Community Partners
Save The Date
July 14,2024 | 12 – 6PM
Joe’s on Weed St
940 W Weed St, Chicago IL 60642
A Health Summit for Gay, Bi, Same Gender Loving Men
Thank you to our 2024 Sponsors
Schedule of Events
12:00PM
Doors open
1:00PM
Evelio Presentation
1:30PM
Dr. Bucher Presentation
2:00PM
PrEP & PEP Spanish
2:30PM
PrEP & PEP English
3:00PM
Youth Panel
4:00PM
Self Care Panel
5:00PM
Javier Ninja Vouge
12:30PM
Health Panel
1:30PM
Evelio Q&A
2:00PM
Dr. Bucher Q&A
2:00PM
Bachata Dance Class
2:30PM
PrEP & PEP Spanish Q&A
3:00PM
Cumbia Dancing Class
4:00PM
Zumba Class
5:00PM
Social Hour
Keynote Speakers
Joaquín Lara
Joaquín Lara has devoted over two decades to HIV prevention, starting as a migrant student in Texas, Minnesota, & Iowa. As a first-generation college graduate, he began his career at a New York City ASO before transitioning to the biotech sector. With a focus on Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, & HIV/Prevention therapeutics, he’s played a pivotal role in launching various forms of PrEP. Currently, as a bilingual Community Engagement Specialist at ViiV Healthcare, he works on the newest long-acting injectable version. Joaquin’s diverse interests include epigenetic molecular biology, AI-driven compounds, and CRISPR Gene-Editing, with recent studies at Cornell and Harvard. Based in Austin, he serves all of Texas, including San Antonio, El Paso, the Rio Grande Valley, & Puerto Rico, collaborating with colleagues nationwide to engage Spanish-speaking audiences. Outside work, Joaquin enjoys global travel, family time, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and unwinding by a local creek with good music.
Evelio Salinas Escamilla
Evelio Salinas Escamilla is a Senior Research Associate at the Latino Commission on AIDS, specializing in program development and grant administration. With a B.A. in Mexican American Studies and Political Science from the University of Texas at San Antonio, he has extensive experience with NIH, NIDA, and CDC projects. As a Fellow of the Dennis De Leon Sustainable Leadership Institute, he focuses on addressing the behavioral health and HIV-related needs of Hispanic/Latinx communities in Texas.
Dr Juan Pablo Zapata
Dr. Juan Pablo Zapata, psychologist and Associate Director of the Lab for Scalable Mental Health, serves as Assistant Professor at Northwestern University’s Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health. He earned his PhD in Clinical Psychology from Marquette University in 2022 and completed a NIH T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Translational Science. With expertise in LGBTQ and Latino mental health, HIV, public health, and digital health, Dr. Zapata excels in implementation science.
Gary Bucher, M.D.
Dr. Gary Bucher, a leader in HIV/AIDS care and research, founded the Anal Dysplasia Clinic MidWest in 2008 to address the lack of evaluation and treatment for anal cancer. He spearheaded the ANCHOR Study, the largest anal cancer prevention study in the USA, and initiated a mentorship program in 2023 to train providers in anal precancer screening and treatment.
Jim Pickett
Jim Pickett, a seasoned HIV advocate, consults on prevention research and implementation advocacy. He leads Chicago’s PrEP4Teens project, integrating awareness, advocacy, and art to empower teens on sexual health, and oversees The Choice Agenda at AVAC, a global initiative promoting HIV prevention choices. Recognized by POZ magazine as instrumental in advocating for new prevention methods, he’s a member of Chicago’s LGBT Hall of Fame and has been living with HIV since 1995, bringing personal insight to his work.
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Panelists
Youth Panel
Health Panel
Self Care Panel
Youth Panel
Health Panel
Self Care Panel
Our Mission
Address Health Disparities in the Latine/x Gay and Same-Gender-Loving (SGL) Male Community health by providing a safe community space, offering evidence-based prevention and intervention education, and delivering essential resources.
Our Vision
Create improvement on the challenges encountered by Latine/x gay, bisexual, and SGL men, and foster a sense of solidarity within the community to overcome these obstacles.
Dance Classes & DJs
Javier the Dragon Ninja
Javier Madrid, also known as the ICONIC overall east coast Father Javier Ninja of the LEGENDARY House of Ninja, is a name known worldwide. Because he has studied, trained and mastered various styles of dance, he has managed to develop a style that is very unique, intricate & most noticeably difficult. Javier, affectionately known as “Javi,” leaves audiences in awe when they see his control, his precision & his flexibility. He was a coach on ” America’s Next Top Model.” He teaches classes in Paris, Japan & New York. He has performed with Madonna & Icona Pop, and he has been crowned “Vogue Champion of the Year” for 3 consecutive years at the House Dance International Competition. Most recently, Javi has performed with the House of Ninja at the 113th NAACP National Convention in Atlantic City, NJ. Father Javier Ninja is truly Ballroom Royalty.
More coming soon!
The Chicago Latine/x Health Summit is being organized by Project VIDA Inc