A new second-hand shop of AIDS Health Foundationthe world’s largest provider of HIV/AIDS healthcare, celebrated its grand opening on Guadalupe Street on August 3.
The Out of the closet Founded in 1990, the thrift store chain offers primary health care from HIV specialists, including free finger-prick HIV tests with same-day results. Originally designed to raise funds and awareness for HIV/AIDS treatment, the on-site pharmacy offers HIV medications, and customers are encouraged to shop while waiting for test results or prescriptions.
The store’s opening comes months after students lost access to free STD testing through the Gender and Sexuality Center, which was closed due to Senate Bill 17, a law that effectively bans DEI efforts at all state universities. Since the chain’s founding, 96 cents of every dollar earned goes to HIV prevention and treatment services, its website says.
“By developing and implementing new programs in communities across the United States and abroad, we expand the delivery of health care and our influence on policy with the goal of saving more lives,” the AIDS Healthcare Foundation says on its website.
In January, the GSC switched to Women’s Community Center to comply with Senate Bill 17. The GSC had previously provided sexual health and wellness resources to students, but those services are now no longer available because LGBTQ+ organizations are not allowed to use the center’s resources due to the requirements of SB 17, said Jordan Alvis, a second-year intern at the center.
“We used to have free HIV and STI testing every Tuesday at the Kind Clinic,” said Alvis, a senior in public health. “I was hoping to do that this summer, but unfortunately the space was closed, so we couldn’t do that.”
Audra Gosch, president of UT’s Gamma Rho Lambda branch, a gender-inclusive Greek organization, said the transition has not only impacted access to health resources, but also to the detriment of the queer community.
“Many queer (organizations) were using the GSC as a central venue for their events and meetings,” Gosch said. “This is a huge blow to the decentralization of the queer community at UT Austin … because now there is no concrete place for students to go.”
Alvis said Out of the Closet is a good resource for students, noting that it meets students’ need for resources that have not been present on campus since the restructuring of the Gender and Sexuality Center. With its focus on accessible healthcare and creating a “safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community,” Out of the Closet aims to support the health of its clients.
“This makes me more optimistic,” Alvis said. “It’s very fortunate that we have a community facility near campus that is willing to set up such a center.”
