Oklahoma's OACF hosts HIV Advocacy Day

HIV positive advocate, Paige Rawl (l) and Cher Golding, Executive Director of Oklahoma Aids Care Fund. Photos by Jordan Redman and Robin Dorner.

by Robin Dorner
Editor in Chief

Paige Rawl was born HIV Positive. At the age of fourteen, Paige was granted special permission to become the youngest person ever to be certified by the American Red Cross as an HIV/AIDS Educator.

She is speaking today in Oklahoma at the HIV Advocacy Day breakfast. The event is hosted by the Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund (OACF). From here, guests will go to the state capitol to advocate directly to their legislators about issues regarding people living with HIV.

In middle school, Rawl was bullied severely because of her HIV status. Her classmates called her cruel nicknames, such as PAIDS. Her soccer coach even made a joke about how her HIV status could help the team. School administrators let her down by not protecting her.

After leaving middle school, she decided to take a stand and started to speak out sharing her story by becoming an advocate, educator and author.

From here, OACF invites you to the Oklahoma State Capitol to meet with your legislators to advocate for the rights of people living with HIV & AIDS. Awareness Day will bring together consumers, advocates and member organizations from around the state for a common cause and serves as an opportunity to develop relationships with lawmakers.

Advocacy Day is an opportunity to meet with your legislators to discuss important HIV education and prevention of negative legislation aimed at people living with HIV or AIDS in the state of Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma AIDS Care Fund and the Oklahoma HIV and AIDS Advocacy Coalition use The National HIV/AIDS Strategy as it relates to Oklahoma. This Strategy is a five-year plan which details principles, priorities, and actions to guide our collective national response to the HIV epidemic.

The Strategy has four main goals:

  1. Reduce New Infections.
  2. Increase Access to Care and Improve Health Outcomes for People Living with HIV
  3. Reduce HIV-Related Health Disparities and Health Inequities
  4. Achieve a More Coordinated National Response to the HIV Epidemic

HIV Advocacy Day is a free event. If you are unable to attend, please call your Senator or Representative, contact information can be found below. For more information, visit www.okaidscarefund.com/advocacy.

SB 1105, a bill proposed to direct school districts to provide certain age-appropriate instruction about HIV, AIDS and related issues has passed in the Oklahoma Senate. It now heads to the House. Please call your House Representative and ask them to vote yes on SB 1105.

The Gayly. March 20, 2018. 10:55 a.m. CST.

Member

District

Party

Phone

 

 

 

 

