Yakima, Washington

Positive since 1990

I had a rough childhood, and when I was 19, I found myself in San Francisco. I started drinking heavily, and being 19, I was taking it to excessive amounts. I was getting into the gay bars until I got drunk one night and revealed my age. It was 1989. I thought I was invincible, and I hooked up with one of the drag performers. We were both drunk. He warned me first, but I was young and naive and said I didn’t care. Toward the end of 1990, I got tested. I waited two weeks and got my results. On October 10, the day before I turned 20, I got my results. I was positive.

Now in 2014, I am going on 24 years positive, undetectable, with T-cells in the 900 to 1,000 range, and I have never had an AIDS dagnosis. I adhere to my regimen, but I have other side effects that have come from the medications, as well as diabetes. I stay active. I love doing outreach and connecting with people I meet. If I can give one piece of advice, it is: Remember, you may have HIV, but it doesn’t have you. Be proactive, not reactive.

 

What three adjectives best describe you?

Passionate about what I do. Compassionate about others. Determined to make a change in the way people think about HIV/AIDS.

What is your greatest achievement?

The work I was doing in Nevada at the HIV agency

What is your greatest regret?

Not starting my outreach efforts earlier

What keeps you up at night?

Trying to break down the walls of stigma around HIV/AIDS and how people still afraid to go public

If you could change one thing about living with HIV, what would it be?

I don’t think I would change anything.

What is the best advice you ever received?

Stay active.

What person in the HIV/AIDS community do you most admire?

Jen Howell at the Reno Health Department

What drives you to do what you do?

Working toward a HIV/AIDS-free world

What is your motto?

I have HIV, but it doesn’t have me.

If you had to evacuate your house immediately, what is the one thing you would grab on the way out?

The box of condoms in the corner

If you could be any animal, what would you be? And why?

A dog, because their love is unconditional