Community Partners
July 14,2024 | 12 – 6PM
Joe’s on Weed St
940 W Weed St
Chicago, IL 60642
A Health Summit focusing on the disparities of Latine/x Gay, Bi, Same Gender Loving Men
Organized By
In Partnership with
Thank you to our 2024 Sponsors
Opening Statements by
Olusimbo (Simbo) Ige, M.D., MPH
Commissioner, Chicago Department Of Public Health
Dr. Olusimbo (Simbo) Ige’s public health career spans nearly two decades. Before her appointment as the Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, she served as the Managing Director of Programs at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Ige oversaw partnerships with health organizations nationwide working towards making public health and health care systems accountable and equitable. She also previously served as the Assistant Commissioner for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where she provided oversight to a wide range of programs, including the city’s pandemic response, food security programs, housing and health initiatives, mental health programs, violence prevention, and the Public Health Corps initiative.
Dr. Ige received her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery and her Master of Science in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. She received her Master’s in Public Health from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom.
Agenda
Keynote Speakers
Joaquín Lara
Joaquín Lara has devoted over two decades to HIV prevention, starting as a migrant student in Texas, Minnesota, & Iowa. As a first-generation college graduate, he began his career at a New York City ASO before transitioning to the biotech sector. With a focus on Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, & HIV/Prevention therapeutics, he’s played a pivotal role in launching various forms of PrEP. Currently, as a bilingual Community Engagement Specialist at ViiV Healthcare, he works on the newest long-acting injectable version. Joaquin’s diverse interests include epigenetic molecular biology, AI-driven compounds, and CRISPR Gene-Editing, with recent studies at Cornell and Harvard. Based in Austin, he serves all of Texas, including San Antonio, El Paso, the Rio Grande Valley, & Puerto Rico, collaborating with colleagues nationwide to engage Spanish-speaking audiences. Outside work, Joaquin enjoys global travel, family time, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and unwinding by a local creek with good music.
Evelio Salinas Escamilla
Evelio Salinas Escamilla is a Senior Research Associate at the Latino Commission on AIDS, specializing in program development and grant administration. With a B.A. in Mexican American Studies and Political Science from the University of Texas at San Antonio, he has extensive experience with NIH, NIDA, and CDC projects. As a Fellow of the Dennis De Leon Sustainable Leadership Institute, he focuses on addressing the behavioral health and HIV-related needs of Hispanic/Latinx communities in Texas.
Dr Juan Pablo Zapata
Dr. Juan Pablo Zapata, psychologist and Associate Director of the Lab for Scalable Mental Health, serves as Assistant Professor at Northwestern University’s Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health. He earned his PhD in Clinical Psychology from Marquette University in 2022 and completed a NIH T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Translational Science. With expertise in LGBTQ and Latino mental health, HIV, public health, and digital health, Dr. Zapata excels in implementation science.
Gary Bucher, M.D.
Dr. Gary Bucher, a leader in HIV/AIDS care and research, founded the Anal Dysplasia Clinic MidWest in 2008 to address the lack of evaluation and treatment for anal cancer. He spearheaded the ANCHOR Study, the largest anal cancer prevention study in the USA, and initiated a mentorship program in 2023 to train providers in anal precancer screening and treatment.
Jim Pickett
Jim Pickett, a seasoned HIV advocate, consults on prevention research and implementation advocacy. He leads Chicago’s PrEP4Teens project, integrating awareness, advocacy, and art to empower teens on sexual health, and oversees The Choice Agenda at AVAC, a global initiative promoting HIV prevention choices. Recognized by POZ magazine as instrumental in advocating for new prevention methods, he’s a member of Chicago’s LGBT Hall of Fame and has been living with HIV since 1995, bringing personal insight to his work.
Live Panels
Health Panel
Youth Panel
Self Care Panel
Health Panel
Latine/x Health Perspectives
A discussion among Latinx community members with expertise on navigating health challenges in Same Gender Loving Men community.
Moderator: Charles Peterson, Neelyx Labs
Panelists:
Dr. Geraldine Luna, MD, CDPH
Luis Díaz Vera, resilience psychological services, LCPC
Evelio Escamilla, Latino Commission on AIDS
Youth Panel
Live Your Youth; Live Your Pride
From the heart of Latine youth, a meaningful conversation blossoms — a panel focused on the well-being of Latines. This conversation sheds light on healthcare access, the unique obstacles of Latine youth, and the resilience that characterizes Latines.
Moderator: Jesus Estrada / (They/He/El) HIV Research at UIC
Panelist:
- Braulio Puente, CPS
- Daniel Ninja, House of Ninja
- Isea Cabrera, Social Media Influencer
Self Care Panel
Vanity is Not a Crime
Bringing together a number of professionals to make you look good. Come get easy and accessible self care tips, and learn how you can elevate your style on a budget!
Moderator: Pedro Velasquez, DACA Recipient & Member of Nicki Minaj’s Team
Panelist:
- Mo Garcia – Skin Mechanix
- Mimi – Makeup Artist
- TBA – Barber
Our Mission
Address Health Disparities in the Latine/x Gay and Same-Gender-Loving (SGL) Male Community health by providing a safe community space, offering evidence-based prevention and intervention education, and delivering essential resources.
Our Vision
Create improvement on the challenges encountered by Latine/x gay, bisexual, and SGL men, and foster a sense of solidarity within the community to overcome these obstacles.
Dance Classes, Entertainment, & DJs
Javier the Dragon Ninja
Javier Madrid, also known as the ICONIC overall east coast Father Javier Ninja of the LEGENDARY House of Ninja, is a name known worldwide. Because he has studied, trained and mastered various styles of dance, he has managed to develop a style that is very unique, intricate & most noticeably difficult. Javier, affectionately known as “Javi,” leaves audiences in awe when they see his control, his precision & his flexibility. He was a coach on ” America’s Next Top Model.” He teaches classes in Paris, Japan & New York. He has performed with Madonna & Icona Pop, and he has been crowned “Vogue Champion of the Year” for 3 consecutive years at the House Dance International Competition. Most recently, Javi has performed with the House of Ninja at the 113th NAACP National Convention in Atlantic City, NJ. Father Javier Ninja is truly Ballroom Royalty.
Dance Studio: “May I have This Dance?”
Shawn Parra
Youth Programming Commencement
Shawn (they/ele/él) is genderqueer, Afro-Latine, child of immigrants who has dedicated their work to address intersectionality, Black and brown and queer and trans rights and mental health, and family relationships. Shawn has completed their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology and their master’s degree in social work from Boston University. In their master’s degree of social work program, they majored in clinical social work, minored in macro social work and specialized in trauma and violence studies. Shawn is currently at University of Illinois at Chicago completing a doctorate in social work and their dissertation is called “The Emotional Wellbeing of BIPOC LGBTQ+ Youth: A Grounded Theory Study.” Shawn has mainly worked in community health and health care settings.
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The Chicago Latine/x Health Summit is being organized by Project VIDA Inc