That day he was tempted, on more than one occasion, to make himself tiny, slip through the crack in the shutter, and fly away, out of reach of his father's gasping breath. In his mind, it was easier to disappear than to face the news that had been stealing his sleep for days. When the moment came, he spoke like an automaton he knew the consequences.

Las Tunas, Cuba.- There were no surprises. "Homosexual? I already knew that so much grooming of eyebrows and shaved legs could not be normal... HIV? What is that? If you're making stuff up to leave school you're going to live under a bridge...". No one noticed the scattered heartbeats on the left side of his chest, or that his lips were turning blue.

His mother acted as usual, behind her husband's "screams", so as not to contradict the anger of that beast who no longer recognized her son because he had not been born a male. Nor did she perceive the strange shadow that came into her offspring's eyes, the desperation to stay there, breathing... That night Jorge tried to put an end to his nightmare, but fortunately, he lived to tell the tale.

...

At this minute, in Las Tunas, many Jorges carry on their backs the reality of living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and they lack support in their families to overcome a dangerous health condition. The HSH network (men who have sex with men, by its Spanish acronym) is being strengthened in this city to lift armor where there is fear, heal scars and teach them to be at peace.

Edel Luis Téllez Milanés, the coordinator of fellowship and the Transcuba network in the province, tells 26 that they did not emerge yesterday, only that they have not managed to visualize themselves as what they are: a substitute family that brings together, informs, coordinates and takes care of its own, without reproaches.

"The network will be 24 years old on August 7- emphasizes Edel Luis-, and it was created because, at that time, the HIV epidemic in Cuba was centered on men. Today the figures are still higher in this population group, that's why we need to be united and well-informed."

"In the beginning, MSM covered a small group of young people; it was a project that we worked on for several years with the support of the United Nations Global Fund, whose financial support takes some of the weight away from the National Program for the Prevention of STIs/HIV/AIDS."

"Our actions are varied, although they are focused on HIV prevention. We like to reach out to communities and vulnerable groups and we touch on other issues such as sexual diversity, respect, violence, drug use, in short, everything that can be a factor that influences unprotected sexual relations."

"We delve into these issues so that they do not have a negative impact when MSM have their sexual relations, their partners so that in addition to protection they have a healthy mind, that is, in a full complement of their physical health and that they are psychologically prepared so as not to acquire a disease."

"The psychological component is very important because many of the boys come to the network very damaged and need to reinvent themselves, become strong, and forgive. We are looking for specialized counseling, people who want to help."

The leader comments that the network is aimed at working not only with gay men but also with bisexuals because sometimes they are the ones who need counseling the most and involve their families in issues that end up with painful repercussions. We receive support from the clinics and in the Health areas, so they accompany our work, which is a little more open."

Currently, the network has more than 80 active promoters who work voluntarily and dedicate effort, time, and good vibes to prevention. They aspire to become a non-governmental organization because they are now a network under the umbrella of Public Health."

"We work very hard. For the preparation of new promoters, we give workshops, because some leave the country, others have died or moved from one province to another. Now we are training a medium-sized group, and with them, we would reach 100 here. We always try to train also the municipalities so that they can join the work in these places."

"We have a national, provincial, and also municipal coordination in different areas: communication, organizational strengthening, training, and research; we are talking about a well-formed network. We are also part of the national strategic program, we help in the writing of strategic programs for the country."

"At the Provincial Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Microbiology we have counseling for all key populations, which are people living with HIV. They have a network also with their coordinator and they have the support line. Our goal is that the organization grows, that no one feels helpless or misinformed, and that those who need us find knowledge, but also empathy and solidarity."