Babinec, Greg

33

R

(405) 557-7304

Baker, Rhonda

60

R

(405) 557-7311

Bennett, Forrest

92

D

(405) 557-7404

Bennett, John

2

R

(405) 557-7315

Blancett, Meloyde

78

D

(405) 557-7334

Boles, Brad

51

R

(405) 557-7405

Bush, Carol

70

R

(405) 557-7359

Caldwell, Chad

40

R

(405) 557-7317

Calvey, Kevin

82

R

(405) 557-7357

Cannaday, Ed

15

D

(405) 557-7375

Casey, Dennis

35

R

(405) 557-7344

Cleveland, Bobby

20

R

(405) 557-7308

Cockroft, Josh

27

R

(405) 557-7349

Condit, Donnie

18

D

(405) 557-7376

Coody, Jeff

63

R

(405) 557-7307

Derby, Dale

74

R

(405) 557-7377

District 61

61

I

(405) 557-7384

Dollens, Mickey

93

D

(405) 557-7371

Downing, Tim

42

R

(405) 557-7365

Dunlap, Travis

10

R

(405) 557-7402

Dunnington, Jason

88

D

(405) 557-7396

Echols, Jon

90

R

(405) 557-7354

Enns, John

41

R

(405) 557-7321

Faught, George

14

R

(405) 557-7310

Fetgatter, Scott

16

R

(405) 557-7373

Ford, Roger

95

R

(405) 557-7314

Ford, Ross

76

R

(405) 557-7347

Fourkiller, William

86

D

(405) 557-7394

Frix, Avery

13

R

(405) 557-7302

Gaddis, Karen

75

D

(405) 557-7356

Gann, Tom

8

R

(405) 557-7364

Goodwin, Regina

73

D

(405) 557-7406

Griffith, Claudia

45

D

(405) 557-7386

Hall, Elise

100

R

(405) 557-7403

Hardin, Tommy

49

R

(405) 557-7383

Henke, Katie

71

R

(405) 557-7361

Hilbert, Kyle

29

R

(405) 557-7353

Hoskin, Chuck

6

D

(405) 557-7319

Humphrey, Justin

19

R

(405) 557-7382

Inman, Scott

94

D

(405) 557-7370

Jordan, John Paul

43

R

(405) 557-7352

Kannady, Chris

91

R

(405) 557-7337

Kerbs, Dell

26

R

(405) 557-7345

Kouplen, Steve

24

D

(405) 557-7306

Lawson, Mark

30

R

(405) 557-7414

Lepak, Mark

9

R

(405) 557-7380

Loring, Ben

7

D

(405) 557-7399

Lowe, Jason

97

D

(405) 557-7367

Martinez, Ryan

39

R

(405) 557-7342

McBride, Mark

53

R

(405) 557-7346

McCall, Charles

22

R

(405) 557-7412

McDaniel, Randy

83

R

(405) 557-7409

McDugle, Kevin

12

R

(405) 557-7388

McEachin, Scott

67

R

(405) 557-7341

McEntire, Marcus

50

R

(405) 557-7327

Meredith, Matt

4

D

(405) 557-7408

Montgomery, John

62

R

(405) 557-7374

Moore, Lewis

96

R

(405) 557-7400

Mulready, Glen

68

R

(405) 557-7340

Munson, Cyndi

85

D

(405) 557-7392

Murphey, Jason

31

R

(405) 557-7350

Newton, Carl

58

R

(405) 557-7339

Nichols, Monroe

72

D

(405) 557-7391

Nollan, Jadine

66

R

(405) 557-7390

O'Donnell, Terry

23

R

(405) 557-7379

Ortega, Charles

52

R

(405) 557-7369

Osborn, Leslie

47

R

(405) 557-7333

Osburn, Mike

81

R

(405) 557-7360

Ownbey, Pat

48

R

(405) 557-7326

Park, Scooter

65

R

(405) 557-7305

Perryman, David

56

D

(405) 557-7401

Pfeiffer, John

38

R

(405) 557-7332

Proctor, Eric

77

D

(405) 557-7410

Renegar, Brian

17

D

(405) 557-7381

Ritze, Mike

80

R

(405) 557-7338

Roberts, Dustin

21

R

(405) 557-7366

Roberts, Sean

36

R

(405) 557-7322

Rogers, Michael

98

R

(405) 557-7362

Rosecrants, Jacob

46

D

(405) 557-7329

Russ, Todd

55

R

(405) 557-7312

Sanders, Mike

59

R

(405) 557-7407

Sears, Earl

11

R

(405) 557-7358

Stone, Shane

89

D

(405) 557-7397

Strohm, Chuck

69

R

(405) 557-7331

Tadlock, Johnny

1

D

(405) 557-7363

Taylor, Zack

28

R

(405) 557-7372

Teague, Tess

101

R

(405) 557-7395

Thomsen, Todd

25

R

(405) 557-7336

Vaughan, Steve

37

R

(405) 557-7355

Virgin, Emily

44

D

(405) 557-7323

Walke, Collin

87

D

(405) 557-7335

Wallace, Kevin

32

R

(405) 557-7368

Watson, Weldon

79

R

(405) 557-7330

West, Josh

5

R

(405) 557-7415

West, Kevin

54

R

(405) 557-7343

West, Rick

3

R

(405) 557-7413

West, Tammy

84

R

(405) 557-7348

Williams, Cory

34

D

(405) 557-7411

Worthen, Rande

64

R

(405) 557-7398

Wright, Harold

57

R

(405) 557-7325

Young, George

99

D

(405) 557-7393