The inaugural POZ 100 list was launched to honor some of the bravest, most dogged and downright effective AIDS fighters we knew. One hundred of them, in fact—and we had plenty of reasons to be in the mood to celebrate.
In the previous year, President Barack Obama had staffed up the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, reopened the Office of National AIDS Policy and invited several hundred people, many of them living with HIV, to the White House for an event to celebrate the launch of a National HIV/AIDS Strategy.
What’s more, needle exchange was approved in many cities, and the Affordable Care Act had been signed into law, although it wouldn’t take full effect until 2014. Further, the travel ban for people living with HIV entering the United States was lifted. As a result, the International AIDS Conference was moving forward with a return to the United States in 2012 for the first time since 1990.
Having Obama in the White House set the stage for a renewed effort to end the HIV epidemic in the United States. Of course, AIDS advocates had been there all along, fighting for what was achieved at the beginning of his administration and making sure more would be done.
The 2010 POZ 100 list was created to uplift those advocates at a crucial time. The folks on the list were among the people on the front lines to ensure that high-level promises were kept. The honorees were selected by the POZ editors only—nominations for the list started in 2013.
Catching Up With...
Jeremiah Johnson
Jeremiah JohnsonClay Patrick Mcbride
Why do you advocate for people living with HIV?
I’m grateful to say that 12 years after my diagnosis, I am thriving, but I realize that I am enormously privileged in that way. Not everyone living with or at risk for HIV has access to the same resources, and I am ready to spend my life dismantling and rebuilding the systems that keep people from comprehensive care and prevention.
Kathie Hiers
Kathie HiersCourtesy of Kathie Hiers
What advice do you have for people doing HIV advocacy work today?
One thing I have learned in my 30 years of work in the field of HIV is that change is slow. But don’t let that stop you! We can create positive change if we fight together in smart and determined ways. The one thing we cannot do is give up. So hang tough, my friends. As the great John Lewis advocated, let’s continue to make good trouble.
Paul Kawata
Paul KawataJonathan Timmes
What advice do you have for people doing HIV advocacy work today?
Never give up. It’s a long, hard journey and there will be setbacks. But the work and the goal are are too important to quit. It will take even more work to finally bring this epidemic to an end. But it will happen!
2010 Medical Milestone
Dreamstime.com
In 2010, President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which expanded access to care and prevention for all Americans. It offered special protections for people living with chronic illnesses, like HIV, and made it possible for them to access and afford health care.
The 2010 POZ 100
David Acosta
Adaora Adimora
Randy Allgaier
Gerardo Angulo
Judy Auerbach
Dawn Averitt-Bridge
Cornelius Baker
John Barnes
David Barr
Jon Benorden
Seth Berkley
Nancy Bernstine
Leigh Blake
Don Blanchon
Susan Blumenthal
Larry Bryant
Christine Campbell
Scott Campbell
Guillermo Chacón
Allan Clear
Chris Collins
Humberto Cruz
JD Davids
Shawn Decker
Lynda Dee
Dázon Dixon Diallo
N.Y. State Senator Tom Duane
Gregory Edwards
Sergio Farfan
Kandy Ferree
Virginia Fields
Ingrid Floyd
Robert Foley
Anselmo Fonseca
Jane Fowler
Kevin Frost
Robert Fullilove
Bambi Gaddist
Ronda Goldfein
Gregg Gonsalves
Robert Greenwald
Mondo Guerra
Rebecca Haag
Catherine Hanssens
Mark Harrington
Marjorie Hill
Debra Hickman
Kathie Hiers
David Holtgrave
Ernest Hopkins
Mark Ishaug
Jeremiah Johnson
Ron Johnson
Fortunata Kasege
Paul Kawata
Naina Khanna
The Reverend Charles King
Kate Krauss
James Krellenstein
The Reverend Stacey Latimer
Jules Levin
Kali Lindsey
Nancy Mahon
Marsha Martin
Terry McGovern
Jesse Milan Jr.
Daniel Montoya
David Munar
Patricia Nalls
Cathy Olufs
Tokes Osubu
Karen Pearl
Jim Pickett
Gina Quattrochi
Michael Emanuel Rajner
Sheryl Lee Ralph
José Ramirez
Susan Rodriguez
Francisco Ruiz
Eric Sawyer
Carl Schmid
Julie Scofield
Linda Scruggs
Pernessa C. Seele
Ron Simmons
Deborah Peterson Small
Wendy Stark
Valerie Stone
Steffanie Strathdee
Sean Strub
Tracy Swan
Donna Sweet
John Tedstrom
Adam Tenner
Ed Tepporn
Lance Toma
Nelson Vergel
Tom Viola
Mitchell Warren
Phill Wilson
Click below to read about each year’s list:
Introduction | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | On the Cover | HIV Advocates on HIV Advocacy
To read the 2019 POZ 100, click here.
To read the 2018 POZ 100, click here.
To read the 2017 POZ 100, click here.
To read the 2016 POZ 100, click here.
To read the 2015 POZ 100, click here.
To read the 2014 POZ 100, click here.
To read the 2013 POZ 100, click here.
To read the 2012 POZ 100, click here.
To read the 2011 POZ 100, click here.
To read the 2010 POZ 100, click here.
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