Folks who identify as transgender, gender non-conforming and non-binary have been left out of the conversation when it comes to LGBTQ+ equality and well-being. In 2017, Equitas Health launched Mozaic, a comprehensive HIV prevention program targeting transgender, gender non-conforming, and gender non-binary people of color, a population that is two-to-three times more likely to contract the virus than white gender non-conforming people. Mozaic started as an all-genders-welcome community of support, an HIV prevention program funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For the first five years, Mozaic was a grant-funded program, providing outreach for 13- to 29-year-olds who identify as people of color and are transgender, gender non-conforming or non-binary. Mozaic’s mission was to foster the success and overall well-being of transgender, gender-expansive, and nonbinary communities in Ohio. We aimed to provide the kinds of resources and support that allow TGNCNB folks to thrive and sustain themselves through community building, education, and resource navigation. According to the CDC, between 2009 and 2014, 29 percent of trans Latinx women and more than half of all African American trans women were diagnosed with HIV, compared to 11 percent of white trans women. The Mozaic program linked clients to care, provided STI and HIV testing and helped individuals with self-care practices and civic engagement. Mozaic continues to provide free condoms and resource navigation services that help reduce new HIV infections and help establish trust in healthcare providers for their target population.
After the grant-funded period was over, Mozaic pivoted slightly from its original mission to center itself around helping those same folks thrive in all areas of their lives. This would expand Mozaic into a community space for all TGNCNB folks of all ages to come together under a shared mission of wellness, safety, and recovery from what the outside world throws at us. We understand that in order to achieve true health and wellness, things like shelter, food, clothing, etc need to be met. Without these things, we could not expect people to connect with our healthcare options if they did not know where their next meal was coming from. We expanded to include a free clothing closet, a small kitchen area where people can prepare meals and a community space that offers comfort and safety in your community. We host small events like art nights or movie nights with games, and throughout the year hold larger events such as our back-to-school bash, our Trans Day of Remembrance, our holiday parties, or our anniversary events. We also provide outreach through things like our Safepoint pop-ups that include clothing, hygiene items, undergarments, and socks along with meals provided by Southeast Outreach.