What happens when two loudmouth queers living with HIV from Chile and Turkey meet at an AIDS conference…and end up screaming Trixie Mattel lyrics in the rain? 🌧️💄
In this episode, Ozla sits down with Lu, a visual artist, designer, researcher, and HIV activist from Chile.Together, they revisit their first meeting at the International AIDS Conference in Montréal and dive into the joy, tension, awkwardness, and unexpected intimacy of navigating queer HIV spaces around the world.
The conversation moves through Grindr disclosure chaos, intergenerational clashes, activism burnout, viral anxiety, and the shared relief of finally finding “your people” in a room full of strangers.
No two HIV stories are the same but sometimes healing begins simply by hearing someone else say, “same.” It’s funny, tender, emotional, and a little ranty, truly an OurCARE classic. If you’ve ever wondered what activists actually carry behind the campaigns, this episode goes there. 🧡
In this episode, Ozla sits down with Luciana, the brilliant lawyer, game studio owner and best friend who accidentally changed his entire life when she opened an inbox back in 2017.
Together they spill the glitter on:
💌 the Amsterdam Youth Force era (aka chaos with purpose)
🎨 vulva booths, surprise tattoos & I swallow daily posters 💸 the messy truth about unpaid youth activism
🌈 how friendship, community, and a little delusion built OurCARE
It’s nostalgic, hilarious, and beautifully vulnerable — the OurCARE trifecta. 💖🌈
In this episode, Ozla is joined by the incredible Mercy Shibemba 💖 UK-based activist, storyteller, and HIV advocate. Together they spill the glitter on how bumping into each other at Joburg airport grew into 8 years of friendship, solidarity, and plenty of chaos. From capacity building in the mountains of Lesotho 🏔️ to breaking down HIV science into language communities can actually use 📚➡️💬,
Ozla and Mercy reflect on how one small connection (and a single email 👀) can change a whole life path. And introducing our brand-new segment: Red Ribbon Rant 🎀💢 where Mercy gets real about HIV politics, Trump-era setbacks, and why community power will always carry us forward. It’s heartfelt, fiery, and fabulously queer 💅🏽🌈 because our stories, our rage, and our friendships matter. Always.
