Gina Brown

Gina Brown
Brown pictured in 2015 while serving on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS
Born	(1966-01-15) January 15, 1966 Pittsburg, California
Education	BA, M.S.W.
Alma mater	Southern University at New Orleans
Occupations	Social worker and HIV/AIDS activist
Years active	2012–current
Organization(s)	Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, resigned 2017, Southern AIDS Coalition
Known for	HIV-positive advocacy
Board member of	CrescentCare Health Board of Trustees, Black AIDS Institute, The Well Projects

Gina M. Brown (born January 15, 1966) is an American HIV/AIDS activist and social worker.^[1] After experiencing childhood trauma and overcoming a drug addiction, Brown was diagnosed with HIV in 1994.^[2] Upon her diagnosis, she became a social worker to raise awareness about the disease and remove stigma from HIV-positive people and people of color. Brown previously served on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS and works towards decriminalizing HIV in the Southern United States.^[3]

Gina Brown was born on January 15, 1966 in Pittsburg, California.^[4] When she was four years old, her family moved to New Orleans. There, she suffered sexual abuse from a cousin. As a teenager, Brown felt pressure to sleep with older men and fell into drug addiction.^[4]

In 1994, while pregnant with a daughter, Brown learned she was HIV-positive. It was two years after she had become clean from drugs.^[5] At the time of her diagnosis, she was certain she would die and felt stigma from some medical professionals throughout her pregnancy.^[4] Others started her on AZT medical study, and her daughter was born HIV-negative.^[6]

In 2005, Brown first told her story of living with HIV to a local newspaper in Dallas, Texas where she was living at the time.^[7] After the interview, Brown was encouraged by feedback from women throughout the state who told her that her story inspired them to seek treatment.^[4] Brown realized the health consequences that shame and self-isolation had on HIV-positive women in the South.^[8][9] The reception encouraged Brown to enroll in a course for social work, in an effort to help more women living with HIV. Brown graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work from the Southern University at New Orleans in 2011, and earned a Master's degree in Social Work in 2012.^[10]

After graduation, Brown worked as an organizer for several advocacy organizations, including AIDS United and the Southern AIDS Coalition.^[11] Brown's social work highlights the roles of stigma, trauma and medical outcomes when it comes to HIV care.^[12] In Louisiana, where Brown lives, HIV transmission is criminalized.^[13] Brown's work highlights how these laws prevent HIV positive people from being open about their diagnoses, and seeking care.^[14] Brown was later appointed to serve on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) ^[5] as well as other boards related to confronting HIV and the stigma surrounding it in the South.^[15][10][16]

In 2017, Brown resigned from her role on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS with five other members in protest over the Trump administration's approach to HIV policy.^[17][18] In December 2017, President Trump fired the remaining members of the council.^[19]

In 2018, Brown publicly disclosed she was bisexual, in an effort to remove stigma and encourage LGBTQ+ women to be open about their HIV status.^[4]

In 2019, Brown commemorated the 25th anniversary of her HIV diagnosis.^[20] Through treatment by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, HIV is no longer detectable in her blood.^[21][22] Today, Brown continues to work as a community manager for HIV and AIDS related epidemic planning.^[23][5][24]