There’s a common thread that ties together justice, stigma, secrets, and truth: language. The words we use can liberate and unite as easily as they can mislead and isolate. On this episode of Zero Hour™, we’re diving into the ways that language barriers can keep Latinx people from seeking and receiving HIV care. We’re also exploring how discriminatory language and false conflations (such as equating HIV with AIDS) continue to fuel fear and stigma.   Our guests are:  José Romero, a non-binary Latinx activist currently serving as the Director of Community Advocacy, Education & Research at the Pride Foundation. They recount the experiences that ignited their passion for language justice, detail their own difficult journey to being diagnosed with HIV, and tell us about their work providing translation services for other Spanish speakers living with HIV.  Oliver Ranft, an Ecuadorian international development strategist and grassroots activist currently working with Charities Aid Foundation in Florida. He discusses the societal and religious pressures affecting queer people in Latin America, as well as the role machismo plays in the spread of HIV among women and minorities.    This podcast was created and fully funded by Gilead Sciences, Inc. GILEAD, the GILEAD logo, and the & design are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc. © 2023 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. IHQ-UNB-4007 Date of Preparation June 2023.