User:Twospiritedjournal

Asian Community AIDS Services: For Patrick Truong 1965 - 2012
Patrick Truong has served in the position of Support Program Coordinator at the Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS) for the past 10 years and has touched the lives of countless Asian PHAs in Toronto ON, Gay community and fully engaged and passionate about the many social issues affecting Asian LGBTIQ and people living with HIV/AIDS, a tireless fighter against HIV/AIDS stigma, discrimination and homophobia. Modest about his contribution to the HIV movement, he is most comfortable being at the periphery rather than at the center of attention. Those who have had the opportunity to meet Patrick can attest that his wisdom, compassion and commitment to serving PHAs. Patrick migrated to Canada as a refugee with his family in the late 1970s and settled in Toronto, where he has lived ever since. He came out as a proud HIV-positive gay Asian person during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the early 1980s. Patrick’s early activism began with the Gay Asian Toronto (GAT) and Gay Asian AIDS Project (GAAP), one of the founding coalition groups that merged to become what is known today as Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS). He served on the board of directors for ACAS prior to becoming staff and contributed considerable time volunteering and providing mentor-ship to his peers. In addition to his role as the Support Program Coordinator, Patrick has served on numerous external committees such as the AIDS Vigil, Ontario POZ Prevention working group, PWA POZ Prevention Project and coalitions such as the Committee for Accessible AIDS Treatment (CAAT) and the Ethno-Racial Treatment Support Network (ETSN. He also participated in the International Twinning Project with The Thai National AIDS Foundation (TNAF) and the Internship project with the Lourdes Association in Taiwan and applied his many talents to fundraising and support marginalized constituent in the community. After a courageous battle with bile duct cancer, our dear ACAS family member and friend Patrick passed away on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at Sunnybrook Health Science Centre. Beloved partner of Andrew Miao. Andrew, who is the new Support Program Coordinator will continue where Patrick left off, helping and providing support of Asian PHA's.