Ally Institute
Recognizing the importance of allies on the journey to end HIV/AIDS, the third component of This Way to Zero is focused specifically on recruiting and educating cisgender, heterosexual-identified individuals within the greater Black community on how to better support Black GBSGL men. Two programs will comprise the Ally Institute: 1) the Open and Safe Space initiative and 2) Sister Connect
The Open and Safe Space initiative was born out of the aforementioned Real Men Talk series, which is set within a local barber shop and features a rotating cohort of Black men from a variety of diverse backgrounds and sexual/gender identities. The purpose of this initiative is to increase the number of barber shops in Chicago that are welcoming and affirming of Black GBSGL men, by educating shop owners and barbers on how to address and redirect homophobic rhetoric and conversations that may arise. Shop owners who agree to participate in this initiative will be required to review a series of educational videos that cover a range of relevant topics (i.e., how to support someone who shares that their child has come out as GBSGL - as seen below), and to also require the barbers who work under them to review the educational series. Once completed, the This Way to Zero coordinator will host an in-person “question and answer” session with the shop owner and barbers, to provide additional clarity around the series content.
Once the educational portion is complete, the participating barbershop will receive an “Open and Safe Space” door sign that identifies the shop as such. They will also receive a placard to be posted inside the shop, which outlines what it means for their shop to be an Open and Safe Space for Black GBSGL men. Additionally, participating shops will be added to the Pride 365 Resource Directory, so that they are easily identified by Black GBSGL men looking for open and safe grooming spaces.
Sister Connect
Sister Connect is conversation series designed to bring Black cisgender, heterosexual women into intentional conversation with Black GBSGL men, for the purpose of debunking myths about sexuality/HIV and increasing support (particularly among family members). Black GBSGL men will be supported by the initiative to host dinners with the women in their lives in spaces where they are most comfortable, facilitated in partnership with the This Way to Zero coordinator. Before and during dinner, a number of activities will be introduced to spark conversation around a variety of topics including but not limited to: the social determinants of health that make Black GBSGL men more susceptible to HIV/AIDS; the “down low” phenomenon; and the impact of a lack of support from the women in the lives of Black GBSGL men. Participating women will be asked to identify other Black GBSGL men in their lives who could benefit from engaging in the program, creating a “snowball effect” that will ultimately increase communities of support.