+Advocates Training Spring 2023
6 full days of HIV criminal law reform training for people living with HIV. 2023 Training schedule and Trainer Bios are below.
MARCH 18 Click here for slides
10a-12p: Orientation & HMM – Who we are and HIV Criminalization Reform 101
Dr. Carrie Foote, Mark Hughes, Phoenix Schlebecker
1-2p: HIV Criminalization Survivors Panel
Robert Suttle and Monique Howell
2-3p: Meeting our Legislative Champion Representative Ed Clere
Representative Ed Clere Indiana House District 72
MARCH 25 Click here for slides
10a-12p: Being the Change You Seek in a Resistant Community
Kamaria Laffrey
1-3p: Intersectional Stigmas and HIV Criminalization
Terrell Parker
APRIL 1 click here for slides
10a-1p: Mid-Training Reflection & Action Planning
Dr. Carrie Foote, Mark Hughes, Phoenix Schlebecker
APRIL 15 Click here for slides
10a-12p: What’s happening out there in Indiana?
Dr. Carrie Foote
1-3p: Building PLHIV Networks, Building Power
Tami Haught
APRIL 22 Click here for slides & here for Indiana General Assembly 101
10a-12p: Understanding the Indiana Legislative Process
Tony Gillespie
1-3p: Making HIV Law Modernization Progress
Tim Jackson and Deirdra Johnson
APRIL 29 Click here for slides
10a-1p: End of Training Reflection & Action Planning
Dr. Carrie Foote, Mark Hughes, Phoenix Schlebecker
Meet Our Trainers
Dr. Carrie Foote
HMM Chair and Research and Legislative Lead
Dr. Carrie Foote (she/her) Once a homeless injection drug-user, HIV+ since 1988, Dr. Carrie is now a scholar, mother and activist co-leading Indiana’s HIV Modernization Movement and a founding member of the Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U) Campaign.
Mark Hughes
HMM Co-chair and Training consultant for the National Minority AIDS Coalition
Mark Hughes (he/him) has been living with HIV for over twenty years. He is a training consultant for the National Minority AIDS Coalition and co-leads Indiana’s HIV Modernization Movement. His motto is “never give up on people. You gotta meet people where they are at and keep inviting them to the table.”
Phoenix Schlebecker
HMM ProgRam Assistant and ADVOCATE
Phoenix Schlebecker (they/them) Since coming out as transgender the month before their high school graduation, Phoenix has been passionate about supporting & speaking out for the trans community, particularly trans youth. They met Dr Carrie Foote through their work in the LGBTQ+ community and as a student in her AIDS and Society course at IUPUI in 2021. After becoming more familiar with the stigma and other challenges that the HIV community faces, Phoenix was chosen as a member of the Human Rights Campaign’s GENERATE Cohort—a national fellowship of LGBTQ+ youth of color focused on reducing HIV stigma through advocacy and education. Phoenix has been working to support HMM’s efforts to modernize Indiana’s HIV criminal laws since 2022.
Robert Suttle
chair of The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) Council of Justice Leaders
Robert Suttle (he/him) is a student affairs practitioner, consultant, and change maker with extensive experience in the academic and non-profit sectors in the areas of community advocacy and program management. He is the chair of The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) Council of Justice Leaders, a member of the HIV Justice Network’s Global Advisory Panel (GAP), and a founding member of The Sero Project (Sero). Robert is an influential and trusted voice featured in various digital media and internet publications for his insight and opinion on the impact and progress for racial and gender justice in the movement to decriminalize HIV. He is also a survivor of HIV prosecution and conviction under Louisiana’s HIV-specific criminal statute.
Monique D. Howell
Author, Veteran, & Council of Justice Leader (ETAF)
Monique D. Howell (she/her) Born in Oklahoma to a military and minister family, Monique is an Army veteran who wrote “Living inside my Skin of Silence”, a story of her personal testimonial of many challenges in her life, including surviving HIV prosecution under Military law. A member of the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) Council of Justice Leaders, she is a motivational speaker, advocate and social media influencer for HIV/AIDS Awareness and also produced “A Silver Lining”, an inspirational film of her life (a second film “On the Other Side” is in production). She hopes her testimonial will help many broken people and encourage them to have the will power to keep pushing even in the midst of their storms. She is the proud Mother of 5 children. Her favorite saying is “You must first love yourself before you can love anyone else.”
