A Winding Path to Acceptance

"HIV gave me the strength to come out; it's been more of a blessing than a curse," says Jada Cardona. Her HIV diagnosis jarred her sense of self and turned her vision inward, where she began to understand that living life as a gay man was not her truth.

Today, Jada is a strong and outspoken advocate for transgender justice. She is executive director of Transitions Louisiana and a health equity specialist with the Louisiana Office of Public Health -- the first openly trans person to be hired by the state of Louisiana. But as so many people of trans experience know first-hand, her journey has been anything but easy. Thankfully, when things were at their lowest for Jada, an unexpected friend was there to lift her up.