This week our friends at +Talk (the weekly chat show focusing on people living with and affected by HIV) features activist, health advocate, and social justice warrior, Diana Feliz Oliva.Oliva, a transgender woman herself, has been a beacon for social change and advocate for marginalized communities for over 25 years now.
In addition to her decades of dedication to her community (she holds a Master’s Degree in social work from Columbia University), she also has reached executive levels at Gilead Sciences, one of the leading makers of HIV medications.
In fact, Oliva was the first openly transgender person hired by Gilead in its 30-year history.Much of her focus over the years has been working with people living with HIV, including women, gay and bi men, transgender individuals, sex workers, those with mental health issues, substance users, homeless individuals, undocumented individuals, and incarcerated adults, youth, elderly, and people of color.In this clip from +Talk, Oliva and host Karl Schmid discuss how to overcome the fear and stigma of going to clinics and getting tested.