Paul Kawata has been such a fixture of the HIV arena – literally since the epidemic began in the early 1980s – that his retirement from NMAC as Executive Director feels as unbelievable as it is inevitable. 

In a remarkable conversation between Paul and myself for POZ Magazine, Paul doesn’t hold back on advice, reflection, and a stunning honesty about the personal toll the last year has taken on him.

From our interview:

“I am very aware of how broken I am. As professionals in this field, we put on a facade about how well we’re handling everything. But now, as a person who is leaving, I want to let people know that it is OK to acknowledge your trauma.”

If you’re involved in any capacity in the HIV arena – or any community work during the regime that has muscled through and destroyed so much of our work –  I urge you to head over to POZ Magazine right now and check out the interview.

Thanks for reading, and please be well during these troubled times.

Mark