Representative Ed Clere
Indiana Representative for House District 72
Rep. Ed Clere (he/him) has been a champion and leader to modernize Indiana’s HIV specific statutes since 2018. He also led the way on legislation in 2015 that allowed counties to create syringe exchange programs in Indiana. He has served in the Indiana House of Representatives since 2008 and he represents most of Floyd County, including the city of New Albany and Georgetown. He has worked as a real estate agent since 2001 and lives with his wife and five children in New Albany.
Tony Gillespie
Indiana Minority Health Coalition VP of Public Policy and Engagement
Tony Gillespie (he/him) has more than 20 years of experience working at the state and community level addressing HIV/AIDS and many other chronic disease issues and health disparities. In the late 90s he co-founded Brothers Uplifting Brothers, a grassroots HIV/AIDS service organization in NW Indiana. Since working with IMHC he has successfully led national level, and worked on numerous state, initiatives and advisory boards to better serve Hoosiers living with HIV. His awards are many including being named the regional, state and national Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers in 2006 and in 2014 he was recognized by the Obama administration for his ongoing work in address HIV and other health issues.
Timothy Jackson
Staff, AIDS Foundation Chicago
Timothy Jackson (he/him), a native of Jackson, Mississippi by way of Huntsville, Alabama, HIV+ for over ten years, Timothy is a government relations consultant with extensive experience in HIV and LGBTQ advocacy, grassroots organizing, political campaigns and lobbying. Prior to joining the staff of AIDS Foundation Chicago as its Director of Government Relations, he worked as a staffer for a Member of Congress and Board President of Thrive Alabama, an AIDS Service Organization and Federally Qualified Health Center providing medical and support services care to the people of north Alabama.
Deirda “Speaks” Johnson
SERO Project National Program and Strategic Planning Manager and Co-Founder, ECHO VA
Deirda “Speaks” Johnson has lived with HIV for over 20 years and is the Co-founder of Ending Criminalization of HIV and Overincarceration in Virginia (ECHO VA), a vast network of multiracial and gender inclusive Virginians led by people living with HIV and their allies, fighting for freedom from stigma and injustice for all. She also serves as the State Lead for Positive Women’s Network, USA and is a graduate of their 2019 Policy Fellowship, a member of SisterLove, Inc. 2020 Leading Women’s Society, and a U=U Ambassador. Deirdre also hosts a nightly Facebook show as Deirdre Speaks on medical and medicine adherence along with other topics relevant to people living with HIV. She is also the National Program and Strategic Planning Manager for the SERO Project.
Terrell Parker
National Minority Health Coalition Escalate program Manager
Terrell Parker (he/him) is a founding member of HMM-Indiana and a proud Black gay professional with 10 years of experience in program development, non-profit management, and fundraising. He began his career in HIV in 2013, piloting a city-wide linkage to care program at Brothers United Inc which was recognized by NASTAD’s His Health Project as a national best model. Terrell has served in various leadership roles including serving as interim ED for Brothers United Inc, ED for the Minority Health Coalition of Marion County, and the founding Board President for Indiana Pride of Color. Terrell is also the CEO of the Black Dream Company and has his own Podcast, “Terrell Talks”. Terrell currently serves as the Manager in the Center to End the Epidemic at NMAC (formerly the National Minority AIDS Council). Terrell manages a $7.1 million dollar cooperate agreement between NMAC and the Health Resources and Services Administration – ESCALATE. ESCALATE’s goal is to end HIV-related stigma in the US.
Tami Haught
Sero’s Managing Director
Tami Haught (she/her) Sero’s Managing Director, was diagnosed in 1993 and lived with HIV in silence for 6 years, before embracing advocacy and HIV education. She is the President of PITCH (Positive Iowans Taking Charge) and as CHAIN (Community HIV/Hepatitis Advocates of Iowa Network) Community Organizer, from 2012 to 2014, managed the successful campaign to reform Iowa’s HIV criminalization law. Tami is also a steering committee member of the US PLHIV Caucus, a member of the Positive Women’s Network -USA and was inducted into the 2020 Leading Women’s Society in 2015.
Kevin Lish
Sero Project’s Financial Director
Kevin Lish (he/him) began his advocacy career nearly 20 years after his HIV diagnosis and a chance meeting with Sean Strub, POZ Magazine founder) in Boise, Idaho. Kevin serves as Sero Project’s Financial Director and has the pleasure of supporting the rest of the staff with SERO’s daily financial operations. He oversees budgeting and monetary programs that allow Sero’s continued growth and commitment to the PLHIV community. Kevin also leads HIV modernization and reform efforts in Idaho through the Idaho Coalition for HIV Health and Safety.