Playwright and Advocate Donja R. Love Expands Vision of Healing, Community, and Artistic Liberation for the Poz Community
At a time when federally funded HIV/AIDS programs are under attack and the rights of people living with HIV are increasingly threatened, one powerful writing initiative is offering a space of resistance, healing, and imagination. Write It Out! (WIO!), the first-of-its-kind writing program for people living with HIV, has officially opened applications for its sixth annual cohort and its $10,000 Write It Out! Prize—a national opportunity for playwrights living with HIV to develop their voices and share their stories unapologetically.
Founded by Donja R. Love, a Black Queer playwright living with HIV, Write It Out! is a program rooted in radical care, creative expression, and communal transformation. Since 2019, Love and the WIO! team have nurtured and uplifted the creative voices of artists through playwriting. This year, WIO! is doubling down on its mission with an expanded prize, a fully funded in-person convening in New York City, and a continued commitment to holistic support.
“The humanity and life-affirming rights of people living with HIV are currently being stripped away,” said Donja R. Love, Founder and Executive Director of WIO!. “We don’t have many options. Write It Out! strives to be one. We provide a community for people living with HIV/AIDS to imagine, create, and heal. Every layer of WIO! is focused on the well-being of Poz people – from the submission process to the presentations. Our stories and humanity are at the center.”
About the Program
The Write It Out! Program is a 10-week virtual playwriting workshop facilitated by Love and open to anyone living with HIV or AIDS. Designed to provide a safe and empowering creative space, the workshop supports participants in finding their unique voices through writing. Each member of the cohort will develop a short play, with guidance and community support throughout the process.
Following the workshop, the 2025 cohort will travel to New York City for an in-person final sharing of their work on World AIDS Day, December 1st, collaborating with professional directors and actors to bring their words to life. Travel costs, accommodations, and a stipend are provided, and participants will also attend Broadway shows as part of their experience.
“Write It Out! offers opportunities for its participants to reckon with their HIV status through art,” said Ted, a 2023 participant who has been living with HIV since 1989. “It gives a community, a place to belong, a place void of isolation and shame. At the age of 72, I found it to be one of the seminal events of my life. I am deeply grateful to every person and organization that supports this exceptional work.”
The Write It Out! Prize
Now in its fourth year, the Write It Out! Prize is awarded annually to a playwright living with HIV. This year’s prize includes a $10,000 unrestricted cash award and a dedicated dramaturg to support the development of a new full-length play.
The inaugural recipient in 2021, Dominic Colón, was honored for his play The War I Know. Reflecting on the experience, Colón shared:
“I thought the prize for being named the inaugural recipient of the Write It Out! Prize was going to be the money, but the real prize ended up being freedom. Coming out publicly about my HIV status not only liberated me as an artist but as a spirit on this earth. I am forever honored.”
The 2021 prize was made possible by Emmy and Tony Award-winner Billy Porter, a champion of HIV awareness known for his work on Pose and Kinky Boots.
Application Details
Applications for the 2025 Write It Out! Program and Prize are now open and will be accepted through Wednesday, July 30 at 11:59 PM ET. Interested applicants can visit www.letswriteitout.com to apply.
Program Applicants must submit a writing sample of no more than 10 pages.
Prize Applicants must submit a completed original full-length play. (Note: musicals are not currently accepted.)
Write It Out! prioritizes confidentiality. Applicants may opt to keep their identity private in all public materials and participation announcements. Requesting anonymity will not affect selection decisions.
A Legacy of Advocacy, Art, and Healing
Founded in 2019, Write It Out! uses art, advocacy, and accessibility to dismantle stigma and build a better world for people living with HIV. It is guided by a “For Us, By Us” leadership model, centering the voices and experiences of Poz people at every level. Through storytelling, the initiative aims to empower its participants, influence the theatrical landscape, and challenge the harmful narratives that continue to surround HIV.
Write It Out! is made possible through generous support from ViiV Positive Action, The Terrence McNally Foundation, GLAAD, and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
About Donja R. Love
Donja R. Love (any pronouns) is a Black Queer playwright and activist living with HIV—and thriving. Their plays include soft (MCC Theater, NYT Critic’s Pick), one in two (The New Group, NYT Critic’s Pick), Fireflies (Atlantic Theater Company), Sugar in Our Wounds (Manhattan Theatre Club), The Trade, and What Will Happen to All That Beauty?
Love is the recipient of numerous accolades, including the Horton Foote Playwriting Award, the Princess Grace Playwriting Award, the Helen Merrill Award, and the Laurents/Hatcher Award. They are also the co-founder of The Each-Other Project, a media platform centering Black queer and trans communities through art and activism.
They have graced the covers of POZ Magazine, A&U Magazine, and Positively Aware, and have been named one of Plus Magazine’s Most Amazing People Living with HIV.
For More Information & To Apply
Visit: www.letswriteitout.com
Follow on Instagram: @letswriteitout
