Mallory Jenna and Kaelyn, newly diagnosed, are helping to rewrite the narrative on trans women living with HIV.
The following is a transcript between Karl, Mallery Jenna, and Kaelyn
MALLERY
I found myself very isolated.
KARL
Trans and HIV positive. What’s it all about? What’s it like? Joining me on the +TALK sofa here in the Plus Life studio today is Mallery Jenna Robinson and Kaelyn Grandy. Transwomen, HIV positive women. Something I can’t directly relate to ’cause I’m a white, cisgendered gay man, but I am living with HIV. So, we have that in common. Thanks for joining me.
MALLERY
Thank you for having us. Thank you.
KAELYN
It’s such an honor.
KARL
We know in this country that HIV is still disproportionately affecting Black and brown folks and especially folks in your community, the trans community. Mallery, you’ve been an advocate and an activist for a long time. When you look back at where you’ve come in the last 13 years, how does sitting on a couch and having a chat on a platform like Plus Life make you feel today that we have these conversations?
MALLERY
Wow. You know, Karl, thank you again so much for having us. And I just wanna say that for me, being a Black transwoman and African-Caribbean transwoman, I remember getting diagnosed in 2011 at the age of 21. And growing up in Montgomery, Alabama, there weren’t a lot of resources. There was the health department and then there was the essentially Copeland Care Clinic which is where I received my intro… Excuse me, antiretroviral care.
KARL
Right.
MALLERY
But besides that, there weren’t really any support systems or programs in place to uplift our folks living with HIV especially those who were trans and of color. So, I found myself very isolated. And fortunately, I come from a very supportive family who not only affirms me having HIV but also affirms me being a Black transwoman. So I’ve been able to be vulnerable in spaces with them pertaining to my HIV journey as well as the healthcare providers at the Copeland Care Clinic.
KARL
And it pains me to say this, but your situation is quite unique in that respect, right? That you have that support and that love and you’ve had it pre your HIV, you know, you being a transwoman. Kaelyn, your story is incredibly almost the polar opposite.
KAELYN
Right.
KARL
You found out you were HIV positive just literally like three weeks ago, right?
KAELYN
Yeah.
KARL
So what prompted you to get an HIV test?
KAELYN
Alcohol. The event I was at said, “Free HIV test, two free drinks.”
KARL
Okay. I’m guessing based on that, you weren’t expecting the results you’ve got.
KAELYN
No, I’ve been negative for so long. My boyfriend now is also positive. Not just being HIV positive, but also being a transwoman is very hard for us to find love ’cause we’re afraid that we won’t be accepted because of our status and because once they find out that we are trans, they’re like, “Oh, you’re a terrible person. You mutilate your body.” That makes it very hard for us to even be accepted. I’ve been told in the past that I am an abomination and it’s very hard for me to talk about the support I don’t have. In the past, Mallery already has seen me start to cry over another interview that we did with APLA.
KARL
That’s why this is so great today on this episode of +Talk because you guys are here together. Mallery, as I said, for 13 years you’ve been advocating and speaking up, and this is great support. So how did you two find each other? And how do people like Kaelyn in Kaelyn’s situation… Because sadly, as I said, so many trans people have nobody. How do they find a Mallery in their life?
MALLERY
Meeting Kaelyn at APLA Health was very life changing. I had no idea that this beautiful being was going to be forever linked to me. And one of the ways that has been is just through our sisterhood of just getting to know each other. I’ve gotten to see Kaelyn slowly but surely coming to her truth and affirm herself and it’s been such an honor and a privilege to be part of that process. To your other question around like where can people find a Mallery, I would strongly encourage, go to your transgender health programs. So many times, Karl, when we think of our LGBT resource centers, there aren’t really too many like transgender or non-binary, non-conforming resources that are like direct leads that’s just focused on that programming. You make it an event like such as T&DAF or TDoR but never really any general programming for essential services and social services. So if you can find a resource center, an LGBT center that has a trans health program, I’m sure you meet hopefully a Mallery like me or they’re not doing their job.
KARL
What has it meant to have Mallery there as an HIV positive and transister ally?
KAELYN
It’s been amazing. Mallery has been there for me ever since we met. Having Mallery in my life, it makes me wanna talk ’cause I know I can talk to her about anything.
KARL
Talk to me about your journey since your HIV diagnosis specifically. How have you been coming to terms with it? ‘Cause it’s still very fresh. It’s still very new.
KAELYN
Well, when I first found out, it was very scary ’cause I wasn’t expecting to get that news. And the scariest part is I don’t how I got it ’cause I wasn’t with my partner at this time. It can be very scary. And for the ones out there who don’t know anything about HIV, it’s not the end of the world. It’s not. There’s medication. When take that, it will keep you healthy.
KARL
Talk to me, Mallery, about really the unique circumstances that transwomen face when it comes to testing, receiving that diagnosis if their test is positive, and then accessing the all important care so that you can become undetectable and thus untransmittable.
MALLERY
To your first part, when it comes to getting testing, Kaelyn brought up a great point around like the fact that she got diagnosed based off of getting tested and the incentive was two drinks.
KARL
Yeah. Right, in an event.
MALLERY
So that’s not really bringing in community in a way that’s gonna really be holistic here, right? Incentivizing with alcohol to get someone to do an HIV test, we need to think a little outside of the box. And that’s one of the things I encourage my incredible partners and community leaders alike to… Yes, it’s great. So of course, we all have to have a good time. But we have to figure out other ways to do that. So when it comes to incentivizing for HIV testing, I think it’s great if it’s gonna be something beneficial in terms of maybe like a hotel voucher, right? Or maybe a transportation voucher. As we know we talked about community earlier. So, those are ways that we wanna connect with our communities. So when we think of that holistic, maybe even access to our COVID-19 resources, monkeypox resources. These things are still that are very much real. And when it comes to the second part of once you get that HIV diagnosis, oftentimes we see community members who will enter into care in the moment, but then life happens. Some of us become unhoused. Some of us become displaced. And before we know it, you’re out of care. And before you know it, you’re missing, you know, taking your medicines and you no longer have a prescription and now you don’t have a stable address to receive prescriptions and neglect happens. So one of the things I like to encourage community leaders and partners alike is to make sure that you always find a way to continue to follow up. Keep those intake forms updated. Follow up with your clients even if it’s social media. I know so many times we think to ourselves like, “What is a professional boundary?” But when we think about community members who are unhoused living with HIV and still don’t have those resources needed to be well cared for, we have to do better. We have to continue to find ways to connect with them and engage and keep them retained into care.
KARL
Kaelyn Grandy and Mallery Jenna Robinson, thank you so much for joining me.
MALLERY
Thank you for having us.
KAELYN
Thank you.
KARL
That is gonna do it for this episode of +Talk where we’re all about turning positive into a plus. If you want more information, check out the website pluslifemedia.com. Also, be sure to check out Mallery’s website, ahatefulhomicide.net. We’ll put all that information up. And remember, you can like, follow, share. Tell your friends. Make sure you’re following us on social media. We are @pluslifemedia. Until next time, take a moment to be nicer to one another. We’ll see you soon. Bye-bye.
Bye.
Bye.