Our Chosen Charity: TPAN | Test Positive Awareness Network
OtPlz: A Fanficzine for Writers will be a charity zine!
When we first started talking about establishing this zine, it was always in our minds that we would be doing it for charity. After careful consideration, we picked TPAN to be the first organization we dedicate our profits to. Any money earned in the production of this zine will be donated directly to TPAN.
TPAN is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations dedicated to educating and empowering people who are living with HIV/AIDS related illnesses.
Based in Chicago, TPAN was established in the height of the AIDS crisis by Chris Clason. One advertisement turned into a mailing list, which turned into a meeting, and ever since 1987, TPAN has been working to make the lives of people with HIV/AIDS easier, end the stigma related to being HIV positive, and give those who were living their lives with HIV the opportunity to speak about their experiences.
How did you chose TPAN?
We knew we wanted to chose a charity which positively impacted the lives of people in the LGBT+ community, and while TPAN doesn’t work exclusively with LGBT+ people, the organization is focused on bettering the lives of those with HIV/AIDS, which has always disproportionately affected LGBT+ populations. TPAN is also an organization that is trusted in Chicago, holds many events large and small in the area, and has directly benefited friends of the founders of this zine.
Will every zine donate to TPAN?
Not necessarily. We’ve chosen TPAN for our first zine, but we are researching local organizations in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico that we could benefit in the future. Hurricane relief is often forgotten just a few months after the Hurricane has passed, when Harvey first hit, we discussed changing the organization, but decided that donating to hurricane relief in the future might have more impact after the media has stopped treating it like current events.