DOH Leon HIV/AIDS Specialists Join Partners for Outreach at Pride Picnic 

Florida Department of Health in Leon County’s HIV/AIDS specialists and others joined host organization—The LGBTQ Support and Social Group USA— for a pride picnic at Tom Brown Park in Tallahassee. 

The event was part of a series of events around the community, coordinated to commemorate National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NGMHAAD) officially recognized every September 27.

The pride picnic was open to friends and allies of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning community. A major objective of the pride picnic was to provide a safe, welcoming space for LGBTQ youth, teens, and young adults to gather and meet new friends. 

The cookout was supported by DOH Leon and several volunteers from Florida State University's College of Medicine. DOH Leon HIV/AIDS Early Intervention Consultant, Robert "Bobby" Wilson, staffed the department's vendor tent. Some 40 people visited our resource table that consisted of at-home HIV testing kits, condoms, HIV prevention brochures, and fun promotional giveaways.

The LGBTQ Support and Social Group USA organization wants this inaugural event to take place every year. Its founder Matthew Loscialo says the organization's mission is to provide social support, activities, education, scholarships and a safe, accepting environment.

For more information about the DOH Leon HIV/AIDS program and services, visit:

https://leon.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/clinical-and-nutrition-services/aids/index.html

To learn more about the LGBTQ Support and Social Group USA program, please visit:

https://lgbtqsupportandsocialgroupusa.org/

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Written by:

Pamela Saulsby | Public Information Officer