For this year’s POZ 100, POZ magazine asked individuals and organizations to nominate an HIV-positive person in their community who is an unsung hero in the fight against AIDS. The individuals on this year’s list may not consider themselves to be heroes, but POZ does. Each person -- in his or her own way -- is taking a brave stand against the virus. They are fighting back. They do so, not because they’re seeking glory or accolades, but because fighting back is a means to their survival.


This year’s list is made up of 100 HIV-positive people from around the country who are committed to ending the epidemic. And because they are living with the virus themselves, they often have a unique understanding of what needs to be done and how best to do it. They know what it’s like to be newly diagnosed and how it feels to deal with HIV-related stigma and discrimination. They understand the challenges of accessing care, treatment and support. They realize that by sharing their stories, they are not only inspiring others living with the virus, but also empowering themselves and the entire HIV community.


POZ magazine hopes that the people they spotlight on this year’s POZ 100 inspire you as much as they’ve inspired them. They have the power and the passion to effect change in the world. Meet some of the heroes featured in 2013 POZ 100 below.




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  • Marco Benjamin


    Condom Nation Program Manager AIDS Healthcare Foundation Los Angeles, California Positive since 2008 After being diagnosed with HIV in 2008, Marco Benjamin became involved in AIDS activism by attending protests and demonstrations against drug pricing. He eventually quit his job at an architectural firm and was hired as contractor to mobilize individuals for the Keep the Promise March at last year’s International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC. Currently, Marco is the Condom Nation program manager at AIDS Healthcare Foundation and spends the better part of the year in an 18-wheeler truck going across the nation distributing condoms and educating others about safer sex. Last year the program visited 45 cities and gave away 5.5 million condoms.




  • Vera Bowlby


    Peer Counseling Coordinator Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation Tucson, Arizona Positive since 1999 Vera Bowlby is responsible for overseeing the Peer Counseling Department at the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation. She provides superb guidance, direction and leadership for her team to ensure that all new clients receive the care and support they need. Vera uses her experiences as a person living with HIV to inspire those who are newly diagnosed. She is compassionate, empathetic and driven to help others. For people now facing the challenges of living with HIV, Vera sets an awe-inspiring example by demonstrating that the possibilities are endless.




  • Marisol Calderon


    Board Member and Client Advocate Valley AIDS Council Harlingen, Texas Positive since 2011 After receiving a visit from the Texas Health Department notifying her that she had been exposed to HIV—she subsequently confirmed she was positive—Marisol Calderon began to tell her story and educate others. She joined the board of directors of Valley AIDS Council—an organization that had provided her with specialized care and shoulders to lean on. Marisol soon became the client advocate, ensuring that the agency’s clients always had a voice at the table. In 2012, Marisol went public with her status in English and Spanish language television interviews. Marisol advocates for safer-sex practices and routine HIV testing, and her voice empowers Latinas. She urges women to protect themselves, to challenge their cultural norms and to openly discuss sexuality, which is taboo within Latino culture.




  • Bryan Jones


    National Steering Committee Member/Advocate Campaign to End AIDS Cleveland, Ohio Positive since 1984 Bryan Jones has been fighting HIV/AIDS and the stigma and discrimination associated with it for three decades. He is a national steering board member of the Campaign to End AIDS (C2EA), and he is on the planning committee of the C2EA National Advocacy Leadership Summit. He is a voting member of the Ryan White Planning Council and Consumer Advisory Board in Cleveland. Bryan is the founder of one of the largest men’s support groups in Ohio called Gentlemen’s Quarterly: Positive Men Doing Positive Things. Last year he performed his theatrical piece, titled A.I.D.S.…And I Die Slowly, at the International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC. Through character narrative and song, the autobiographical piece tells his journey of being positive and inspires audiences everywhere.




