Who We Are:

Project Healthy Living is a working group of black gay men formed to improve sexual health outcomes and influence healthy life choices for black gay men.  We achieve this goal by hosting a series of monthly discussion forums that culminate in our annual Health & Wellness Conference.

​

In working to galvanize change in our community we seek to engage our patrons through the filters of respect, resilience, resourcefulness, and responsibility. By definition:

​

Respect speaks to the ability to acknowledge the diverse differences that are present within our community. It is the foundation for listening for further understanding. It is the process of engaging in a manner that allows for all others to share their experience.

 

Resilience speaks to the ability to protect ourselves and those practices that increase that protection.

 

Resourcefulness speaks to the ability to optimize available tools and assets to maximize individual and communal potential to achieve a greater quality of life.

Responsibility speaks to the ability to advocate for one’s self and other individuals/groups within our community and what to do when advocacy is successful- galvanizing our sense of self/group definition and strengths. 

​

The ManDate Conference

The ManDate Conference is both a capstone and launch event.  This year, The ManDate Conference will take place October 20-22, 2017.  Members of our community gather to celebrate our work on self and the community. It is also the launching of The ManDate energy and momentum for the year to come.  The ManDate Conference continues to celebrate where we, as Black Gay Men, have come from, the building of stronger community bonds, and the impact and legacy of our work.   It is intentional in the celebration of black gay men individually and as a community, in all aspects of our identity.  The ManDate Conference emphasizes the dignity and value of all black gay men.  It avoids any association with a deficit model.  Rather, The ManDate Conference serves as both the build up to our next phase as well as the reaffirmation that every black gay man is valuable in the diversity of ways we express ourselves individually and collectively.  

​

Submitting An Abstract

Project Healthy Living invites you to share and engage with our community as a presenter at this year’s The ManDate Conference.  We welcome topics relating to health, spirituality, financial literacy, social navigation, advocacy, activism, intergenerational issues, and others.  Our goal this year is to provide an array of opportunities to learn, share, and be presented with options on next steps they may take to improve their overall quality of life.

 

To be considered for presentation, please complete the form below. Persons/organizations selected to present will be contacted via email.