Erick Velasco and His Journey of Advocacy in the LGBTQ+ Community

The Latino community is seriously affected by an invisible HIV crisis that no one seems to be talking about. According to the CDC, one fifth of people with HIV in the United States are Latino, and a quarter of new HIV cases occur amongst Latinos. The cause of this could be many things, one of them being that talking about STDs or sex, in general, is not common in Latino communities – which, in turn, creates widespread hesitation with regard to STD tests and best practices for sexual health. 

HIV rates among Latino communities are also affected by issues like limited access to healthcare, language barriers, and even concerns about immigration status. Additionally, many STDs like HIV carry strong negative stigmas. Many people are quick to judge when they find out someone they know has HIV. Erick Velasco, also known as “The Homo Homie,” told LATV that many people still believe HIV can be easily transmitted through saliva, which is not true.

Velasco has his own podcast called “The Homo Homie Podcast,” where he advocates to break the stigma attached to HIV and continues to educate the public, himself, and anyone else who is willing to learn about the struggles within the LGBTQ+ community. Velasco told LATV, “the more educated you are, the more power you have in understanding somebody living with HIV.

Velasco is a strong role model in the Latino and the LGBTQ+ community because he is not afraid to cross boundaries and break stereotypes to help people understand more about inclusivity in the LGBTQ+ community.

Many people are not educated on how medicine has evolved and how living with HIV differs from 40 years ago. “If you’re someone who is newly diagnosed with HIV, don’t worry. You’ll be fine. Try not to overthink… learn from me that you’re going to live a long healthy, productive normal life,” Velasco reassured people who are newly diagnosed with HIV.

Velasco also talked about what it is like living day to day with HIV as a gay Latino. Watch the entire interview this week on My Health Agenda.