  • Joe McAdams


    Prevention Program Coordinator AIDS Services of Austin Austin, Texas Positive since 1987 Joe McAdams has been a part of the Central Texas HIV community for almost 20 years. Before taking on his current role as prevention program coordinator at AIDS Services of Austin (ASA), he worked with the Williamson County Health Department, The Wright House Wellness Center and Austin Travis County Integral Care. At ASA, Joe helps people face their HIV diagnosis, deal with mental health and substance abuse issues and navigate the system after incarceration. He makes the effort to know and support his clients as they face their fears related to living with HIV so he can steer them in the right direction for their practical needs.




  • Joshua Montgomery


    HIV Prevention Director The Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada Positive since 1997 Ever since Joshua Montgomery discovered he was HIV positive, he has been active in various recovery programs to help those who, like himself, struggle with addiction. He has been sober for the last 16 years. Josh focused on becoming a counselor and began working for The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada. At The Center, he started the Vegas Mpowerment Project, which reaches thousands of young MSM with safer-sex messages, HIV education and outreach. He is an approachable and compassionate mentor for all the participants of the Mpowerment group. In addition to his job as HIV prevention director, Josh is also the community co-chair for the Southern Nevada HIV Prevention Planning Group. He is currently pursuing a degree in social work.




  • Osvaldo Perdomo


    Board Member & Volunteer Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) New York, New York Positive since 2004 Osvaldo Perdomo went to GMHC when he was diagnosed with AIDS in 2004. As he started to access services, he also attended the therapeutic art classes. As his newfound love for painting grew, Osvaldo was invited to submit his artwork for Visual AIDS’s annual fundraiser, Postcards From the Edge. He subsequently submitted his artwork to GMHC’s annual client art show, Art & AIDS. Five years ago, he started co-curating the annual art exhibitions with artist David Livingston; he connected with the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art to have them host the show in December around World AIDS Day. Osvaldo has also helped coordinate panel discussions at the museum about the impact of art on the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Osvaldo has served as team captain for Team Friends in Deed at AIDS Walk New York, and last year he joined the GMHC Board of Directors and its development committee.




  • Doris Plant Hill


    Volunteer AIDS/HIV Services Group Charlottesville, Virginia Positive since 1989 Doris Plant-Hill has been a tireless volunteer for AIDS/HIV Services Group (ASG) for more than three years. No volunteer task is too small and none too great for her to handle. Doris has also been a strong peer model for SISTA, a course devoted to empowering African-American women to take control of their lives and health. A former intravenous drug user, she is devoted to her long-term recovery and is a regular fixture in ASG’s substance abuse support group. Doris has appeared in several TV spots discussing her HIV status and path to health. She is also on track to serve on the agency’s Community Advisory Board where she can influence the agency’s course as it moves forward.




  • Raquel_Sapien


    Leadership Committee Member National Latino AIDS Action Network Joplin, Missouri Positive since 1992 Raquel Sapien has been at the forefront fighting for the rights of the transgender community and people living with HIV/AIDS. She is on the National Advisory Board of the Center of Excellence for Transgender Health and an active member of the Global Network of People Living with HIV/North America. Raquel serves as the Midwest representative for the Leadership Committee of the National Latino AIDS Action Network and is part of the CDC’s HIV/AIDS awareness and anti-stigma campaign, “Let’s Stop HIV Together.” Raquel was awarded a certificate of recognition from the California State Senate for her work promoting, protecting and improving the health of the transgender community, and last year she spoke in the Global Village at the International AIDS Conference addressing the health disparities of transgender individuals in this country and their exclusion from society as a whole.




  • Cassandra Whitty


    CEO Hope and Mercy Resource Center Baton Rouge, Louisiana Positive since 2000 Cassandra Whitty is a daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, aunt and a person living with HIV. She has served on the board for HIV/AIDS Alliance for Region Two for six years and served as the board chair for two terms. She also served on the Mayor’s Advisory Council for HIV/AIDS. Cassandra is the founder and CEO of Hope and Mercy Resource Center in Louisiana where they minister and educate people living with and affected by HIV and hypertension through the program “Teaching One to Reach One.” She advocates for those who cannot speak for themselves about living with HIV/AIDS by telling her story, and she urges others to know their status and get tested.