If you have heard me do a poetry set in recent months, you have heard me mention a good friend of mine who transitioned last year, Mary Bowman.

Mary was someone you loved without knowing her directly. The good things you look for in someone - honesty, vulnerability, the ability to connect with anyone - all from an incredibly caring and charismatic person. It was a gift to know Mary. From her artistry to her activism, I only knew truth from Mary.

Now Mary is the magic around us. She fought hard for the rights of many living with HIV (including herself) and shared with the world the hardest parts of living. Often it wasn't the meds, but people and their attitudes around HIV that made life tough. Mary tirelessly fought stigma, every day, just to live her life.

I am happy to see the Mary Bowman Arts in Activism Award be created. A fitting way to honor Mary's marriage of arts and activism - by celebrating and financially supporting another artist whose work inspired and helps fight the stigma people are facing daily.

If you are 27 or younger and interested in applying - follow the link below:

via Mary Bowman Arts in Activism Award - Welcome to Aids Memorial