“I feel like we’re at a critical crossroads here in Philadelphia for marginalized communities, especially sexual and gender minorities,” said Tyson — a licensed clinical social worker who owns the Philadelphia Empowerment Clinic, a coaching and counseling practice.

This realization sparked their idea to host a virtual town hall — which took place on Aug. 20 — to examine the state of sexual health in the city and foster community-driven momentum toward bettering outcomes.

“I feel a great sense of responsibility to step up to the plate and to share my knowledge and experience and use myself as a vessel to bring forth change,” Tyson continued, adding that there’s a greater need for communities to care for one another since there’s less support from governmental entities.

“There are just so

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