July 2016

Houston Stands With Orlando 

Legacy Community Health is here today because the gay men in Houston had the courage to say "enough is enough." They were fed up with being turned away at hospitals and clinics for simply living their lives. They were tired of seeing their friends denied treatment for HIV/AIDS, a disease very few understood in the 1980s. And they were heartbroken at watching too many of their loved ones die at home alone because they had nowhere else to turn.

These men faced challenges that many of us can't fathom, but they persevered. They overcame innumerable obstacles to open a place of comfort and hope to disenfranchised Houstonians that now serves more than 125,000 Texans each year. Because of their willingness to do what others wouldn't, because of their resilience in an environment characterized by hate for people like them, Legacy Community Health exists to provide essential medical services to anyone who walks through our doors. The legacy these gay men left behind has helped heal more than 1.5 million people in our 35 plus years of operation.

It is this same resilient spirit that will overcome the most recent reminder of the power of hatred and the murders of 49 people in Orlando. We grieve with the families hurt by this act of terror, and we mourn for those taken from this life far too soon. We share the outrage felt by not just the LGBTQ community, but by the Latino community as well. Nearly 60 percent of Legacy patients come from Latino backgrounds, and many of the victims in Orlando share their ancestry. We stand with everyone affected by this tragedy, and offer whatever support we can give during this trying time.

At its core, terrorism is about disrupting the daily lives of those targeted. It's about instilling fear and doubt in communities the terrorists hate. One of the best ways to combat terrorists is to celebrate what they fear: diversity, freedom, and equality. I promise you that Legacy will always remain true to these bedrock principles. We will continue opening our doors to those with nowhere left to turn, and continue to honor the roots planted long ago by gay men who simply wanted to help their community survive. No terrorist can take that away from us, and no act of terror will stop us from taking pride in our history.

Katy Caldwell
CEO, Legacy Community Health

Legacy channeled outrage into action, partnering with a coalition of local businesses, nonprofits, advocacy groups and officials to launch the Houston Stands with Orlando campaign against violence and intolerance.

Kicking off the initiative at a press conference the day before Houston's Pride Festival and Parade, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner focused on safety and security and urged people not to be afraid to attend. Click here to see more photos from the news conference.

Legacy Celebrates Pride 2016

Legacy proudly marched in this year's Houston Pride Parade. Click here for photos from the event.

June 2016

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	Graham Maio, Allen Murray, and Michael Webb

Legacy Advocates for HIV Decriminalization at National Conference 

Members of Legacy's Public Affairs and Public Health departments joined local people living with HIV (PLHIV) at the second annual HIV is Not a Crime National Training Academy last month in Alabama. The conference brought together activists and allies working to reform or repeal laws and statues that criminalize PLHIV.

Legacy presenters showcased the Positive Organizing Project (POP+), funded in part by your donations, as a successful program empowering PLHIV to become advocates and influencers. 

Click here for the rest of the story

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	OH Project participant/Legacy employee Carmon Brian Keever

Oral History Project Tells the Stories of Houston's AIDS Epidemic

The first case of AIDS in Houston was diagnosed in 1981, shortly after the Montrose Clinic was incorporated as a non-profit focused on assisting the gay community. In the 35 years since that grim milestone, the clinic has transformed into Legacy Community Health, and the old fear of AIDS being an automatic death sentence is, for many, a distant memory.

Preserving memories is now the goal of a new initiative documenting the history of those tumultuous years in Southeast Texas. The Oral History (OH) project is bringing together first-person accounts from people directly affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic: the survivors, their friends and families, the medical professionals and volunteers on the front lines, and the activists who fought the government for funding, research, and acceptance.

Click here for the rest of the story

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In the News...

* Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Urges Schools to Ignore ObamaAdministration's Transgender School Guidelines                  

* L.A Pride Exposes Generational Divide in LGBT Community

* Federal Ruling Confirms LGBT nondiscrimination protectionsin Affordable Care Act 

Preserving Our Legacy - May 2016

Preventing HIV with PrEP

It's only a pill, but its impact could be a life-changing: PrEP is a daily medication that significantly reduces the risk of contracting HIV from a positive sexual partner. The FDA approved PrEP in July 2012. Legacy began its PrEP program a year later to spread the word about this revolutionary new way to prevent HIV and AIDS.

