On June 6, Studio Theater in Exile (STIE), housed in Hudson Valley MOCA and in partnership with Peekskill Pride, presented a free, family-friendly drag performance that combined entertainment with education about HIV prevention, screening, and treatment. During intermission and after the show, The Ally Care Center at Westchester Medical Center provided free HIV and hepatitis C testing through its mobile testing unit.
The event featured a performance by drag queen Amber Guesa, portrayed by New Rochelle resident Liam Bohan, who shared his experience living with HIV. Bohan, a spokesmodel for the “HIV Stops with Me” campaign and an employee of The Ally Care Center, discussed the importance of HIV awareness, testing, and access to care. The program also included a Q&A session, opportunities to connect with community organizations, and free testing for attendees.
“The Ally Care Center at Westchester Medical Center saved my life when I was 21,” Bohan said. “The fact they hired me in 2023 got me invigorated to say, this is my purpose. I love making people smile and laugh, and I love to fundraise. But I think now it’s more personal.”
The event served as a Pride celebration and helped launch STIE’s June programming, which included productions of The Normal Heart, a poignant autobiographical play by HIV/AIDS activist Ned Weeks that explores one man’s fight in the 1980s to bring attention to the epidemic. The play will run from June 12 to June 28, and tickets are now on sale at studiotheaterinexile.com/events.
For more information on “HIV Stops with Me,” visit hivstopswithme.org, and for information on The Ally Care Center at Westchester Medical Center visit wmchealth.org/locations/the-ally-care-center-at-westchester-medical-center.
Peekskill Pride was incorporated in 2019 as an official 501c3 with the mission to foster safe, healthy, and supportive environments for LGBTQIA+ individuals of all ages, their allies, and families by working within the community to further the foundation for inclusion, diversity, and pride through education, advocacy, and celebration. Charles DiGruccio, President and Brian Fassett, Vice President have been collaborating with Mills and Gratton Pride productions for several years.
