Vallerie Wagner
Courtesy Photo
First annual Truth Awards Ceremony to take place Saturday, March 28, 2015, at 7 p.m. at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre
AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) and APLA Health & Wellness (APLAHW) are excited to announce that Vallerie Wagner, APLAHW’s chief operating officer, will receive the Advocate Award from Better Brothers LA in association with the DIVA Foundation. These organizations are recognizing Wagner for her extraordinary efforts to establish HIV/AIDS prevention and education initiatives in communities of color and for providing invaluable resources to communities disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. Wagner will be honored at the first annual Truth Awards ceremony on Saturday, March 28, at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre.
“Your work is a testament to the importance of living one’s life unabashedly and with vigor,” Better Brothers LA Founder Vincent Holmes said in a letter announcing Wagner’s award. “These are the characteristics we seek to highlight and honor as we work to strengthen the black gay community in Los Angeles. In honoring you, we acknowledge your work and courage which serves as a shining example to us all.”
“I’m honored and humbled to receive this recognition in its first year,” Wagner says. “I’m equally honored to work alongside a remarkable community committed to fighting and advocating for LGBT people of color as well as those living with HIV and AIDS.”
Wagner has been an exceptional advocate for the LGBT community and people living with HIV/AIDS for more than 25 years. She has worked for APLA and APLA Health & Wellness since 2008 and before that worked at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center as well as the Black AIDS Institute. She currently oversees APLA Health & Wellness’ operations, including prevention education and the flagship Gleicher / Chen Health Center, located in the Baldwin Hills neighborhood. The new health center offers free or low-cost medical, dental, and behavioral health services, including a Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) program.
Better Brothers LA was founded in 2014 to provide spaces for black gay men to network, socialize, and live better lives. Since its inception, the organization has sponsored cultural, recreational, social, and networking events for a community that still faces significant difficulties from cultural and religious opposition. For more information see betterbrothersla.com.
The DIVA Foundation was founded in 1990 by Tony-nominated actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, star of the original cast of the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. The foundation has worked to break the silence and erase the stigma still connected to HIV/AIDS, especially as it poses a threat to women and children. For more information see thedivafoundation.org.
Please join APLA and APLAHW in extending our warmest congratulations to Vallerie Wagner for this exceptional honor. Tickets to the inaugural Truth Awards Ceremony on March 28 start at $125 and can be purchased online.
