With goals to get to zero new HIV infections and to reach more queer and trans people of color (QTPOC), Strut welcomes the QTPOC community for a social, learning and wellness group at Strut every Thursday evening. During the events, community members have the opportunity to access free PrEP services or to find out more about the health services offered at Strut. This group—by and for queer and trans people of all ages—welcomes people who have never accessed health and wellness services at Strut or who may feel excluded from the predominantly white neighborhood of the Castro.
“It’s up to organizations like ours to be vocal in inviting and making space for communities that are disproportionately affected by the epidemic to access services,” said Felipe Flores, manager of PrEP benefits and navigation at San Francisco AIDS Foundation. “We invite communities of color to come through our doors and connect with staff, programming, and services for and by them. This is important, and it’s a change for QTPOC who have historically been and are typically left out of these spaces.”