Joy Morris is a 48 year old African American transgender female residing in Chicago. For 30 years, Joy has been a survivor of HIV/AIDS. She is an HIV/AIDS activist and advocate in her community and nationally.
Joy is a liaison from the Chicagoland transgender community where she has been advocating for the transgender community for the past 10 years. In her most recent position as the Outreach Consultant for the Street Outreach Unit at Men & Women in Prison Ministries, Inc., she specializes in ex-offender re-entry into society. Joy is an active member of the NorthSide HIV/Health Coalition (NSHHC), and AIDS Research Alliance of Chicago (ARAC),. She also sits on the Community Advisory Board at Haymarket and the Needs Assessment Committee for the Ryan White Part A Chicago Area HIV Prevention Planning Council .
Joy recently founded the grassroots Chicago Transgender Coalition where all individuals of the wide spectrum of the Transgender community will set policy and development: addressing Transgender issues. Joy's motto is "For Us "
Joy is very excited about being apart of the orphanage planning process. On a global scale, she wants to dispel the stigma about HIV/AIDS. For a long time, Joy fell into the evil trap of believing the hysteria surrounding the disease and the people who considered HIV/AIDS a curse from God. Joy is a living testimony that this notion is not true! It has been 30 years later and she is still HIV undetectable, gainfully employed, and spiritually healthy. Joy said, “I know God loves me, what they said was a curse turned out to be a blessing in my life.”
Outstanding Service
Transgender -
Joy Morris
TransAction Chicago
Gay & Lesbian
Victory Fund
The Advocate Magazine's Forty Under 40