Global Black Gay Men Connect Announces New PrEP Initiative "Boldly Black & PrEPared"

News & Opinion

When conversations surrounding HIV prevention are brought up in the United States, Black gay men and trans individuals are often left within the margins or on the outskirts—even though they are among the groups most impacted by the HIV epidemic.

Global Black Gay Men Connect (GBGMC) is working to rewrite that narrative with a powerful new initiative: “Boldly Black & PrEPared.”

The organization launched a survey to fuel the cause. Take here.

Global Black Gay Men Connect was founded in 2018 and formed a movement that “aims to build local power to intervene in discrimination and violence inflicted on Black Gay communities and men.”

The institution’s mission is to build a platform that empowers Black Gay men to “pursue optimal health, upward mobility and harmonious existence.”

Some of GBGMC’s core initiatives include advocacy for human rights, HIV prevention and care, fighting systemic oppression, promoting health equity and local activism and providing an emergency relief fund for the Black gay communities they serve.

At its heart, Boldly Black & PrEPared is about reclaiming agency, autonomy, and representation. It asks a simple but important question: What would HIV prevention look like if it were truly designed for us, by us? The cornerstone of the initiative can be found in its launch of their national survey: “Long-Acting PrEP (LAP) Preferences, Access & Barriers.”

The survey invites Black gay men and Black trans individuals across the country to share their perspectives on long-acting PrEP—a revolutionary form of HIV prevention. The survey seeks to uncover what excites people about this new technology, what challenges they face in accessing it, what systemic barriers still stand in the way and most importantly, what education is needed to fully understand its benefits.

By gathering this information directly from those most impacted, Boldly Black & PrEPared ensures that long-acting PrEP doesn’t just exist in theory—it exists in practice, tailored to the realities of Black queer lives.

Traditional PrEP involves taking a pill daily and has already been an important tool in HIV prevention. However, for a myriad of reasons, including difficulty in maintaining a routine, stigmas surrounding possession of the pill itself and difficulty accessing the pill due to monetary constraints, the use of the pill itself has proved to be challenging for some.That’s where long-acting PrEP could be transformative.

Imagine reducing the need for a daily pill to only a few medical visits per year. This can also eliminate some of the visible reminders and social risks that come with taking a pill daily.

For many, this would be a huge convenience and could also help some queer individuals regain their sense of dignity and confidence.Boldly Black & PrEPared is more than a health campaign—it’s a movement rooted in justice. It insists that Black queer people deserve not only access to prevention tools but also a say in how those tools are developed and distributed.

As one GBGMC spokesperson put it:“Launching this survey is about more than data—it’s about agency and visibility.

”By centering stories and experiences of queer individuals, the initiative reframes HIV prevention as not just a medical issue but a cultural one. It highlights resilience, challenges stigma, and builds pathways for collective empowerment and change. This initiative represents a crucial step toward dismantling the systemic barriers that have historically prevented equitable access to healthcare for Black LGBTQ+ individuals.

Recognizing that race, sexual orientation, and gender identity intersect to create complex and unique challenges, this campaign aims to provide solutions that are holistic and affirming.