▁y oga ▁instruct or ▁and ▁poet . ▁During ▁this ▁period ▁he ▁released ▁a ▁spoken ▁word ▁album ▁of ▁po etic ▁med itations ▁r umin ating ▁on ▁sexual ▁identity ▁called ▁Pur ple ▁Gal axy . ▁ ▁Mov ing ▁into ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁community ▁organ izer , ▁Ak ili ▁joined ▁A ID ▁Atlanta ' s ▁H IV ▁prevent ion ▁team ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁life ▁support ▁coun sel or ▁at ▁National ▁A ID S ▁& ▁Education ▁Services ▁to ▁Minor ities ▁( NA ES M ). ▁Coll abor ating ▁with ▁Charles ▁Steph ens , ▁Ak ili ▁co - f ounded ▁S weet ▁Te a : ▁Southern ▁Que er ▁Men ’ s ▁Collect ive , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁que er ▁pro - f em in ist ▁dedicated ▁to ▁comb ating ▁sex ism . ▁As ▁the ▁regional ▁training ▁coordin ator ▁of ▁Men ▁Sto pping ▁Vi ol ence ▁( MS V ), ▁Ak ili ▁developed ▁batter er ▁inter vention ▁programs ▁ge ared ▁towards ▁educ ating ▁heter osex ual ▁African ▁American ▁men ▁in ▁their ▁ 4 0 s ▁about ▁ab et ting ▁violence ▁and ▁sex ism ▁against ▁women . ▁ ▁In ▁conj unction ▁with ▁this ▁work , ▁Ak ili ▁began ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁dis ent ang ling ▁vict ims ▁of ▁violence ▁from ▁ab us ive ▁patterns . ▁Writing ▁for ▁Sh ond aland , ▁Ak ili ▁detailed ▁his ▁own ▁struggle ▁with ▁over coming ▁domestic ▁violence , ▁the ▁shame ▁that ▁aff lic ts ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁L B GT Q + ▁community ▁who ▁feel ▁tra pped ▁in ▁ab us ive ▁relationships , ▁and