COMHAR
“Of all the forms of inequity, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhumane.” – Martin Luther King Jr
Comhar, or “the power of working together,” is a unique collaboration between artists, activists, healers, scientists, and community. The festival, which consists of performance, talk, and ritual, examines the stark realities of health disparity and trauma, specifically in how the two relate to HIV/AIDS acquisition and transmission. The festival looks not only at the challenges we face as a community, also the beauty that lies in our resilience.
HIV is the success story of our time. It went from being a death sentence to a treatable disease. However, for certain populations, this is not the case. Today in SF 85% of men diagnosed with AIDS live 5+ years, while only 78% of transgender/biological women do. Black women are being infected at 8xs the rate of white. Medical experts attribute the disparities largely to trauma — physical, emotional, and structural, as well as to the disconnect between patients and scientists/researchers. Scientists often look at patients as viral load numbers not the whole person. Conversely, patients might not trust doctors due to a lack of connection – be it cultural, class, or color – and therefore don’t always reveal risky behavior. And many patients don’t feel safe disclosing their HIV status, making it hard to form supportive relationships (crucial to viral load suppression).
The festival uses art and storytelling to increase dialogue between scientists/researchers and infected/at-risk/general community members. Through performance, talk and ritual, we will encourage the two distinct populations that are working on the same end goal – but often separately – to come together, encouraging trust and collaboration.
The next Comhar Festival will be held June 2020 as a prelude to the International AIDS conference, which will be held in SF/Oak July 2020.