Speaking Work

I'm a gay Dad and HIV+ for 15 years. I've been speaking in schools since the early 80’s doing gay awareness/diversity work. My speaking and community service escalated due to my testing positive and wanting to fill my life with meaningful service.

I started a group called ‘The Healing Circle’ in 1989 an (embarrassingly New-Agey) group that quickly grew to 140+ people weekly coming to find hope, companionship, spiritual strength, healing, the courage to die...with the help others through laughter, tears, song, hugs, meditation, etc. It was a trip..lots of powerful and funny stories.

Around this time I was one of the folks in ‘Absolutely Positive’ documentary about people living powerfully with HIV. In the mid-90’s I started ‘The SF Center for Living’ a non-profit serving all people affected by life-threatening illnes âses. I received several awards from the City of SF, the Board of Supervisors and US Congress for this work.

At this time I began speaking nationally for AIDS organizations, retreats, corporations, churches, universities on topics from self-esteem, personal growth, courage through loss, gay awareness, HIV awareness, and anything else we could think of...(for ex. Boston College,Univ of Colorado,USF,Nordstrom,Levi Strauss, to name a few).

In 1995 I met my partner David and his/our daughter Breauna who is now 13 years old and my hero. David’s deceased partner was her original adoptive Dad and he passed away from AIDS. My life began anew with David and Bree...instead of planning memorial services I began planning "Bowling in Ballgowns" birthday parties, Gay Pride Day in her elementary school(!), and rituals to celebrate the onset of her menstrual cycle....I kid you not!!

Breauna also had written a short book in kindergarten with her teacher’s help abt her Dad’s death that she/we read on ‘Leeza Gibbons Show’, Nat’l Public Radio, ‘In the Life’(a gay cable show), French TV and at schools/conferences around the country. I share alot about "these two gay guys raising an amazing young girl...that with all her losses at an early age manages to keep her heart open". She’s amazing. I find myself speaking more about Breauna than HIV lately. I weave these stories of life, death, illness, , and hope.

We’re in a documentary called ‘That’s a Family’ educating kids on diverse families...(went to the White House for the screening...boring, but it snowed and we grabbed some napkins with the presidential seal!).

Breauna comes with me on some speaking gigs when school allows...(but she hogs the mic)! Have no fear, my presentations are much funnier and more powerful than this bio.