“HIV STIGMA” SO LAST CENTURY, LITERALLY.
I trawl the British newspaper archives to see when “AIDS stigma” and “HIV stigma” entered the conscience of society, when it peaked and declined. And if “HIV stigma” is still present in the 21st century.
Me, HIV & Dating
I briefly reflect on dating pre and post HIV diagnosis and the toxicity of dating as a gay man in London. A brief encounter with another gay man living with HIV and the usual gay dating apps.
THE WARD - REVISITED
The Ward – Revisited marks 30 years since Gideon Mendel photographed John, Andre, Steven and Ian in the AIDS wards at the Middlesex Hospital. I visited the exhibition on 18 January and was truly moved and inspired by the sheer courage and bravery of the men and their partners, family and friends.
Me, an Inspiration for HIV Blackmail.
From my experience of HIV blackmail by a member of the LGBT community I share my thoughts on what inspired such a malicious act. I share why I believe HIV blackmail today comes from the unchallenged, woke & self-righteous within the LGBT “community” as opposed to the rhetoric of ‘HIV stigma’.
Lost Community?
A year since publication and I spill the tea on trying to market a book on HIV stigma in the LGBT “community”/media. An LGBT media outlet telling me to “tone down the HIV stigma” and how competitive the HIV “community” is and those that put me and my story on ‘mute’.
My First HIV Christmas
Despite being HIV positive for two and half years this was my first Christmas celebration since my HIV diagnosis. I chose to spend Christmas alone and thoroughly enjoyed it with good food, wine, Christmas pudding and nostalgic television.
“Two plane tickets, one for me and one for my HIV”!
As turning 40 was fast approaching I booked a getaway to Barcelona. Leaving the UK for the first time since my HIV diagnosis & having to take my medication through airport security.
#ReclaimingTheTombstone
When listening to an episode on ‘The HIV Podcast’ discussing the 1980s ‘Don’t Die of Ignorance’ TV advert with the falling tombstone. I was inspired and fired up to ‘attempt’ to recreate my own updated version.
‘Don’t bite the hand that, TREATS you’!
When accessing HIV care makes me feel like a ‘HIV hostage’ when on the receiving end of surly staff. Is bad service justifiable when a minority of the LGBT HIV community treat staff appallingly.
“DON’T HIRE HIM, HE’S GOT AIDS” SAY’S SOHO PUB.
The ‘Lost Boys’ Soho boozer gave a job reference over the phone stating: “don’t hire him, he’s got AIDS”. The interview that had already been confirmed was withdrawn when the pub confirmed it had spoken to Adam.
She’s Not Back, She Never Left!
Just as life has got back to a relative norm the dreaded ‘C-word’, Covid has made a seasonal return. For three days I thought I had ‘man-flu’ which turned out to be Covid-19 when confirmed with lateral flow and a lab test.
HM The Queen
I and 'Lost Boy' Rudy camp overnight on The Mall to observe the procession on the gun carriage of Her Majesty the late Queen Elizabeth II. As we patiently waited, we bumped into HM The King and we were accosted LIVE on an Austrian news channel. Over 48 hours with no sleep we wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
Spillin’ the Tea with Gloria!
Gloria gets Will to spill the tea on his working relationship with the actual ‘Lost Boys’ of Soho. And in an added surprise Gloria and Will find themselves hosting ‘The Shadey’s’, the shadiest awards on the airwaves.
Spillin’ the Tea with Gloria!
Gloria invites Will around for tea and cake and talks about his and ‘Lost Boy’ Adam's working relationship. Will and Adam initially get along well until Adam accuses Will of being Covid-19 positive at work. Their working relationship takes a dramatic nose dive when Will insists on proving his covid-19 status.
Spillin’ the Tea with Gloria!
Gloria invites Will around for a brew and talks about his and ‘Lost Boy’ Jack’s relationship. Will talks about how his HIV diagnosis was delivered over the phone and the colleague who blackmailed him to either quit his job or be exposed as living with “AIDS” [HIV]. Gloria talks about that moment on the sofa and how it gave Gloria “fanny flutters”
Diagnosis Lockdown
Diagnosed HIV positive the day the Coronavirus Act 2020 gets royal assent. To collecting antiviral treatment the following day as the national lockdown is legally imposed upon the nation.
23 Days to HIV
It was due to social platforms, technology, and confiding in a friend that I was able to create a day-by-day account from the very moment I acquired HIV to the moment I was diagnosed HIV positive.