Chicago Department of Public Health director of the Office of Lesbian and Gay Health since August, Lora Branch acts as a community liaison to increase CDPH's education, outreach and training projects. Previously a co-chair of Chicago Black Lesbians and Gays, Branch graduated from Columbia College.
When I first met her, Lora was that lone energetic figure behind the D.J. glass at Paris Dance club on Thursday nights. That was part of her private-public life. Her public-public life has arches around social services, urban development, public health, and the many other fingers of things related to producing healthy individuals and building stable, whole, and supportive communities.
In winter of 1999 I received information ( on the down low ) that Lora wanted to create a soap opera to promote AIDS outreach. This All My Children or Days of Our Lives would be produced using Public Access resources, family-friends and their contacts, along with other talent discovered along the way. Maybe Lora could find 'real' funding.
That was the winter of 1999. It's now spring of 2001. And now Lora Branch with the Chicago Department of Public Health and Sharon Zurek of Black Cat Productions are giving the communities, Kevin's Room, a one-hour film about the dramas of being gay, African-American, and living while AIDS body-snatches through our streets
In the spring of 2001, Kevin's Room is an outreach tool sponsored by the CDPH. It is being used to grab the attention of Black bisexual and gay men-;very at risk for HIV infection. For many of us in the LGBT communities, knowledge of the AIDS epidemic is common, like fish on Fridays. For many of our neighbors, family members, work associates, and casual friends, being educated about AIDS and its prevention doesn't warrant more discussion than yesterday's Jerry Springer Show.
Kevin's Room hopes to add some excitement and follow-up interest to prevention strategies. This will help market current AIDS-related programming such as street outreach, condom distribution, and community-based educational sessions to the masses. That will help make the invisible visible and erase some of the 'social anxiety and embarrassment' surrounding a man's homo or bi sexuality. Hopefully, all this will influence personal attitudes, group dogma, and cultural norms in the African-American community and therefore influence other people of color and therefore the world.
_______
WPWR/UPN ( Channel 50 ) has agreed to broadcast Kevin's Room April 22. Of choosing a broadcast outlet, Branch said, "Everybody who's seen it wants it."
"They all want exclusives, but we ended up with Channel 50 because they made a solid commitment to us. They've always been a friend to the community."
She applauded Channel 50 for taking a risk with the program, the first of its kind to show intimate scenes between two Black men.
Kevin's Room centers around a support group for gay men run by the main character, Kevin. After initially having trouble getting men to attend the meetings, three participants magically appear, Branch said, each bringing their own issues and experiences.
"Each of the characters represent a different sort of struggle," Branch said. "We just see the stories of these guys' lives."
Two of the men turn to the support group because they have just witnessed a gay-bashing, while the third is dealing with issues of bisexuality.
While the show was filmed entirely in Chicago, Branch said, "it was shot in such a way that it could be Anycity, U.S.A."
Four of the cast members are current and former performers from A Real Read, and the actors were chosen from 95 who auditioned.
Branch emphasized that Channel 50 is just the beginning, and she has high hopes for national distribution, film festival showings and other exposure.
She urged Chicago viewers to send their thanks to Channel 50 for airing Kevin's Room and showing its support.
According to the Chicago Department of Public Health, "The program will be used to train community-based organizations, AIDS service providers and medical providers." Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of the show should contact CDPH at ( 312 ) 747-5856. Discussion guides are also available, and Branch said CDPH is in the process of developing a training curriculum.
————
One lesson from Lora's experience that the world wants you to know: The manifestations of activism, the vehicles created for social change are not created, mutated, or transformed and born live and kicking over a short series of nights. That it's the not vanishing with your social concerns and noble intentions that leads to changed individuals, community populations and structures.
Ask Lora:
WCT: The film's 25-word mission statement is ...
LB: Kevin's Room is an innovative media tool designed to facilitate dialogue in the African American Community about gay relationships, sexuality, HIV, family and community.
WCT: The strategy was ...
LB: Create a mini-series soap opera on gay men—get it out there—develop products to accompany it and evaluate its impact on risk-taking behaviors. It's now a one-hour, stand-alone pilot. [ The next episode in due in six months. ]
WCT: Who or what funded this project? How and what were some of the conditions?
LB: The Chicago Department of Health's STD/HIV/AIDS Public Policy and Program funded this project; specifically Frank Oldham Jr. ( past Asst. Commissioner ) found the resources. Some of the conditions were that the film had multiple purposes such as general audience, could be accompanied by a discussion guide and could be used as the crux of a training curriculum for service providers.
WCT: What will this series help?
LB: The program will help families of gay men, church leaders and members who have gay parishioners, service providers who serve the gay community and importantly it will help the gay community by validating our existence and giving us life saving information.
WCT: How much of the project was your heart, head vs. the politics of politics?
LB: They are all so connected for me. Being African American and a woman and a lesbian and out makes me political.
WCT: What was the importance of having local talent in front or behind the cameras?
LB: We needed to own this project. We used local talent, many of whom had never done TV, because our first goal is to impact our communities. Behind the cameras we used Chicago veterans many of whom were gay and lesbian because they are passionate about this work. Sharon Zurek, the project's director and co-producer, hand selected the crew.
WCT: How did you get involved with AIDS advocacy?
LB: I was in the right place at the right time and looking for a job. I stayed in AIDS work because within a few short years I witnessed a personal holocaust among gay men in Chicago—many of whom were my closest friends. I had to.
