CODE:RED was one of the largest AIDS / HIV Awareness events to hit Philly last year, and if you can believe it, this year is going to be bigger! I sat down with the event’s creator Michael Mikel Tambon (Drag name Cherry Pop) to talk about his journey and how CODE:RED is working to make Philadelphia a better place.

I asked Michael what inspired him to create CODE:RED, and his response nearly took my breath away:

I wanted to create CODE:RED because I wanted to reach out to my community and express the importance of safe sex and knowing your status. On 1/23/12 I was diagnosed with HIV, and since my diagnosis 12 friends have approached me for help and advice because they too were diagnosed. I felt that I needed to speak up. I began educating myself about HIV/AIDS and found out that my city [Philadelphia] is experiencing an all time high of new infections, or a new epidemic if you will.

Philadelphia is at 5x the national average of infection, and [is] getting infected at a rate 50% faster than NYC. 1 in 5 people living with HIV are unaware of their status, causing the rapid spread of infection.

I feel that the new generation is lax to the issue because HIV has lost its fear factor thanks to medication, so they forget to practice safe sex and to keep up with knowing their health status. Also the new advances in the "dating" scene [Think "Playing Boyfriends"] have increased the chances of infection. Apps like Grindr, Adam4Adam, Manhunt, and Scruff make sex just a click away. People are hooking up with complete strangers after a brief chat and exchange of private photos without including conversation about safety. The new generation tends to forget about the events that took place just 30 years ago, The rapid spread of HIV/AIDS killed millions.

A friend of mine shared a story, he said HIV deaths were so bad at one point ,that it was actually an annoyance to dry clean your suits every few days to attend another friends funeral, people became numb to the loss.

I also wanted to try to end the stigma surrounding HIV. I’m a responsible and healthy HIV positive individual, I am no different now than I was pre testing positive. The only thing that has changed is a pencil scratch into my health records and daily medication. I wanted to be open about my status, not because I want everyone to know about my personal issues, but because I wanted to show people that its okay to be HIV+. So many newly diagnosed HIV people are afraid that they will be looked at as toxic or reckless. I’m here to tell them to stop worrying and to start living again, nothing changed.

My biggest fear when I was diagnosed was that I would never find anyone that will love me because of my HIV status. After 4 months of depression and self-guilt, reality finally hit me and the only thing I could do about my new diagnosis is to move forward. I am now in a happy relationship with someone who is HIV- and we are taking the right safety precautions, and it has been a totally normal relationship.

The main reason I decided to set up the event CODE:RED, was to inform the public that there is help all around the city. I have such a supportive family and group of friends that I can go to whenever I need advice or help. However that is not the case for everyone so I wanted to create an event that would showcase the people and places willing to support people in their time of need. Being open about my status will hopefully make others open about their status in hopes to BREAK THE SILENCE. Without Coming to CODE:RED, I think it’s important that people know just how many organizations work around the clock to help make life easier for everyone.

The Mazzoni Center has a clinic to help those in need of treatments. They provide free HIV group meetings to those who feel alone, and they also provide personal counseling as well. They also have free daily HIV/STD testing. There is no excuse to not know your status. AIDS FUND is an organization that puts together fun events, such as GayBINGO, to raise money for local HIV/AIDS organizations. MANNA provides daily nutritious meals to those who are suffering from life threatening illness. University of Penn has a free HIV testing program that gives you $15 gift cards to get tested, and that list is no exclusive!

Back to your original question, about CODE:RED, I approached my friend Brandon Robert last year and asked him to help me create this event. I knew he put together many successful shows in the city, and he was the best person to work with on this event. CODE:RED has over 30 of Phillys finest entertainers, all donating their time and talent on stage to raise money for the cause. [Read more about the CODE: RED Event]

I was so honored to share the stage with such a blend of amazing talent last year, and I can’t wait to see how much good we can accomplish this year!

I want to thank Michael for the emotional journey into his thoughts. You can find more information about CODE: RED on their facebook event page. You can also buy tickets online and if you can’t make the event but want to donate visit gofund.me/codered2014

Photo by: Jonathan Hernandez