Thousands of HIV+ Floridians are waiting to find out if Gov. Ron DeSantis will sign a bill restoring cuts to a program that helps them afford their medications.
In the meantime, the Tampa Bay arts community is stepping up to raise money for them.
A pop-up event for charity
On Sunday, March 22, the Tampa Rocky Horror Picture Show cast “Hell on Heels,” and PGC Productions are hosting a pop-up event at Ybor City’s SpookEasy Lounge — a kava and kratom bar.
The cult classic movie has drawn folks to theaters since the 1970s to experience its campiness in person. This weekend, it’ll help raise money for Out of the Closet thrift stores, formed in 1990 to help raise funds and awareness for AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
There, 96 cents of every dollar made goes to the foundation’s HIV prevention and treatment services.
ALSO READ: Florida Legislature approves bill restoring funds to AIDS drug program
"They don't need to worry about walking away without seeing the classics like Time Warp and Sweet Transvestite, and they'll still be doing all the fun movie beats with us,” said Alistair Graves, a longtime burlesque and cabaret performer who is co-hosting the event and who often portrays the movie’s antagonist, Dr. Frank N Furter.
Graves is no stranger to raising money for people and causes close to his heart. He’s done it through shows with Hell on Heels, Graveyard Cabaret, and Fifth Rite.
A recent fundraiser raised money for anti-ICE protestors in Minneapolis. A future one, still being planned, will raise funds for a local organization that rescues dogs from the shelter and gets them trained as guide dogs.
Sunday’s event will feature select musical numbers in a more casual, party-like atmosphere compared to the sit-down shadowcast showings Rocky Horror is known for.
“We figured, rather than putting on a full production to raise money, it's a really good way to do it this way, because then we can pass the hat. I mean literally, but also metaphorically, pass the hat," Graves said.
“These shows are still a way to get away from the sort of oppressive feelings of outside. So we really want everybody to know that they can both give to a good cause, while also let us be the escape."
State HIV treatment cuts
A bill to restore cuts to Florida’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program through June 30 is sitting on DeSantis' desk.
The changes were announced by the state Department of Health in January, which cited a $120 million shortfall caused by federal funding cuts.
David Dunlap, who manages the Out of the Closet thrift store in St. Petersburg, said that because of the reduced coverage, more than 11,000 Floridians have been cut off since the beginning of March from funding that helps them afford their HIV medications.
"These are medications that manage HIV, keep you to where you're undetectable state, and also key in keeping from spreading the disease further," Dunlap said.
The bill includes $31 million to restore eligibility to thousands until the Florida Legislature passes a budget. House and Senate leaders are in a stalemate over budget talks and will have to return to the Capitol to pass a spending plan after ending the regular session on March 13.
It does not restore coverage for Biktarvy, the most popular once-a-day pill, and other medications will be switched to generic versions.
Florida has one of the highest rates of HIV in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state ranks third in the nation for HIV diagnoses, according to the latest available data, which is from 2023.
Dunlap is thrilled Hell on Hells is bringing attention to the issue.
“I think it's absolutely amazing and wonderful. You know, we need the support back from the community,” he said.
HIV is now a manageable disease with medication, but that security has come with some drawbacks, Dunlap said. He said young people are not taking it as seriously as they should.
“We are seeing a rise in HIV positives coming up in the younger generations. So awareness of your HIV status and getting the knowledge out there to the public and to especially younger generations that didn't, per se, grow up with the AIDS epidemic of the 80s and letting them know that it's still here. It is still something that you have to take seriously. There is help, and that's why we're here."
If you go:
When: Sunday, March 22, at 7 p.m.
Where: SpookEasy Lounge, 1919 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Tickets: A suggested cover of $10 at the door
