Life is one of those things that is always never 100%, I want to get a few things off my mind, Hiv has gone from a virus that has killed a lot of people, now Hiv is being managed, the virus is being suppressed, people are trying to have a life and live a life without the extra baggage that come with it. At this time I hope who ever comes across this happens to read what I say in its entirety, if it gets boring I understand. Living with hiv comes with its day to day challenges, hiv is one of those reminders to live better lives, stop and ask more questions, be well informed. The entitlement party bus pulled up and out of the woodwork came everyone that had something disparaging, negative, I’ll conceived and misinformed notion about hiv. When people are still out there confusing hiv for aids, there is a problem. It’s a bigger problem than they even realize, what that tells me is that the information and training other doctors are getting, that just because you read something somewhere or put a link to makes people without hiv leading experts. You know who can give you lots of valuable information, medical professionals, not Youtubers who feel that Magic Johnson is the only person who raises awareness. Actual people who have hiv and are his negative, men, women, straight and gay, married and single across the board raising awareness as well being big supporters in educating those who need this information, people are contracting hiv when it’s preventable, not just in America, globally to. People are well informed and still choose to befriend, date and sometimes marry, those who live with hiv.
I spent time yesterday just reading up on the account with Tom Knight on buzzfeed. I read the article all the way through. Then I got to the comments, it’s comments like these that I read from buzzfeed, and the Huffingtonpost UK, this is what I got out of that comment section.Being upfront about your status means you should understand that abuse is coming your way, it’s not OK to defend yourself, or have selfworth, because people should be allowed to approach and disrespect people at any given time in any language they deem fit. I am going to say this, being asked if your “clean” is a childish derogatory term used from individuals who lack the adult maturity to ask if someone has hiv. It’s really simple, there are many ways to go about it, “do you know your status?” “I’m hiv- are you hiv+ or negative?” I feel you get the point, little by little, more people have been on that free speech breast milk and using that as a platform to be less than decent it shouldn’t be something that should have to be asked it comes with home training. We don’t have conversations anymore like we should, like we used to, getting to know what people about, the solid food, not jumping to conclusions.
If we want to be more realistic and need more examples on what isn’t 100% condoms, birthcontrol, vaccines, and medications in general, and yet we take them anyway if it means we better the quality of our life, that is an understanding most people understand.
The amount of people who feel that hiv people shouldn’t be having sex, their spreading aids, and they are spreading a deadly disease is not 100% accuate, any disease that we have out there that if you don’t seek medical attention is deadly and you can die from it, let’s get some examples. There are organ related disease out there that are genetic and can be passed on, also when you become aware of it you need to take care of yourself from that moment on because you PPE will instruct you to do so for your health or you will die,it’s not their job to beat around the bush on those things. There are disease past hiv that people can get that can effect their immune system, well imagine that. But hiv is the most common and it leads to complications later in life, so do , diabetes, some cancers, surgeries, life and the list goes on. Medication for many who have hiv is changing their lives, and giving life back to them. It’s been a long road for a lot of people, what the medical community is doing to get there and the progress it’s making should not be overlooked.
In this reality of life people feel that as long as you readily identify yourself that give options to run across the street. Did Tom handle that situation beautifully, no, I feel that it really didn’t help much. What he did point to is that by having to correct and not just answer yes I’m clean and move with the bandwagon, the real problem started there. Tom having to state, yes I’m hiv postitive is what he is trying to get attention to,that you are bringing us down by making us out to look and be perceived as dirty even if people don’t see it that way it’s still derogatory and frankly people with hiv should stop responding to that and bring more attention to the fact of if they hiv or not, it’s that simple.Using that is not ok not for Tom, myself and others that we arent, and that we get tired of that, people make the comment it’s not just towards people with hiv just because it’s an easy identifying short cut for you, or going by the reasoning it covers people with STI’s as well. OK the opposite of clean is dirty, it’s been used in many negative ways towards people before it found its way being used in the LGBT communit, I had to learn these correct turns learn to do that too. Do people have the right do not date, not be friends with, and totally ignore people with hiv because of how they feel, 100% yes, we don’t take away your right to do you, unfortunately It has come to my attention that’s not the way its viewed towards us, or the boyfriends or girlfriends and spouses of those who live with hiv. People can have rights take your hands off mine.
