As a kid, Michael was “the gayest kid in the neighborhood,” which got him bullied plenty. Fortunately, he had a posse of boyfriends to defend him. For nearly 20 years, Michael tended bar at various New Orleans gay bars, which were mostly white at the time. He also became the first Black member of the Krewe of Aman Ra – prompting one-third of the white members to quit. Along the way, Michael contracted HIV. Determined to spend what he thought were his last years in service to his community, Michael earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work, and went on to establish In This Together (ITT), a community-based non-profit providing comprehensive HIV/AIDS and other support services to individuals and families.
Watch Michael’s full interview here
Preserve stories like Michael’s:
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LifeCyle Rider: Michael McFadden
“I am excited to be riding with Team OUTWORDS to highlight the incredible work being done to celebrate and document our living queer histories. I am honored to ride on behalf of Michael Hickerson, a fellow artist and social worker, for his long-standing commitment to providing thoughtful, responsive and community-centered support to people impacted and affected by HIV/AIDS.”
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Michael is part of #TeamOUTWORDS. Each cyclist on Team OUTWORDS is riding in honor of an OUTWORDS interviewee who has brought courage and vision to the battle to #endAIDS.
