Although this will be my 8th time I venture 165 miles from Miami to Key West to raise money for Broward House, it’s also a maiden journey. In past years, this ride was put on by The SMART Ride. This year, the 5 beneficiary agencies have taken it over and are producing it. This event has always been personal to me. As an LGBTQ person who became adult in the 80s, I experienced AIDS at its ugliest. I marched in the street of NYC with ACT Up. I watched friends die. I am part of the generation deeply affected by being different and navigating the straight world while living with fear and hate watching the world from the other side. It was scary. Fear is ugly. Stigma was born. Stigma is still very real. Whether it’s the stigma of HIV or the stigma of mental health, (they go hand in hand) Broward House does it all. And we do it for the most marginalized people in our community, the LGBTQ, black and brown and people experiencing homelessness. As Broward House’s Behavioral Health Manager, supporting my ride will truly support what I am most passionate about. Nothing is more important than our mental health. We see it on the streets daily. Mental health is health care, mental house is housing, mental health is stability. 

Thank you for supporting what's important to me. Help fuel my ride. Together, we can make this world a better place! Let’s ride!