In 2002, Joy Morris, a Chicago transgender woman living with HIV, had an epiphany and founded TransActions, an organization that lobbies and advocates for HIV services for transgender people at both the local and national levels. "God told me to get up and pick up my cross, and that he had my back." She remembered from her bed at Kindred Hospital.
Prior to that moment, Morris who is now 50, described herself as herself as a "prostitute, dope fiend, junkie." She had reached the bottom through an addiction to crack cocaine that began when she was diagnosed with HIV in 1986. "It was terrible," she recalled. "This was at the height of the hysteria. They were killing gay kids because of the stigma."
She was also dealing with the discrimination that came with being a trans woman. She had no job and was constantly harassed by the police. Impoverished and homeless, she said she did what she had to do in order to survive.
Morris knew she was transgender at 5 years old. Her single mother worked double shifts, leaving Morris and her two siblings to fend for themselves. "I would dress up in her clothes when she was at work, "Morris said. "My brother would beat me up and I would try to suppress it."
She left home at 18 and spent her days living in abandoned buildings or sleeping on park benches. When she found a place to stay, she always took in other trans women. "If I had somewhere to go, they had somewhere to go," she said.
Wasting away from the effects of HIV and her drug addiction, Morris wound up at the Haymarket Center, one of the Midwest's largest multi-modal substance abuse facilities. It was there that she met Kenis Williams, who was working to develop the organization's HIV's prevention, testing and care program. "She was my mentor mother," Morris remembered with a smile. "That's where my clean and sober journey and my advocacy began."
Morris noticed a disparity and a bias in the standard of care for HIV infected persons in the transgendered community. "There was no concrete documentation of us," Morris said. "Our numbers were scattered all over the place. One core report listed 16 transgendered arrivals, and another from the same agency in the same time frame, listed just three."
Morris also noticed that there were few, if any, jobs for trans people in the HIV service arena. "Somebody had to pick up the torch," she said. "Trans people had the highest prevalence per capita of HIV infection than all other demographic groups combined. Our numbers were actually off the charts."
Morris said she started TransActions to be a voice and a beacon of hope to HIV infected trans people. With no funding, she helped to make job referrals for trans-women and ensured that they received housing when needed.
In 2012, TransActions partnered with the E.A.S.E. ( Educate, Advocate, Support, Empower ) Long Term Survivors Awards, recognizing those individuals living with HIV/AIDS who actively work to improve the lives of people infected with HIV and to prevent the spread of the disease. Morris said that the E.A.S.E. awards, a volunteer based event, had fallen apart and lost its leadership. She wanted to ensure that the legacy and tradition of the ceremony continued.
Honorees in 2012 included Lurie Children's Hospital Gender, Sexuality and HIV Prevention Center Director, Dr. Robert Garofalo, Minister and LGBT youth advocate, Lois Bates and Morris' mentor, Kenis Williams. The monumental task of putting the event together exhausted Morris who was still experiencing health setbacks but she received enough support from the community for the event to ultimately be a success.
This year's ceremony, part of World AIDS Day, has further expanded to include the Chicago Department of Public Health's Hope and Spirit Awards. The event will honor community leaders for their advocacy, commitment, dedication and leadership. It will take place Sunday, Dec. 1, at the Mayne Stage Theatre from 1-6 pm.
Morris will emcee along Chicago Department of Public Health Community Engagement Officer Bruce Edwards, who will present the Hope and Spirit Awards, and Sherman Bryant, a community activist for HIV awareness, who will present the E.A.S.E. Awards.
Edwards said he is excited to collaborate with Morris this year. "People with HIV are still trying to combat the stigma the disease carries with it," he said. "We want people to see this ceremony and be inspired. Hopefully, they will realize that rather than hiding themselves away, they can do something to help the community."
This year's honorees include Trisha Lee Holloway, who helped to start the first trans housing program with Chicago House, AIDS Foundation Senior VP, Simone Koehlinger, and John Stryker, a certified nurse practitioner at the Howard Brown Health Center. The event will also serve as the launch pad for "The World is Waiting. Where is the Cure?," a community-driven campaign to generate HIV awareness across the globe.
Morris hopes the future will make TransActions a force for change. "I want to take the transgender community to a higher level." she said.
The Legends Lunch will take place Saturday, Dec. 1, 1-6 p.m., at the Mayne Stage Theater, 1328 W. Morse Ave. Contact Joy Morris at 312-513-3878 or mzjoy773@yahoo.com .
