Poker isn't only in Vegas, and in Alabama, it's for a good cause.
As a part of GLAAD's Southern Stories Summer Tour, GLAAD is partnering with Birmingham AIDS Outreach in its annual Smith Lake Poker Run. On Saturday June 13, guests will set off in their pontoons, boats, and jet skis to seven different checkpoints around the lake and draw one poker card at each destination. Thanks to the generosity of Sally Ringo and Michele Tanner, this year GLAAD will be operating one of those checkpoints. Each destination has its own themed party, so at GLAAD's checkpoint guests will enjoy food and beverages, take "Got Your Back" photos to share with our social media campaign, and have the opportunity to be interviewed on camera about the work they are doing in Alabama to accelerate acceptance.
That afternoon, all participants will meet at the After Party to enjoy a cookout and live entertainment. There they will enter their poker hands, based on the seven cards they drew, with the hope of winning the Poker Run prize.
This evening is much more than a fun Southern rendition of a poker night. Birmingham AIDS Outreach (BAO), the organization hosting and benefiting from the event, works to impact the lives of 14,452 people living with HIV in Alabama. The mission of the organization is to enhance the quality of life for people living with HIV and AIDS, at-risk, affected individuals, and the LGBTQ community through outreach, age-appropriate prevention education, and supportive services. BAO provides free services to over 800 HIV positive individuals and touches thousands of lives through community events, HIV testing, and prevention outreach. This year, BAO is celebrating 30 years of service as Alabama's first AIDS service organization this year.
GLAAD got its start in the midst of the AIDS crisis of the 1980, fighting back against defamatory coverage of people living with HIV. Since then, we have actively sought to lift up and magnify the voices of those working for greater awareness and acceptance of people living with HIV by highlighting campaigns such as those run by the National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and AIDS United. As a part of GLAAD's ongoing commitment to prevention and treatment for people living with HIV, we recently released "HIV & AIDS in the news: A guide for reporting in a new era of prevention & treatment" as a resource for news media outlets to assist in fairly, inclusively, and accurately telling the story of people living with HIV in the United States. Most recently, several nominees and many winners of the 26th Annual GLAAD Media Awards addressed the stories of LGBT people living with HIV.
If you will be in the Birmingham area Saturday June 13, join us as we join our Southern advocates in fighting HIV and AIDS with this fun community event!
The Concert for Love and Acceptance will kick off GLAAD's six-state Southern Stories bus tour as we hit the road and travel across the Deep South sharing stories of LGBT Southerners, allies, and advocates. Get your tickets to see her at the Concert for Love and Acceptance and find out more about GLAAD's Southern Stories Summer Tour and get the schedule at glaad.org/summertour.
The Concert for Love and Acceptance and GLAAD's Southern Stories Summer Tour are produced with support from Major Partner, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, and Official Partner, Honey Maid. Follow @glaad on Twitter to keep up to date on all the latest Concert for Love and Acceptance and Southern Stories Summer Tour news!