Tamachia Davenport > AIDS

New Orleans native Tamachia Davenport keeps HIV on the front burner at work, in worship and at the family dinner table.

She is the daughter of a pastor who recently dubbed himself  “Da Condom Father” as part of an HIVprevention campaign Tamachia helped create.   Their tagline?  “We’ve got an offer you can’t refuse.” That offer, of course, refers to free condoms and HIV testing, and these “mobsters” test over a thousand people each year.

The family’s commitment to HIV advocacy began 14 years ago, when some HIV-positive members of their church became concerned about how people would react to their status.  Tamachia and her family quickly launched an HIV program to fight stigma—not just in their community, but throughout the entire city.  Today, Tamachia regularly takes to the pulpits of other congregations to encourage safe sex and the de-stigmatization of HIV.

“I know not every church is up for passing out condoms,” she explains. “We’re considered extreme. But a church or mosque or synagogue isn’t just a building—it’s the people.” Tamachia knew they’d made progress when a young woman came in and told her that her minister wouldn’t marry a couple until they had both been tested for HIV.  “There are so many ways religious communities can join the movement, and this is clearly one of them,” she says. “I was on the phone right away to thank that pastor for his commitment.”

When confronted by those who believe that passing out condoms promotes promiscuity, Tamachia explains that while she supports abstinence 100 percent—“It’s a great way to eliminate the risk of HIV transmission,” she says—she can’t ignore reality. “People are engaging in behaviors and need to protect themselves.  HIV doesn’t respect color or who you are or what you believe in.  I’ve heard too many stories about teens who never heard of a certain STD until they were diagnosed with it.”

To get out the word, she and her colleagues plan community awareness events, like the recent extravaganza that aimed to attract a thousand vehicles decked out in HIV prevention flags on a twenty mile “Ride for Life” through New Orleans.

A self-described “pit-bull,” Tamachia’s conviction is one of the secret weapons in a campaign to legislate mandatory sex education in Louisiana schools, which is currently optional.  Recently, she waited twelve hours to testify in the State House of Representatives.   When she was finally called to speak at 9:00 p.m., she did not hold back in her testimony.  “We’re trying to get our politicians out of the dark ages,” she says. “We’re so conservative, we’re killing ourselves.”

Tamachia wants the GTA community to know, “you don’t have to be HIV-positive to get in the fight.”  She encourages you to contact her to get involved in upcoming events in Louisiana or to help supply badly needed HIV testing kits.

Tamachia exemplifies how much of a difference just one person can make.  Just think what a whole community could do.

Check out podcasts of Tamachia discussing HIV Prevention in Louisiana on Q93.3FM.