Being well is an ongoing and active process. This dynamic workshop employs a collage of creativity – movement studies, multi  medium, and artistic expression –  that enables both teacher and student to attain a higher level of self-awareness.

The Art of Healing workshop stimulates our personal and collective dedication to recharge and advance ourselves with renewed energy and inspiration to promote our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.

Though the infinite mediums of creative expression, participants discover and re-invent a new canvas strategy and portrait of our deeper selves to gain a tangible interpretation of our unique ability to love ourselves unconditonally.

Tap into your healing power and perception to see yourself authentically. Conquer fear and creatively gain power.

In addition to his talents as a visual creator, Mr.Gore began to study dance at a late age at the Philadelphia Dance Company and Gwendolyn Bye Dance Studio. He progressed quickly and was eventually invited to perform with The Obediah Wright Balance Dance Theater in New York City. Then in 2004, he performed in Gwendolyn Bye’s Production of The Nutcracker.

In 2006, after many years of business success, Gore’s career was hindered due to a life-changing diagnosis of the AIDS virus. He was hospitalized for over a year with PML (Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy), paralyzed on the right side of his body (originally right-handed), and was temporarily blind in the right eye as well. Instead of allowing his diagnosis to impact his spirit, he used it to transform himself through art therapy.

Despite his life-crisis, Gore is dedicated to using his platform to educate the community about art therapy. Sponsored by the Lomax Family Foundation, he has developed his own workshop series: “The Art of Healing, By Terrence L. Gore”. Initially supported by the Painted Bride, the workshop incorporates interactive art creation, nutritional vegetarian tastings, dance and music to help one explore their own creative expression and self-identity.

Recently at the Woodmere Museum’s Annual 76th Juried Exhibition, Mr. Gore’s  highlighted piece “Creating Beyond Limitation” (a tribute to esteemed artist Horace Pippin) won first prize. Gore’s piece is a mix media in 3-D, consisting of various materials including: avocados (sanitized preserve, sculpted into human features), Indian bean pod shells, papyrus paper, leather prayer socks, coconut husk, satin, subway paint, and Gore’s recycled garments.

This was Gore’s third exhibition after receiving praise from the art community for his previous collection, ”The Stroke of Genius”, which was presented in collaboration with radio station WURD, in 2009. The second solo exhibition entitled  “Another Stroke of Genius” was presented by the nonprofit, Art From The Heart, in 2012 on South Street.

Gore’s work is executed with the consistency of “earth consciousness” in mind. Reflecting on his success, Gore states, “The goal is to create momentum to confirm my status as a renowned/celebrated artist, as I am living! I give credit to my medical practitioners, combined with my personal approach and staying on top of my healthy holistic transformation.”

We will discuss together ways for you to take a look at your personal Spiritual Foundation in a modern way that includes personal growth, a quest for an ultimate/sacred meaning, and your own inner/outer health. Build a tool box of ideas and discover ways to personally strengthen your Spiritual Foundation in the New Year

Rev. Tony earned his Master’s Degree in Consciousness Studies at the Holmes Institute and became an Authorized Minister of Religious Science in 2012. He is a native of Pittsburgh, Pa and attended the Pennsylvania State University where he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Clothing/Textiles & Marketing. He has returned to the Bay Area and currently he lives in Alameda, CA. He is a Staff Minister at the Oakland Center for Spiritual Living- 5000 Clarewood Drive Oakland, CA 94618

Rev. Tony has returned to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation in 2016 and currently is an Associate Director of Community Engagement. He previously held the position as an HIV/STI Prevention Program Manager for over 10 years serving the African American Gay community in San Francisco. His calling is to serve, and his focused Ministry going forward will be working in the HIV/AIDS prevention communities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Rev. Tony began his Spiritual Journey at the East Bay Church of religious Science as a Licensed Religious Science Practitioner in 2007. As a Staff Minister, He served on the Health & Wellness Ministry, Education Ministry, and Prayer Ministry. Rev. Tony recently served for three years as the Senior Minister at The Center for Spiritual Living Wilmington, Delaware.

Rev. Tony’s desire to help and serve his community by holding the truth about the conditions that seem to keep them disenfranchised, has led him to pursue a calling in Spiritual Teaching, Mentoring young folks and Speaking his truth to do his part in the Spiritual Transformation of the Planet.

Contrary to what you learned (or didn’t) in your middle school sex ed course, condoms are not one-size-fits-all!  This workshop is a sex positive exploration of  condom sizes, shapes, materials and fits in hopes of finding one that fits your body and that feels good!

