LGBTQ community honors tireless Milwaukee AIDS/HIV activist in battle for his life
One-by-one they shared what Ronnie Grace means to them.
“I would not be doing this work had Uncle Ronnie not taken me under his wing,” said Justin Roby, director of finance and human resources for Diverse & Resilient, an LGBTQ+ support and advocacy organization.
“Ronnie is the epitome of what a Black, gay man should be. He’s educated, loving, understanding, and all-inclusive, and he’s never disrespected anyone on their journey,” said Joshua Jones, a longtime friend.
“Ronnie is a treasure to the community, and even now, he just keeps giving back and advising those seeking it,” said Gerry Coon, director of grants and budget support at Diverse & Resilient.
A Pride Month profile. 'He will forever be Uncle Ronnie:' A dancer, movie extra and beloved AIDS activist
At least a dozen people took to the stage at a recent community gathering to let Grace know how much he is appreciated and loved as he takes on the latest challenge in life: Stage 4 liver and bile cancer.
Like many, I was shocked when I heard the news. I met Grace over a decade ago when we discussed what it was like being a gay man living with HIV and how far treatments have come since the 1980s when he was first diagnosed. HIV went from being called a ‘death sentence’ to a disease where medications are allowing people to live long, productive lives.
Grace is a HIV prevention program coordinator and peer navigator for Diverse & Resilient where he pushed for more testing and prevention. For those who are positive, he works to make sure they are on the proper medications and eat correctly. For those with negative results, he works with them to get on medication that helps prevent infections. HIV is a virus that attacks the body's immune system. If HIV is not treated, it can lead to AIDS, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
We also discussed the stigma associated with HIV, something he's dedicated his life to reducing. HIV still disproportionately impacts young Black gay men. About 40% of young African American men who have sex with men are HIV positive. He is also a mentor and father figure to young gay men in Milwaukee struggling to figure things out.
An 'Energizer Bunny' attitude about battling HIV/AIDS
Roby, 32, said Grace took him out to eat and had a real heart-to-heart conversation that changed his life when he told him to apply for his position at Diverse & Resilient, a group that works to achieve health equity and improve the safety and well-being of Black and brown LGBTQ+ communities throughout southeastern Wisconsin.
“He was already my mentor, but he gave me the confidence to apply when I didn’t even think I was ready, and it changed my life because it allowed me to give back like he has for so many years. Since we first met, he’s always treated me like family, which means even having difficult conversations when I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to,” Roby said.
Roby made a surprise announcement at the Aug. 20 gathering: the ‘Libation Lounge,” a room used as a community gathering space at Diverse & Resilient, would be renamed the “Grace Lounge.”
Coon credited Grace for helping to reduce HIV and sexually transmitted disease rates among young, Black gay men and improving the health outcomes of those living with HIV by serving as a role model. He called Grace a “selfless person” with an “Energizer Bunny” mentality regarding advocacy for the gay community.
Jones brought the house down when he sang Patti LaBelle’s “You Are My Friend.”
“The thought of you helps me carry on.When I feel all hope is goneI see the world with brand-new eyes.Your love has made me realizeMy future looks bright to me,Oh, because you are my friend.”
Jones, 35, said he chose to sing because Grace has been his friend since he was a teenager. Jones said that letting people know they are respected while they can receive that love is what friendship is all about.
It’s a valuable lesson. If someone is going through something, tell them how much they mean to you because tomorrow is not promised.
Friends and family members talked about how Grace helped them in multiple ways, from being a shoulder to cry on to finding them housing when they were put out by family members when they came out. Giving Grace his flowers while he could appreciate them was beautiful, and I would like to see more acts of kindness like this in our city.
Grace didn’t give a speech at the event. Instead, he soaked up all the accolades, dished out plenty of hugs, and shed a few tears. He plans to travel to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston in mid-September for potentially life-saving cancer treatment.
Read more Pride Month profiles of Milwaukee LGBTQ+ elders:
Brenda Coley: Activism started at a young age
Janice Toy: Unconditional love helped launch a legendary performer
Tyra Neal: A trans pioneer, the first to legally change name in Wisconsin
Dynasty Scott: A nurse who celebrated and provides safe spaces for LGBTQ community
“I just got out of the hospital today and came straight here,” Grace told the crowd. “This is why I survived and lived the life I’ve lived for the last 20-plus years. I’m just overjoyed right now; you don’t know what this is doing for my spirit.”
How to help: A Go-Fund-Me campaign is underway to help defray expenses for Grace's treatment in Texas.
James E. Causey started reporting on life in his city while still at Marshall High School through a Milwaukee Sentinel high school internship. He's been covering his hometown ever since, writing and editing news stories, projects and opinion pieces on urban youth, mental health, employment, housing and incarceration. Email him at jcausey@jrn.com; follow him on Twitter @jecausey.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee AIDS activist fought HIV stigma. Now he fights for his life