Read the rest of the story here

Legacy Kicks Off END HIV/AIDS Houston Project

The number of new annual HIV infections in Houston has remained relatively steady over the past believes that 1200-1300 new diagnoses each year is far too many and has launched an ambitious effort to cut that number in half by 2021, thanks to a new grant from AIDS United and its Southern REACH initiative. The END (Ending New Diagnoses) HIV/AIDS Houston Project will provide a plan for the City of Houston that will outline specific actions to be taken, identify funding resources, and set a road map for how the city can reduce new HIV diagnoses.

Read the rest of the story here

In The News...

* Candidate for sheriff makes controversial comments about gender-neutral bathrooms

* Tennessee governor signs bill allowing refusal of mental health care for LGBT people

* California high school won't let lesbian couple be Prom Queens

Upcoming Events and Volunteer Opportunities

Derby Day, the official kickoff for Mint Julep at Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon

May 7, 3:00-6:00 p.m.
events@legacycommunityhealth.org or (832) 730-4433

14th Annual Mint Julep Show at South Beach 
July 17, 2:00-5:00 p.m.
events@legacycommunityhealth.org or (832) 730-4433

Support Legacy's HIV/AIDS prevention, education, and treatment programs with a gift to the  Preserving Our Legacy Fund. Donate! Stay updated on Legacy's work in the LGBT Community. Subscribe to Preserving Our Legacy. View newsletter archives here. ourlegacy@legacycommunityhealth.org 832-730-4433 STAY CONNECTED:

Preserving Our Legacy - April 2016

Introducing the Preserving Our Legacy Newsletter

The first Montrose clinic at 104 Westheimer

In 1981, a small group of dedicated volunteers who were committed to serving Houston's gay community incorporated the Montrose Clinic, setting up shop in a little house on Westheimer Road. Their mission took on a new urgency the following year when the Centers for Disease Control named AIDS as the main syndrome killing gay men all over the country.

The growing epidemic and the urgent need for treatment, education, research, and compassionate care laid the foundation for what is now Legacy Community Health.

Today, Legacy is a full-service medical home for the thousands of men, women, and children who come to our 12 clinics in Houston, Baytown and Beaumont. We've changed to meet the growing health care needs in Southeast Texas, but we haven't changed our commitment to the LGBT community.

To celebrate more than three decades of service, we're launching the Preserving our Legacy newsletter. Each month, we'll bring you stories about the people, programs, and innovative health care treatments driving Legacy's HIV/AIDS services and supporting our LGBT clients. We'll tell you about the latest research and medical treatments, like PrEP, that offer new ways to reduce new HIV diagnoses. You'll learn more about our legislative, and local advocacy, like our recent involvement in Houston's HERO ordinance. We'll highlight events and fundraisers benefitting the LGBT community, and show you how you can get involved. We also hope to create opportunities for learning and thoughtful discussions between the generations of the LGBT community.

If you look closely at the newsletter's masthead, you'll see the silhouette of an oak tree that stands outside Legacy's Montrose clinic. It's a living symbol of our roots in the LGBT community and the strength of our commitment to the fight against discrimination and HIV. We'd like to thank long-time supporters Bryan Hlavinka, Jim Kovach, Bob Lawson, and Ben Montalbano for sparking the idea of a newsletter to keep you up-to-date about Legacy's HIV and LGBT programs, events, and outreach. They also suggested a way for interested donors to make direct contributions to our LGBT efforts, and you can do that by clicking the DONATE button at the bottom of this page.

We encourage you to share this newsletter with others interested in our ongoing mission of driving healthy change in our communities. Join us in Preserving our Legacy for generations to come.

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Upcoming events and volunteer opportunities

Derby Day, the official kickoff for Mint Julep at Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon May 7, 3:00-6:00 p.m. events@legacycommunityhealth.org or  (832) 730-4433 14th Annual Mint Julep Show at South Beach  July 17, 2:00-5:00 p.m. events@legacycommunityhealth.org or  (832) 730-4433

Support Legacy's HIV/AIDS prevention, education, and treatment programs with a gift to the  Preserving Our Legacy Fund. Donate! Stay updated on Legacy's work in the LGBT Community.  Subscribe  to Preserving Our Legacy. ourlegacy@legacycommunityhealth.org 832-730-4433