This is a hands on workshop and conversation that will be informative, engaging and supportive.  The discussion will include condom tips and tricks like staying hard, minimizing disruption, negotiation, and other best practices for integrating condoms into your sex life.  You might not use condoms all the time, not even regularly, but many of us still use them. This is the opportunity to  feel sexy, confident and secure in your sexual encounters by improving your relationship with  condoms. This workshop is meant for community members and sex educators alike. Come join the fun.

A workshop for single gay men who want to pursue a meaningful relationship. I’ll point out three indicators to help them assess how well their current approach to dating and relationships is serving them. These indicators target three primary groups of single men: (1) Men with little or no dating experience who feel too intimidated to date; (2) Men who have had their heart broken and who now associate relationships with pain and are afraid of being hurt again; (3) Men who, having been around the block a few times, believe that there is no such thing as true love or feel that they are incapable of finding love.

Learning these indicators will allow the individual to identify which areas require work in order to increase their chance of finding a life partner. Once they’ve identified the root problems, they can focus on these instead of pursuing unsuitable relationships.

Scott is founder of “Asians and Friends San Francisco Bay”, a social group with over seven hundred local members. He works to help gay men find their compatible companion or build lasting friendships for fun and adventure. Scott is a trained relationship coach and graduate of Tony Robbins’ Mastery University. He has appeared on TV, interviewed on David Perry’s “10 Percent” and the LGBT program “We Are Family” in Hong Kong. He facilitated Relationship Workshops for San Francisco’s social group, MAX.

Learn more at scotttsui.com

This presentation is designed to examine and discuss the variation of narratives among Black Gay Men and how Faith Leaders can better serve them to reduce the number of new HIV infections, and address the individual in a holistic way. Faith Leaders, service providers and a network of individuals living their truth will come together and address the hurt and pain experienced by Black Gay Men through their Faith and the strategies to move individuals from Hurt to Healing, by acknowledging the structural and cultural factors.

This workshop also address and equip participants with the necessary tools to curtail sexuality and HIV related stigma and close the gap between faith and justice by bridging the gap between church hurt and healing using and implementing these strategies on their own and within their faith based institutions, to create solidarity between both Faith and Black LGBTQI Communities and move beyond church hurt, and heal.

Camryn is a 2016 graduate of the African American HIV University AAHU at UCLA, Co-Chairs the Black Treatment and Advocates Network, BTAN Bay Area and have presented research and updates at national gatherings such as USCA, and a participant in the Build A Brother Institute coordinated by the Young Black Gay Men’s Leadership Initiative at the National African American MSM Leadership Conference under NAESM.

Working closely with youth and young adults Camryn Crump reaches the masses across the United States using his trademark Cam’s Verbal Vomit, educating them on HIV Prevention, Testing, and addressing Stigma through workshops, panels, and online forums.

With the purpose of bridging the gap between Faith and Justice, Camryn works to create strategic programs and activities that will help build solidarity with both Black Faith and Black LGBT Communities. Camryn works through faith to do his part in ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic and empower other Gay Men of Color.

In this workshop we will use the practices of ritual, writing, mirroring and meditation to explore what it means to practice respect and empathy in partnership. We will review some of the research led by Indigenous scholars on Historical Trauma and Unresolved Grief to review the evidenced based data that speaks to how historical trauma impacts our sense of self and behaviors. We will write in community, listen to affirming music, sit in silence, practice deep listening and share what wants to be shared. Led by a cis-gendered masculine of center woman we will explore how our ancestral stories of relationships impact our values and sense of self, and how it is not only important to reflect and heal from the traumas but to claim the ancestral gifts of love as we explore healthy relationships with ourselves and others.

This presentation is designed to examine and discuss the variation of narratives among Black Gay Men and how Faith Leaders can better serve them to reduce the number of new HIV infections, and address the individual in a holistic way. Faith Leaders, service providers and a network of individuals living their truth will come together and address the hurt and pain experienced by Black Gay Men through their Faith and the strategies to move individuals from Hurt to Healing, by acknowledging the structural and cultural factors.

This workshop also address and equip participants with the necessary tools to curtail sexuality and HIV related stigma and close the gap between faith and justice by bridging the gap between church hurt and healing using and implementing these strategies on their own and within their faith based institutions, to create solidarity between both Faith and Black LGBTQI Communities and move beyond church hurt, and heal.

