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The PWN Policy Fellowship, now in its 7th year, is a year–long program designed to support cis & trans women, trans, & gender diverse people living with HIV to build skills and experience in policy advocacy. We are acutely aware that this fellowship program is especially important right now, because it builds the policy leadership bench for people living with HIV who come directly from the communities most impacted by the coinciding epidemics of HIV, mass incarceration, and racism in the United States, especially BIPOC, trans, & gender diverse people.

We are excited to share that all trainings for the fellowship will be publicly accessible, so the PWN-USA community will have access to these important resources and skill-building opportunities. Join us for one or all of these sessions to build on your knowledge and start thinking long-term strategy!

We are excited to announce some recent changes in our leadership at PWN-USA, including our staff team and board of directors.

Please join us in welcoming Evany Turk (she/her) as our Interim Co-Executive Director! We are also celebrating Ieshia Scott (she/her) for recently becoming our Director of Finance & Operations. 

We also welcome the following folks to our PWN board of directors:

• Devarah "Dee" Borrego
• Leah Freeman
• Grissel Granados
• Janea Hunter
• Stephanie Knupsky - Secretary

In May, the PWN-Pennsylvania chapter ended a powerful community driven campaign that helped create a permanent community oversight board and office to hold Philadelphia’s prison system accountable.

This win is deeply meaningful for our communities, especially Black and brown women (trans and cis) and gender diverse folks living with HIV, who are disproportionately impacted by policing, incarceration, and systemic neglect. PWN-PA members led with love and action.

In total, we knocked on over 10,000 doors, spoke with more than 2,000 neighbors in person, and made over 51,000 phone calls, reaching 3,000 people directly to talk about the importance of voting and this amendment. Chapter leader Stephanie Knupsky who co-led the phone banking program says, "The work can be tedious, but the fact that I see the same people show up campaign after campaign is really inspiring and drives me to continue to show up as well.”

In leading our canvassing team, co-chair Cookie Cruz recalls "our team has done a great job getting our community informed and empowered to vote in this election." This victory is a testament to the strength of community-led organizing, the power the HIV community holds, and the unwavering leadership of women living with HIV. Co-chair and phone bank lead Kenya Moussa captures this perfectly by saying: "This campaign season hits home to why we must have people in seats that can change our community. We have to show this current federal administration we will have our voices heard.”

PWN showed up fierce at the HIV Is Not a Crime Training Academy 6 with over 50 members in attendance! Our team led 11 dynamic workshops, while the plenaries, Institutes and workshops featured 34 PWN member and staff presenters, sharing our expertise in HIV justice, storytelling, safety, and movement building. We also hosted a special members dinner—a joyful space to build deeper community (and dodge a few mosquitos)!

Did you attend? We want your feedback! Please take a moment to fill out the survey and help us continue to show up strong.

Congratulations to our June 2025 Shero of the Month, Porchia Dees (she/her) of California!

Porchia Dees is a part of the first generation of children who were born HIV positive, diagnosed in 1986 and a native of San Bernardino, California. She considers herself an Artivist, which combines the passions of art and activism together. Porchia graduated with her BS from the University of California, Riverside and has been working in the HIV Direct Services and advocacy field for over 10 years now in many different capacities. Porchia is currently enrolled in a Masters in Social Work program at Azusa Pacific University. She is presently working full time as a Health Educator II within the HIV/STD clinic at the Riverside County Department of Public Health. Porchia is also serving as the California State lead for Positive Women’s Network. She also serves as one of the co-founders and CEO of the Lifetime Survivors Network. 

Helping others and giving back to her community is her passion. Educating people on the topic of HIV, and public speaking has become her calling. She feels she did not choose this life; it was given to her. With that being said, most importantly, her goal is to touch and inspire as many lives as she can with her story and with Hope!!!

Read the full interview by clicking below! 

People living with HIV are strong and resilient, and every day holds something to celebrate. Submit anything you want to celebrated, from getting appointed to a Community Advisory Board or giving a shout out to your fav PWN-er. There's nothing too small to be celebrated - let's uplift all of the joy and wins in our communities! 🤠

Are you a PWN member living with HIV? Join our virtual support group, Sister Circle, for a space to release, connect, and find peace! ✨ Join us Thurs, 06/26/25 at 8PM ET/7PM CT/6PM MT/5PM PT/2PM HT. Registration required to attend: bit.ly/PWNCARES (all caps). Hope to see you there! 💗

• PWN Blog: When Searching for Help Becomes a Full-Time Job by Angela Hawkins (06/13/25)
• "National Guard in the Streets? Our People Deserve to Know" by PWN-USA (06/11/25)
• "Trump’s big, beautiful bill, explained in 5 charts" by Vox (06/11/25)
• "I’m a Black, Queer, Trans Man Who Has Had Two Pregnancies. Texas Wants to Eliminate People Like Me From Healthcare Spaces" by The Barbed Wire (06/09/25)
• WedMD Blog: "Aging With HIV" by Katie Willingham, PWN-AL member (06/03/25)
• "Immigration Advocates Sue DHS Demanding Transparency about Coercive DNA Collection Practices" by Amica Center for Immigrant Rights (06/02/25)
• Health Not Prisons Dispatch - Spring 2025 (05/29/25)
• "Preparing for a Supreme Court Decision That Could Change Health Care Coverage for Millions of Americans" by Equality Federation and CHLP (May 2025)
• Know Your Rights with ICE by Immigrant Defense Project
• Protest Safety Prep Linktree from Nonviolent Peaceforce

• "Councilmember Quetcy Lozada’s bill governing mobile service providers was amended during the regular Council session on Thursday. But to some, it doesn’t help the problem it’s meant to address" by The Philadelphia Sunday SUN (05/01/25)
  • Featuring Bev Piper, PWN-PA Organizer
• "On the streets of Philly’s Kensington neighborhood, accessing essential care services just got harder" by People's World (05/22/25)
  • Featuring Aileen Callahan, PWN-PA Volunteer & Samm, PWN-USA Integrated Voter Engagement Manager

If you've been to a PWN celebration in the past few years, then you've grooved to the song stylings of our very own DJ Big Sal, a.k.a. Sallie Thomas - the decriminalization specialist on our policy team. Now she's bringing you a song selection to get your joy on! 

You can check out our previous celebration playlists on Spotify HERE!

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