'You Are Not Alone' Looks at HIV and Mental Health Among LGBT POCs

On Wednesday, December 2, at 6 p.m., join your community for a screening of the documentary, "You Are Not Alone," and a panel discussion "HIV and Mental Health of LGBT People of Color." A distinguished panel, moderated by Marsha Bronner of the HUGS Campaign, includes "America's Psychologist" Dr. Jeff Gardere, Ariel Rojas of Transdiaspora Network, Chris Adams, LMSW, Rev. Dr. Lynn Sexton, The Griot Circle, and Aron Cobbs, Lambda Legal.

Following the screening, there will be a discussion of the mental health effects of an HIV infection: looking at the societal factors which lead to a person contracting HIV, the effects of the virus on an infected person's neuropsyhcology, and once again, an infected person's family, friends, and community's response to being a LGBT person of color and HIV positive.

As a 65-minute documentary, "You Are Not Alone" examines many underlying psycho-social factors that lead to and cause depression in black gay men. It looks closely at the struggles with sexual orientation and identity; being�sexually abused by an older adult family member/relative/familiar or authority figure; pastors and imams declaring that a gay man is an abomination and encouraging ostracism from families and communities; the descent into feelings of low self-esteem and setting out to contract HIV as a form of suicide with the ensuing stigma and discrimination accompanying the diagnosis.

For many aging black gay men, struggles with loneliness, isolation and abandonment, including desperation for affection, intimacy and sex.� In interviews with black gay men of varying ages, opinions from mental health professionals and religious leaders, and re-enactments of experiences the documentary explores the reasons for a black gay man's downward spiral into depression and suicide.

Through interviews, "You Are Not Alone" traces the lives of at least three black gay men with re-enactments of their life experiences: Cedric, who as a child was abused by his father on the suspicion of being gay; Lawrence, recounted being sexually abused by his father; and, Tony tells of never feeling as though he belonged, as he said, "I was always a shade off happy." Then there is the mother, whose 14-year-old son was bullied in school and hanged himself with a dog leash, as she said, "Losing my only child was a tragedy of tragedies."�

The film also contains interviews with mental health professionals, including "America's Psychologist" Jeffery Gardere, Ph.D., Dr. Kim Arrington, and NY City-based psychiatrist Michael Myers, M.D., who present their professional opinions on the experiences recounted in the stories.

The documentary ends on a hopeful note. Tree Alexander, an interviewee, speaks of his family's reaction to him being HIV positive and said that when he told them, they organized a party and introduced him to other members of his family who are also infected, "then I knew my family had my back." And, the reaffirmation of self by Rev. Kevin Taylor, who said, "I don't do black, I be black. I don't do male, I be male. I don't do gay, I be gay."

To RSVP for this first-time Brooklyn-Borough-wide screening, call 718-802-3530 or visit http://brooklyn-usa.org/event/world-aids-day/