HIV/AIDS
Gwendolyn (Gwen) Davis
Gwendolyn (Gwen) Davis was born in Washington, Pennsylvania in 1939 and was raised by her grandmother in a suburb of Washington called Lincoln Hill until her grandmother’s death. Davis spent the rest of her childhood and adulthood with her parents in Newark, where she eventually became a nurse. In the 1980s and 1990s, Davis worked directly with HIV/AIDS patients doing intake interviews in emergency rooms and working on awareness campaigns in schools and hospitals.Donald Ransom
Since arriving in Newark in the early 1980s, Rev. Don Ransom has worked in the fields of substance abuse and recovery, as well as HIV prevention and education. A central figure in Newark AIDS activism, he was involved with James Credle and others in the pioneering Fire Ball programs of the early 1990s, a member of the city’s first HIV planning council, and remains active with NJCRI and other organizations. As well, he serves as senior reverend at the Unity Fellowship Church NewArk.In his oral history interviews, Rev. Ransom talks about queer Newark nightlife, AIDS activism, his...
John Calendo
John Calendo (b. 1948) has led a rich, full life, in which Newark entered the picture late and in somewhat marginal fashion. Thus this oral history departs a bit from tradition and centers his experiences at Newark’s Little Theatre and Cameo adult theaters rather than his full life story per se, though it touches on many aspects of his larger trajectory.John’s biography captures some of the other notable elements:
I graduated NYU in the spring of 1970. I joined Andy Warhol’s Interview a year after college. I was brought out to Hollywood to work on a script, stayed there...
Andrew Moreira
Andrew Santos Moreira is a proud First Generation of Brazilian descent and New Jersey native. As an undergrad at Rutgers-Newark, Andrew served as Co-President to his campus’ only LGBTQIA+ student organization, RU Pride. During his tenure, Andrew and his team spearheaded events and collaborations that fostered meaningful dialogue around diversity, equity and inclusion. These collaborative events included supporting the Muslim Student Organization’s protests against the Trump administration's ban against predominantly Muslim countries, as well as inviting an international speaker and founder of...Darryl Rochester
After graduating from Weequahic High School in 1971, Darryl Wayne Rochester (March 27, 1953-December 8, 2020) studied dance under the tutelage of Kay Thompson Payne, co-owner of the then well-known Thompson Dance Studio of Newark. He became one of her star pupils. One evening Kay invited Darryl to accompany her to her dance class at the Dance Theater of Harlem in New York. The experience was very intimidating and he left there feeling somewhat inadequate and less confident in his ability as a dancer. Darryl had an urgent feeling to obtain additional training in dance from a highly...
Elizabeth Kaeton
The Reverend Dr. Elizabeth Kaeton first came to Newark in 1991 as Vicar of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church and Executive Director of St. Barnabas AIDS Resource Center. She also worked for Bishop Jack Spong as Canon Missioner to The Oasis, a ministry of the Diocese of Newark with LGBTQ people and their families. In 2008 she moved to Delaware but the City of Newark at her people will always hold a special place in her heart.Aleix Martinez
Aleix Martinez is a longtime Newark resident, music industry communications specialist, and artist across multiple platforms. His work as a publicist in the music industry has focussed on representing and championing LGBT artists including Morrissey, Sia, Anohni, Scissor Sisters, Chavela Vargas, The Gossip, Nomi Ruiz, and Mika as well as singular artists like Santigold, Grace Jones, Tori Amos, Nancy SInatra, and The Cramps.
His art explores the intersections of ambition, luxury, hypercapitalism, and gentrification. His video work Insatiable, largely filmed in Newark, debuted at...
Tamara Fleming
Tamara Fleming is a creative powerhouse and co-founder of FEMWORKS, an award winning marketing communications firm that specializes in helping businesses to engage consumers in multicultural markets. Fleming’s industry experience, keen creative eye, attention to detail and the foundation that encouraged her to co-found FEMWORKS. In addition to her work in creative production and the news industry, Tamara Fleming is also a published photographer. She has a driving passion to create images that positively represent African-American, Latinos, urban communities, and the LGBT community. Fleming...Julio Roman
At the age of sixteen, Safe Space Expert and LGBTQIA+ Rights Advocate, Julio C. Roman, accepted his calling in LGBTQIA+ activism and safe space design.Julio has dedicated over twenty-two years to creating LGBTQIA+ safe spaces and advancing the health equality and social justice initiatives of Black and Brown Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender communities, and other marginalized communities affected by HIV/AIDS and its related health, social, and economic disparities.
His experience lies extensively in Safe Space Design, HIV Prevention and Harm Reduction...
Eyricka Morgan
Eyricka Morgan (1987-2013) was one of the amazing speakers on the "Queer Newarkers: The 21st Century Generation" panel of Queer Newark's first conference, Queer Newark: Our Voices, Our Stories in November of 2011. Tragically, Eyricka was murdered before the QNOHP was able to record her full oral history. Because we want to preserve her voice and story as best we can, we have edited together her comments from the conference as a stand-alone page.Related:
Eyricka Morgan, Transgender Woman, Allegedly Murdered In New Jersey New Jersey Paper Refuses to Correct Coverage of...