About Us → News & Events Stigma Warrior: Meet Adrienne Gates

Meet today’s Stigma Warrior:

"I’m Adrienne Gates founder of POWER Atlanta, born and raised in this work. I come from the same communities I now fight for. I know what it feels like to be overlooked, counted out, and still show up. POWER Atlanta started from my heart and my lived experiences because people like us deserve access, dignity, and real support, not just programs on paper.

Its important to stand up to stigma and discrimination because it kills literally and spiritually. Stigma stops people from asking for help, from showing up to a pantry, accessing victim services, seeking support for substance use, or getting tested and linked to HIV prevention and care. It makes folks feel like they have to hide who they are just to survive. Discrimination tells people they’re not worthy of care. At POWER Atlanta, we fight that daily—through HIV prevention and testing, harm reduction, youth and senior support, substance use education, and victim assistance. We meet people where they are and remind them they matter. Stigma keeps people in the shadows. We’re here to bring them into the light with dignity, not judgment.

I fight stigma by showing up fully flaws, fire, and all. I speak up, even when it’s uncomfortable. I build spaces where folks don’t have to choose between their identity and their care. And I walk with people, not above them. Sometimes the biggest fight is showing up every day and not letting the world harden you.

My advice to anyone facing stigma and discrimination within their community is that you don’t have to carry it alone. Find your people folks who don’t need you to explain yourself to feel at home. Let your story be yours, messy, real, and powerful. And remember: the shame isn’t yours to carry. Keep going. You’re already enough.

One word that describes me as a warrior is Present. I lead with my heart. I’ve walked through loss, through caretaking, through rooms where I felt like I didn’t “fit” and I still show up. Fully. I don’t have to sound like everyone else or take the same path to know my voice matters. Being present, grounded in who I am—that’s when I’m at my strongest."