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Latinx HIV+ Healthcare Advocates to Follow
Openly talking about their HIV diagnosis, five Latinx are speaking up and breaking the stigma around the conversation of living with HIV. At LATV we want to continue educating and empowering our community through knowledge and understanding, with the mission of becoming ambassadors of hope.
We present you with five Latinx influencers who are using their voices on a daily basis towards breaking the stigma around the virus. Get to know them below.
Melody Torres
The best way to describe Melody is adventurous and willing to help out however she can, which brings her to FLUX – as the International Director of Health and Wellness.
She has been in the beauty industry for 17 years. Melody serves her community by creating safe spaces and elevating the community to higher levels. Her hard work and determination to not be a statistic has driven her to succeed. Melody is a Los Angeles native and fully takes advantage of the beautiful views it has to offer. She’s seeking her way into diversity and inclusion work in corporate America. She is excited to bring a healthy way of life and a culture of wellness to the community. Melody has studied at Yale University for the Science of Wellness and she sees this as being given the chance to share her story, lead, and inspire her community.
Finder working out along Carmen Carrera on FLUX’s YouTube Channel:
Mallery Jenna Robinson is an Afro-Caribbean Transwoman and transgender and HIV healthcare advocate in Los Angeles. In the summer of 2019 she began working at The LGBTQ Center Long Beach as the Engagement Specialist and Service Navigator for The Transgender Health Department. While at The LGBTQ Center Long Beach Mallery implemented several successful essential programs such as: Rack and Roll (a clothes closet), Snack Shack (food pantry), TRANSport (an essential items delivery service), and events such as: Come OUT and Pose, ValenTrans Day, and a The T-Report Red Desk Diaries a panel for National Transgender HIV Testing Day.
She has also presented several Transgender Empathy Trainings (TET Talks) presentations to Sony PlayStation, and Long Beach Vocal Rehab to list a few. Mallery has also spoken publicly for The Long Beach Transgender Day of Remembrance at Harvey Milk Park in November 2019 and for ALL Black Lives Matter Los Angeles and co-hosted several LGBTQ virtual award shows such as Unique Woman’s Coalition Our Honors Award on Transgender Day of Visibility.
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Maria Mejia
A 29-year-old human rights activist HIV advocate, motivational speaker, author, and blogger. She’s a CDC ambassador / Greater than AIDS ambassador and The well project Global ambassador / CAB member. Founder of the largest international support groups in English and Spanish with more than 40 thousand active members. She’s also a consultant, an advisor, humanist, empath, 29 year HIV survivor. She is a proud Colombian.
Find her on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pMRe5ZFolc
Jennifer Rodriguez is a 37 year old Latinx Transgender Woman. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she enjoys eating healthy, exercise, and meeting new people within the transgender community.
Jennifer’s real passion is recovery and helping individuals struggling with addiction find recovery. Through her lived experience she wants to make a difference for the Transgender community because when she was trying to get clean, there was no representation in the recovery community. She believes that it is important for her to be out and visible to serve as a beacon of hope for Transgender individuals seeking recovery.
Jennifer has been working in the recovery field for over 3 years now and is committed to serving where she can. She currently serves as the Peer Recovery Specialist at St. John’s Well Child & Family Center, where she facilitates a successful support group called T.A.R.A. – Trans Addressing Recovery and Addiction, and co-facilitating Seeking Safety, another successful support group based on the Seeking Safety curriculum. She is currently developing a non profit organization that caters to trans people in need of recovery. Her ultimate goal is to create a therapeutic community where individuals struggling with addiction can find hope and healing.
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Miranda Ramirez Is a 35 y/o Latina, born in West Covina, California, the second oldest child out of seven kids. She grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and currently works as a Prep navigator, a position that helps people gain access to HIV prevention Medication. She describes herself as a chill and easy-going full of life girl. But it wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Miranda is ready to open up about living her best life while being HIV positive.
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