| 14 | | - | WHEREAS, Kirk was a visionary and an activist who dedicated |
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| 15 | | - | his life to serving vulnerable groups who face discrimination |
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| 16 | | - | with respect to medical services and in society at large and to |
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| 17 | | - | fighting for the rights of people suffering from HIV and AIDS; he |
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| 18 | | - | concentrated his energies on the right to health care and on |
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| 19 | | - | mobilization efforts to increase equity and access to services |
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| 20 | | - | for ethnic minority groups that are disproportionately affected |
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| 21 | | - | by HIV and AIDS; and |
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| 15 | + | WHEREAS, Kirk was a visionary and an activist who |
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| 16 | + | dedicated his life to serving vulnerable groups who face |
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| 17 | + | discrimination with respect to medical services and in society at |
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| 18 | + | large and to fighting for the rights of people suffering from HIV |
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| 19 | + | and AIDS; he concentrated his energies on the right to health |
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| 20 | + | care and on mobilization efforts to increase equity and access to |
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| 21 | + | services for ethnic minority groups that are disproportionately |
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| 22 | + | affected by HIV and AIDS; and |
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| 22 | 23 | | WHEREAS, For more than 20 years, Kirk fought to influence |
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| 23 | 24 | | HIV and AIDS policy, championing increased access to biomedical |
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| 24 | 25 | | interventions, treatment as prevention, and research on behalf |
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| 25 | 26 | | of Black communities; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Expanding his mission to encompass direct medical |
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| 27 | 28 | | and social services, in 2005, Kirk founded Abounding Prosperity, |
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| 28 | 29 | | an HIV testing, counseling, and referral agency; the |
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| 29 | 30 | | organization now offers a comprehensive range of services, |
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| 30 | 31 | | including HIV primary care, transgender health care, substance |
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| 31 | 32 | | abuse counseling, mental health counseling, supportive housing, |
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| 32 | 33 | | financial assistance, tele-wellness, and research and |
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| 33 | 34 | | recreational centers; and |
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| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, Kirk established an ethos of education, |
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| 35 | 36 | | prevention, and treatment and served with the State of Texas |
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| 36 | 37 | | Community Planning Group, chairing the Interventions Committee; |
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| 37 | 38 | | he also served on the City of Dallas Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and |
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| 38 | 39 | | Transgender Task Force and represented his community as a |
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| 39 | 40 | | founding member of the Dallas Chapter of the Texas Black Gay |
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| 40 | 41 | | Network; and |
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| 41 | 42 | | WHEREAS, A pillar of support and treasured member of his |
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| 42 | 43 | | community, Kirk was a passionate, selfless man whose courage, |
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| 43 | 44 | | warmth, and commitment to equitable health services has inspired |
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| 44 | 45 | | his colleagues, friends, and fellow citizens; Kirk's labors and |
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| 45 | 46 | | activism touched the lives of countless people, and he will be |
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| 46 | 47 | | long remembered by his many loved ones and by all who were |
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| 47 | 48 | | privileged to share in his life; now, therefore, be it |
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| 48 | 49 | | RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th |
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| 49 | 50 | | Legislature, hereby extend sincere condolences to the bereaved |
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| 50 | 51 | | family of Kirk D. Myers-Hill; and, be it further |
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| 51 | 52 | | RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for |
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| 52 | 53 | | his family as an expression of deepest sympathy from the Texas |
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| 53 | 54 | | Senate and that when the Senate adjourns this day, it do so in |
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| 54 | 55 | | memory of Kirk Myers-Hill. |
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