Meet Tyrie

Foxie, Kelly, Bud, and Bear approach the park with the biggest smiles – if you believe dogs can smile. They are being led by their owner, Tyrie.  Along with charming humans, Tyrie also has the magic touch his K-9 companions.  All four keep close to him – and come when he calls.

Tyrie has a unique story for how each of them came to him – from adopting Foxie when a friend at Clare Housing passed away, to Kelly who hopped in the back seat of his car during a paper route.  “She told me she was coming home with me,“ he says, laughing.  He got Bud from a friend who didn’t have the capacity to care for a dog – and a relative found Bear at George Floyd Memorial Square.  These dogs seemed to know that Tyrie had a good soul and they’d be safe with him.

Tyrie has the biggest grin, and he loves to joke and laugh.  He is living life out loud – and doing what he can to make a difference.  It wasn’t always this way – for a long time, Tyrie didn’t share his HIV+ status with anyone.  “Some people use it against you. Friends and family – they might throw your stuff out there on the streets.”

Tyrie might not have known he had HIV if not for his partner suggesting they get tested.  Tyrie was surprised to learn he was positive for HIV, but his incredibly supportive partner was not.  “They didn’t teach us about this in school,” he remarked.  Unfortunately, somehow immediate treatment was not recommended for Tyrie – and a year later he ended up in the emergency room with low T-cell levels.  Luckily, he was able to get well and is thriving today.

Even though he was supported by his partner, Tyrie didn’t want anyone to know about his diagnosis – to the point he wasn’t sure he wanted to live with Clare Housing. He was hesitant, “Because it was tagged with HIV. I did my little homework. I was like, Ooh, people are gonna know.” Eventually he was convinced that Clare was a good housing program, and he gave it a try.

His time at Clare Housing started a little rocky. “I was fighting with everyone,” but soon he settled into a routine, connected with friends and found a solution that works best for him.  He’s extremely grateful for the people at Clare who have worked with him, “they’d bend over backwards for me.”

Not only were there a few growing pains – it took a few tries to find the right building for his needs.  His now ex-spouse wasn’t able to live with him when he was at Clare Midtown, but other apartments had management staff that were difficult for him to deal with.

His current apartment with the scattered site program is the best fit.  That’s the beauty of Clare Housing’s continuum of care – if one type of housing isn’t quite right, there’s always other options to explore.  Tyrie’s current apartment is just right for him and his furry companions.

As for sharing his story – and his HIV positive status, Tyrie says “Everything I do is open to the public.” He means it whole-heartedly – because he’s currently the co-chair for the MN Council for HIV/AIDS Care and Prevention. Once he started serving on the council, he went public with his status. “I have HIV, but it’s not in control.”

In the meetings, Tyrie handles his role with a quiet professional manner that comes from years of experience – and knowing when it’s time to speak up.  He doesn’t shy away from speaking up to injustice – especially when it comes to fighting against racism. He uses his own lived experience to advocate for others. “I look at everyone and how they’re gonna experience this and make sure they’re comfortable. ‘Cause I wasn’t.”

There can be some frustration working with a bureaucratic system, but Tyrie is proud of the impact he is having. In fact, his work on the council took him to Washington D.C. where he spoke to the Ryan White Conference about the work the group had done, since their funding came from the Ryan White program.

Tyrie’s biggest priority now is making sure that HIV programs stick around and continue to be funded because, as he says, “they work.”  In a time when federal funding for HIV programs is in danger of being cut, it’s more important than ever to advocate for folks living with HIV – and HIV prevention. Tyrie will continue to advocate for justice, and to enjoy his life with his beautiful dog pack.