The ourstory Project

In HISstory, Brad shares that he can “show you what a survivor looks like '' as someone with HIV and cancer that is in remission after two chemotherapy treatments. In the opening of HISstory, Brad asks a powerful question in poetic form: “what if I told you I win when I open my eyes every morning? Cancer and HIV, you will not triumph over me, because I am possible!”  Watch his video to hear him discuss dialogue and talk story—a Hawaiian term that means to converse, orally share experiences, and exchange stories—which he promotes as a means of HIV education and better understanding the virus.  

Born and raised in Mō`ili`ili, O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Brad Lum is an HIV long-term survivor who is a community leader for the Native Hawaiian and Two-Spirit/LGBTQ+ communities. Brad is a Kumu Hula, a dedicated master teacher in the art of hula, and a teacher in the Hawai’i Department of Education system for the past 23 years.

Lisa shared in HERstory that she’s proud to be a mother because she thought that HIV would not allow her that privilege. Prior to pregnancy, Lisa was resistant to start HIV treatment and notes that “if I got pregnant, I’d have to get on the [HIV] medication, if not for myself, but for my child’s sake. So, this child literally saved my life, because I was too stubborn [to start] the HIV medicine until there was a reason.” Watch Lisa’s video to hear her discuss her love for exercise and gymnastics, her HIV diagnosis, and her resilient spirit.

A member of the Muscogee Nation and of Creek, Seminole, Cherokee, and Irish descent, Lisa Tiger received an HIV diagnosis in the early 1980s and has served as an HIV/AIDS educator ever since. She’s raised four children, lives with Parkinson’s disease, and is a fierce advocate for crime victims and the HIV and AIDS community.