Now addressing the comment made to Tom by the unnamed guy, who felt Tom should be realistic about his situation. That not only is stigma related talk, that is the most hateful thing that has been said. Yet the only thing people zero in on, is the fact that Tom made a tacky clothing reference and he is being entitled by not getting laid. The hate form this could be compared to Niagara Falls it came from people’s high horse opinions and turned into sewage on its way down.Thanks we got the message we know how you feel. Tom isn’t a person entitled to sex and it has been pointed out in the comment section of buzzfeed, but also no one is entitled either that has been brought out as well. Saying that someone is a complication in their lives is a nasty thing to say, and Tom should have been mad, what he said ment that your not going to make my life better but harder. Tom Knight should not have to feel at any point in his life he makes people’s lives more difficult, if anything we try to be optimistic that we deserve the same opportunity as the next person, that a comment like that can be so overlooked by people who are not looking past the fear. A comment that man made went unchecked, by people who are a part of the LGBT community and straight people, in this day and age we still don’t know the difference or any better? People who call themselves allies, and who believe in human rights. These are the ones who advocating for us, guess it’s time to wake up, burn the field and plant new crops of real understanding, informed decision making, and the ability to act rationally.
Saying that there was nothing wrong with what he said and shifting the entire blame on Tom is the biggest problem to date. You take away our humanity, you make us monsters lurking in the dark, you make us feel that there is no room anywhere for us and that’s not right. You equate people with hiv to rape culture, wow are you kidding me rape culture, then what is the point of informed consent if at the end of the day were on the same level of rape culture?
First of all you don’t know us personally or our struggles, yet you feel deemed to be the glass house that judges people like Tom myself and others and throws the stones with your houses, just because how he handled the situation didn’t agree with you, doesn’t mean you had to be team Tom, or the other guy. The lack of empathy though is clearly evident from a community that talks about love and acceptance. 1% of people tried to come to a defense and bring out facts, well its less than one percent, yet people would not hear it.
Since the message out there is that people are crazy and stupid for being with anyone who has hiv, I wonder how a person like Andrew Pulsipher would feel about that? Seeing how progressing medical advancements allowed him to not transmit to his wife of ten years and three kids. The couple going by Poppy and Ted Morgan, who for the last 14 years wanted to built a family, yet Truvada helped them get past the his issue. I came across that on fusion.net, it helped me see a light, that had much darkness to it. So when you find yourself being heavily entitled to tell consenting educated adults how to live their lives, simply dont, there are people who are more educated, get more information before you read about it. Here is what you do with your hate speach, you tell people that you trying to love and live life as best as they can and build a family, that you can’t have any of that, it’s not your right, it’s unethical, well guess what many people are saying the same to you, your way of life who you love, and the color of the person you love. Stop being entitled hypocrites, and if you choose not to date, associate, marry, or have anything to do with someone who has hiv, then don’t take so long responding back, cause you already know your individual answers, quickly move along.
Also to officalGATG you know what is homophobic, is being entitled enought to say and lumping a group of people who have hiv, who are on their doctor prescribe medication are spreading a disease, i was not aware you were a doctor, have a doctorate and can give out useless advice. who needed a warning disclaimer about posting his views to be heard without getting hate comments, that people if people could not do that they should get off the Internet…..it’s all free speach and you shouldn’t be so angry when people don’t respond and cash in on your comment to the bank, your not that much of a person who is for human rights if you pick and choose with what limited information you have, if you want to be taken seriously don’t talk like a child, don’t respond like one slapping down someone’s comments you don’t like, here is what I got from your video, a bias viewpoint on how stupid Tom was, how entitled he was being, and how he is making light of hiv. Hiv is not the package that defines anyone and I’m sorry your naive and narrow minded to see that. Ito amazing how people can do so many things right when it comes to hiv and the only role model you can come up with is Magic Johnson, you obviously know nothing and it shows clearly. So before you or others speak get a clue, get informed, get educated, or please just stop talking and let others who work harder at it then the near 15 min that you feel something was accomplished. OfficialGATG, your what’s wrong with society, it’s the exact same entitled ramblings that you speak and validation in your comment section that prevent progress for more people than you know just because you have a few guy friends to make what you say reasonable. I personally don’t take kindly to the crap your selling.There is nothing ever wrong with people going into a situation with their eyes fully open knowing all the facts, what is entirely wrong is blocking the way of people learning the right way not going in woth so much fear they make more decisions based on it, a little frear is healthy fear mongering is not. On the flip note you did manage to win the uneducated bigot award, in the category of entitled youtuber, I think your gonna win by a landslide, a humanitarian would understand and get to know people who have hiv and understand the human perspective not just stats, enjoy the award nomination.
So whats next? I feel that I’m going to have to treat people like a job interview and that the knowledge or attitude they have can hurt them, why because it’s comments, that scare young people and get them to treat people with hiv like animals, and monsters and I don’t scribe to that. Information is supposed to be beneficial, so when it’s a weapon instead of a teaching tool I feel things should be more talked about more with people who can reason.
sunvalleyhiv 