Be ABLE
African American gay and bisexual men in Milwaukee report experiencing high levels of racial discrimination and homophobia in our community. Internalization of these messages creates identity stress and impedes their ability to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, particularly HIV.
Be ABLE (Be an African American Building Lives of Empowerment) helps reverse these negative social influences, encourages self-efficacy among African American gay and bisexual men, and creates a positive culture where they can feel acceptance and belonging.
Be ABLE engages African American gay and bisexual men between the ages of 21 and 35 by providing them with information about risk reduction and the different challenges associated with developing healthy relationships and managing power dynamics. Be ABLE will also explore the dual identity of being both African American and gay through open conversations in small groups with trained facilitators. Program participants meet in a weekend retreat or in a seven-week long cycle of sessions.
Men who have completed Be ABLE comment that their experiences there were transformational. Some point back to this time with other African American gay men as a pivotal point in their lives.
If you are interested in learning more or joining Be ABLE, contact Chris Allen at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or 414-390-0444.
