| Henry Peralta
|
Born: Bogotá, Colombia
Current residence: Jackson Heights, Queens
Volunteer: Since 1996
"I'm able to help other people in my own Latino community
by sharing what I've been learning about HIV and AIDS." |
What do you do as a GMHC volunteer?
I volunteer with Proyecto P.A.P.I., for the gay Latino community.
I do outreach, distribute condoms, and right now we are planning
events for the summer. Sometimes I will facilitate discussion groups
on different topics, including how to use condoms, drug abuse, anal
sex, oral sex, and HIV prevention.
What do you like about being a volunteer?
I like the education that I've been getting since I've been a volunteer
for GMHC. I come from a different country, and I didn't have any
information about HIV. I've been a lucky person, because I didn't
always use condoms when I was living in my country. And I'm still
here; I'm one of the survivors. Now I've been getting a lot of information
and education, and I'm able to help other people in my own Latino
community by sharing what I've been learning about HIV and AIDS.
AIDS is not just in the gay community. Anyone can get it. Enlightenment
about it has to be passed on to kids. There's not enough communication
about sex and sexual orientation.
How does your work help to break down some of those communication
barriers?
I always do outreach in my neighborhood, with my neighbors. Sometimes
my girlfriends come to me to talk about safer sex. My neighbors
look for me because they know I have that knowledge.
What do you think is the hardest part about volunteering?
Coordinating ideas with the other people that I volunteer with
can be hard, because I'm from Colombia, and I have a different culture
and a different way of talking than people from the Dominican Republic
or Puerto Rico. Now I can deal with that, but it was hard at the
beginning.
What do you do in your spare time?
I go out dancing; I like sports, rollerblading, jogging, and I
like to go to the beach.
June 11, 2003
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