BOSTON, Mass–The Ambiente Latino Program, a special project of the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS) focused on Spanish-speaking gay/bisexual men, will be hosting its exciting annual Latino Fashion Show on Saturday, July 14, from 6 to 11 pm, at the Polish Political Club in Chelsea, located at 58 Broadway. The event is organized by a volunteer core group with paid staff support.
Models from different Latin American countries will be on the catwalk in costumes, gowns and other outfits, filling the event with beauty, color and music. But the Latino Fashion Show 2012 is not only about fun. Trained MAPS staff will be performing counseling and testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, as well as sharing important information on how people can remain healthy and protect themselves and their partners.
“This is the kind of event where we can attract attendance in a natural way and educate men about risk reduction and safe sex practices in their native languages – Spanish, Portuguese or English – and also give out free condom kits,” said Gabriel Roncancio, Ambiente Latino Program Coordinator. “We can also refer them to further services and testing, when necessary.”
The Latino Fashion Show 2012 has free admission and is open to anyone regardless of sexual orientation. In its 2010 and 2011 editions, the event attracted more than 100 individuals, including members of other agencies and from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which funds MAPS’ HIV/AIDS Prevention and Education programs. For more information, please contact Gabriel Roncancio at (508) 259-9889/(508) 872-2652, or visit www.facebook.com/ambientelatinoprogram or www.myspace.com/mpowermentlatino.
MAPS is a private, non-profit organization offering health as social services for the Portuguese-speaking communities of Massachusetts since 1970. For more information, please visit www.maps-inc.org or call (617) 864-7600.
