Tennessee Equality Project has partnered with Friends for Life in Memphis to teach advocacy skills to people living with and affected by HIV. Friends for Life launched an eight-week Advocacy Academy on May 19 funded by a grant from the Ford Foundation. Approximately 20 people enrolled in the class.TEP will provide training on how to contact and speak to elected officials and research information on local and state government. TEP will also consult with graduates of the Advocacy Academy to develop a field plan focused on the advancement of HIV/AIDS public policy.
TEP has offered training in advocacy for several years to its members and allies for many years to prepare citizens for Advancing Equality Day on the Hill in Nashville and other local legislative initiatives. The advocacy skills taught in TEP workshops are not only useful for LGBT people and their allies. Such skills are valuable for anyone willing to advocate for public policy. Friends for Life approached TEP because of its strong track record for empowering the voices of sexual minorities in Shelby County and Tennessee.
TEP looks forward to empowering the voices of those living with HIV.
-Jonathan Cole
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