September 9, 2008

Tracy Bruce: Demanding Support from Politicians

Tracy Bruce, an AIDS services advocate at the AIDS Survival Project in Atlanta, has no problem getting people’s attention. An HIV-positive mother of two, she has lobbied in the offices of the country’s top legislators, demanding their active support for new HIV/AIDS initiatives, such as better housing, access to inexpensive medications and more funding for HIV prevention and awareness. She has also played an essential role in planning an annual HIV-positive women’s empowerment day—a day of education, inspiration and pampering. Tracy Bruce tells POZ exactly why she won’t keep quiet.   

What do you do when you’re not lobbying politicians?

I work at AIDS Survival Project (ASP) in Atlanta, an organization that advocates for the rights of people with HIV and also provides services. I do HIV counseling and testing, manage our e-mail Advocacy Alert Network, and help facilitate social support groups and HIV seminars. I work on two community advisory boards (CAB)—one at Emory University Medical School’s Hope Clinic, the other at their AIDS Clinical Trials Unit. Emory has been involved in clinical trials of microbicides and vaccines for HIV and other infections. The role of a CAB member is to spread the word, so to speak—to get the message out. We encourage HIV-negative folks to join vaccine trials so that we might be able to wipe out this disease. As an HIV tester, I have a unique position to inform high-risk people and direct them to the clinic to see if they might qualify for any of the studies.

What methods do you believe we should use to raise HIV awareness and prevention?

Everything and anything! I think microbicides will be good. Hopefully we can get them to the point where they are proven effective and are available so that we can get them without a prescription. I don’t think a cure for HIV is coming soon. Until a vaccine is available the only way to prevent getting HIV is using condoms or [when they become available] microbicides. Abstinence is a great choice, but not a realistic one. We have to make sure people who have HIV are not ashamed of saying so. I disclose to anybody and everybody who wants to hear.

When did you come out publicly with your HIV diagnosis?

I was diagnosed in 1985, but I didn’t come out with my diagnosis until the mid-90s. It took several years—I first had to wait until my kids knew, because I wasn’t going to have them learn it elsewhere. My late husband and I were living in the Midwest, where HIV was almost unheard of then. I was the first woman—that I know of—in my town that was positive. But once my kids found out that I was HIV positive, I didn’t care who else knew. By then we’d moved to Georgia, because my job—I was a tech support specialist—moved there.

How did you disclose your status to your two children?

I waited until my kids were old enough to be told. I told my older son, Justin, over breakfast at Hardee’s one morning. He was 11 and I felt he was ready to handle the truth about my health status. I felt rather anxious, but I wanted to put on a good face and let him know that I was planning on sticking around for a good long time. I asked that he not tell his younger brother, Nick, so that I could work out how to tell Nick at the right time. Nick was nearly 11 when I told him, and he actually took the news quite well.

How did you get from being the only woman in town with HIV to being an advocate? What was the process from diagnosis to activism?

I had left my job and was on disability for a while. Then when my younger son was a senior in high school, I was feeling stronger, and I started volunteering at the local health department. From there I was encouraged to attend several symposia on HIV around Atlanta and in other cities. I was also encouraged to join the Ryan White CARE Act planning group, where I started voicing my needs and those of other positive people I had met. I became involved in a yearlong education and empowerment program that ASP put on. During that course, I made my first visit to the Georgia state capitol to lobby the state reps and senators for ADAP [AIDS Drugs Assistance Program] funds. ASP sent me to Washington [DC] for AIDS Watch, where I got to do lobbying on a federal level. I was also involved in a die-in in front of the White House where I was arrested along with about 30 other people.

After all that lobbying, why are legislators saying next to nothing about HIV/AIDS?

Legislators may not be educated on the issue enough, or they don’t want to make waves, or it isn’t affecting them personally. They just don’t get it. I do HIV counseling and testing and I love working with young adults. I have gathered that the young adults and late teens don’t have the information on HIV/AIDS. If the young adults don’t have the information, I doubt the legislators would.

Are many women with HIV afraid to speak up for themselves? And what do you think they need that isn’t being provided by various programs?

I am seeing more women become vocal, but it takes encouragement. Some women can’t speak for themselves due to either man- or child-related issues [such as fear of how disclosure or media exposure will affect the family]. I’m unencumbered with those restraints. What do women with HIV need? You name it—but education is first. They also need acceptance, and at times they need help with telling their family—including children—about their status.

Are you upset with lawmakers’ failure to address rising rates of HIV/AIDS among women in the South?  

Politics always plays a part in health care, whether HIV or any other health-related issues.  However, we’ve become complacent about HIV, and I believe that’s why the rates are rising. Folks, particularly young folks, think that all they have to do is take a handful of pills and they’ll be OK. We also see a lot of people finding out that they’re positive many years after initial infection, and through any number of risks they’ve spread the virus to others. Am I upset with the politicians? Hell, yes! More money needs to be allocated to the current programs to provide adequate housing, help with mental health and substance abuse issues, and provide education for both positive and negative people.

For more information: aidssurvivalproject.org.

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Previous Comments:

Rebel Price, North Carolina, 2008-09-23 10:24:14
Great to read about Tracy and her fight. She is a strong advocate for sure. Wanted to comment on Ebony's statement that "secrets kill". I could not agree more since I am a 20+ yr survivor and I AM NOT able to bear the brunt of my community and it's known phobic ignorance of HIV. Being alone, a woman, I have not been able to find this rock to stand on and "come out". My fear, I have no family or support so I will just feel more alienated by my neighbors. Courage is what I lack.

Reginah Lesole, Gaborone, Botswana, 2008-09-22 05:20:46
As awoman living with HIv and puiblic about my status, i get inspired by Tracy's work. I would love to get some information from her and maybe meet her if posiible so she can sell to me the idea of women's empowerment day as i would love to do the same thing for my fellow HIV+ women in my country, Botswana. I am the country's Miss HIV Stigma Free 2006/7 and an advocate for positive living. Please furnish me with her contacts if possible.

Ebony Starr, Minneapolis, 2008-09-11 16:31:03
I read the article several times because it hit home with me. I have been HIV+ for 20+ years and agree with everything that was said. I am out with my status and have been since being diagnosed however there are women that have been + as long as I have and will take thier secret to thier grave. I say secrets kill