University of Chicago Medical teamed up with Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus to host a World AIDS Day ball Dec. 2.
Balls are underground competitions in which different houses battle for prizes and trophies with a fusion of cat walking, dancing, voguing and drag. The ball houses are similar to families or fraternities, each one cheering on their members as they compete.
"This year we wanted to do something fun that wasn't preachy, wasn't a panel of experts, which is usually what happens," said Dr. John Schneider, assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Chicago and organizer of the ball. "I work with a lot of youth who dance, and someone then suggested a ball."
With this event, organizers aimed to engage young African American men who have sex with men living on the South Side. That population is the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Chicago, with an infection rate of 44.4 percent, according to a survey conducted by Schneider.
"We wanted to raise awareness, letting the community know the University of Chicago Medical Center is there for them and Chicago Black Gay Men's Caucus is there for them," said Keith Green, director of federal affairs at AIDS Foundation of Chicago, CBGMC co-chair and organizer of the ball. "There are folks who care, and who want to acknowledge them in their element."
Houses competed in eight categories, each with a World AIDS Day motif, such as best performance in all red and best visual representation of the red AIDS ribbon. But the paramount theme of the night was preventing new infections and saving lives.
"In my lifetime, we're going to see the last South Side young gay man get infected [ with HIV ] ," said Schneider.