In 2011, Min. Rob was selected as one of 30 people living with HIV in the United States to help rollout NMAC’s Treatment Education, Advocacy and Mobilization (TEAM) Division. With the support of AVAC’s Prevention Research, Outreach, Advocacy, and Representation (PxROAR) program, he has worked nationally and internationally to address stigma and increase biomedical research literacy.

An Oakland native and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Min. Newells is an alumnus of the University of Southern California, the Pacific School of Religion, and Princeton Theological Seminary. He serves as an Associate Minister at the Imani Community Church in Oakland and is a contributing author to the book Struggling in Good Faith for which he penned the chapter on “The Black Church” exploring the relationship between faith and sexual stigma.

Join in on a conversation about Trans masculine bodies, desires, safer sex and more. Bring your questions and an open mind and learn how to be a better lover, and ally, to the Trans masculine community. This is geared toward cis men who sleep with other men but open to all.

In 2004, during Ashanti’s first year teaching high school math, he started The Ever Forward Club to provide support for African American and Latino males who were not achieving to their potential. Since then, Ever Forward has helped all of its more than 150 members graduate from high school, and 93% of them have gone on to attend two- or four-year colleges, military or trade school.

The Ever Forward Club was featured last year in the documentary, “The Mask You Live In,” which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. After completing a fellowship at the Stanford school in 2016, Ashanti, stepped away from working for a school district and began working as the Founding Executive Director for Ever Forward-Siempre Adelante, in an effort to grow the organization to serve thousands of Bay Area students. In April 2017, Ashanti was awarded a fellowship from the national organization CBMA – Campaign for Black Male Achievement.

Through presentation, hands-on activities, and film this workshop will introduce participants to the global campaign called #100kMasks which highlights our individual uniqueness and our commonality. Building upon our work with men across the world we will explore our own masks and masks from people all over the world. Participants will have an opportunity to build deeper connection and community with those present and learn tools for building connections with others in their lives.

Far too often men have to navigate the complex world of work, home, and the streets by themselves. Issues like fitting in, self-esteem, trauma, loss, body image and the pressures of life keep many boys, teens, and men from realizing their full potential. Moreover, there rarely exists sufficient safe spaces in which men, both young and old can talk about the trials and tribulations of life.

A clinical psychologist by training, Dr. Ayala has conducted HIV social science and intervention research since 1996. His research has mainly focused on understanding the mechanisms through which social discrimination affects the risk for HIV among gay men of color in the U.S. He has more recently explored the facilitators and barriers to HIV-related services through his international research with gay men and other men who have sex with men.

This presentation will focus on the diversity of queer voices and how the the mind, body, and soul interact together to produce holistic health and social practices for our communities across age, race, ability, gender, class, and spirituality. As we imagine and remember our shared and divergent histories as queer people, how do we embrace and celebrate our stories of resistance, resilience, and agency in the face of legal, political, social, and cultural challenges across time and space? How do we embrace our voices and commitments to resist in the spirit of love songs that tell stories of emotion, desire, reconciliation, healing and self-determination? This session is meant to be interactive and to focus on making a way forward out of the many challenges and triumphs that we experience as queer people in the Bay Area.

Prior to joining UCHAPS, Kevin served in leadership roles at the D.C. Promise Neighborhood Initiative, Metro TeenAIDS and the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. Kevin is the founder of the Black LGBT Archivists Society of Philadelphia and served as a co-trainer for the Gay Men’s Health Leadership Academy. Kevin is from Detroit, Michigan. He is a proud graduated of the University of Michigan and received master’s degrees from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Smith is an expert in public health law and focuses on problems in jurisprudence and ethics in public health law. He is particularly interested in ethical and legal issues in the distribution of health inequalities in societies and has a growing interest in climate change and public health law. He is also interested the history of public health in the United States.

Mr. Smith earned his law degree from Northeastern University School of Law and his degree in theology from Harvard Divinity School. Mr. Smith lives in Oakland, CA with his partner. He spends his free time camping and hiking in the Sierra backcountry and has an interest in contemporary art. You can find his CV and more information at www.jasonasmith.net

Jacob has more than 25 years of experience in non-profit management, organizational development, coalition building, and social justice advocacy. His first job was a national reporter for Boston’s Gay Community News. He is the former executive director of Massachusetts Asian & Pacific Islanders (MAP) for Health, which runs an LGBT youth program. He served as the Chair of the Boston EMA Ryan White Planning Council, the Massachusetts Legislature’s GLBT Youth Commission, and on the Advisory Council for the Massachusetts Legislature’s Asian American Commission. He is a big show queen.