and become visible in our strategies to end new HIV diagnoses, and as a tool to address the social injustices that trans men and transmasculine folx face. Congratulations to Game Changing Men executive director Quinton Reynolds, its leadership and volunteers on this momentous report and moment,” said Marvell L. Terry II, senior program manager of the Southern HIV Impact Fund at AIDS United.
Join AIDS United’s Southern HIV Impact Fund and Game Changing Men on Thursday, Nov. 17, at 2 p.m. CST for a webinar discussion of the survey results, key findings and call-to-action with guest speakers, Manny Vega on incarceration, D’Jamel Young on sexual health and Ja’Mel Ware on reproductive health. The webinar is free and open to the public. To register, please visit this link: bit.ly/3To38Vb.
To download the full report, please click here: Game Changing Men 2022 Survey Report.
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Convened by Funders Concerned About AIDS in 2017 to coordinate and expand philanthropic efforts in the United States South, the Southern HIV Impact Fund is managed by AIDS United and receives support for Year 5 from The Gilead COMPASS Initiative®, ViiV Healthcare, the Levi Strauss Foundation, Janssen Pharmaceutical and a generous anonymous donor. To learn more, visit southernfund.org.
AIDS United’s mission is to end the HIV epidemic in the United States. In the ongoing work for social justice and true equity, ending the HIV epidemic in the United States is our chosen role. As of January 2021, AIDS United’s strategic grant-making initiatives have directly funded more than $118 million to local communities and have leveraged more than $184 million in additional investments for programs that include, but are not limited to, syringe access, access to care, capacity-building, HIV prevention and advocacy.
