A gay man with HIV has seen a Tweet go viral this week in which he reminds people about the corrosive impact of stigma.
Jack Johnson is based in San Antonio, Texas. He tells Queerty that he received his diagnosis in September 2017.
On Twitter, he posted a photo of himself wearing a T-shirt that says “HIV Lives Matter.” It’s not the first time he’d posted the image but the first time he did so, he was persuaded to take it down.
“When I posted this the first time, I had a lot of well-meaning but misguided people message me in private ‘warning’ me by saying I should keep this part of myself to myself,” he began.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
When I posted this the first time, I had a lot of well meaning but misguided people message me in private “warning” me by saying I should keep this part of myself to myself (1) pic.twitter.com/dfR5Ri9h71
— Jack Johnson IV 💐 (@jackjohnsoniv7) August 29, 2021
“Out of annoyance at how persistent people were about telling me suppression was for my own good, I took it down. Not necessarily because I felt obligated to, but because I understood the gravity motivating their messages,” he continued.
“People are dangerously fearful and violent towards things they don’t understand. But for weeks afterward, I began to understand that stigma doesn’t have to be LOUD in order for it to be harmful.
“It tells people they can’t be fully human unless they omit parts of themselves the world tells them is unacceptable. Teaches them they’re unworthy of affection. Demands silence to uphold the status quo.
“But here’s the thing: those same people who kept a polite tone while putting on a muzzle on me weren’t there when I thought my life was over. They weren’t there when homophobia forced me to adapt to this with no help.
“They weren’t there when relationship prospects dried up because men wanted to be with someone ‘clean.’ They weren’t there when I had to force my hands to love myself enough to reach for the pill bottle every morning as my life was crumbling around me.
“What I’m saying is while silence creates the ILLUSION of safety, there is no progress without confrontation. And there is no confrontation without truth. Because freedom is on the other side of fear. So I’m reposting it again. And this time I’m not taking it down.
“If you’re reading this and you’re like me, I just want you to know that them telling you to shut up has EVERYTHING to do with their fear and NOTHING to do with you.
“It’s not your responsibility to carry the weight of someone else’s ignorance on your shoulders. Drop it and fly. If they want to, they’ll grow their own wings.”
Related: ABC News reporter opens up about the stigma he still faces as an HIV+ gay man
He tagged the maker of the T-shirt: @linton_walker (@unapologeticallypositive_ on Instagram).
Jack told Queerty he originally posted the image in December of 2019. He decided to repost it because, “At the end of the day, fighting stigma is more important than people’s comfort.” In fact, he says, “Stigma is absolutely the worst thing about HIV.”
Johnson said he was pleasantly surprised to get so much positive feedback. His original tweet has had over 8k likes.
If HIV-positive people take anti-retroviral treatment and achieve an undetectable viral level, they can expect to live a normal lifespan. They also cannot pass on the virus while they remain undetectable.
For many people, treatment consists of one pill a day. However, earlier this year, the FDA approved longer-acting, injectable treatment, meaning some people living with the virus have moved on to a monthly injection. It’s expected that further long-acting treatments will be approved soon, with a once-every-two-months injection likely in the US soon.
Related: HIV-positive man shares joy at taking his last HIV-medication pill
Discover more
Bengali
So the Black community says the phrase “Black Lives Matter” should not be messed with then this young man comes out using the same slogan but changes Black to HIV. I understand the correlation but I believe he should have used a different slogan as to me, it downplays BLM. Certainly no disrespect to either cause.
What do you guys think?
Chrisk
The exact same analogy is used for comparing gay rights to the struggle of black rights. Allot of the black community was/is offended by the comparison. How about the fight against SSM. Same arguments.
The Da crybaby fiasco should be a clear example why his message matters. If his message bothers you then tough shit.
bivector
I agree. The message is a good one but it’s weird to co-opt that particular slogan. Not to mention the fact that this version doesn’t quite make grammatical sense.
The U=U campaign needs to reach more people period, and it would be great to have one that specifically targeted the black and hip-hop communities to reach people like DaBaby, but it needs its own catchy slogan.
BigJohnSF
I also agree – “Black Lives Matter” was a response to cops killing people because they are Black. That’s not really happening to HIV+ people.
twomen4u
Jack, never ever allow someone to take your dignity away from you. I am a 75 year old white man and I have been living with HIV since 1995. Currently, I am on one of the oldest regimes for HIV with six pills a day and as you know when you get older doctors add a pill here, add a pill there and I am up to 26 different scripts per day. I have no idea as to the number of pills and don’t want to know – ha. My doctor keeps telling me I will die from old age and I hope to do that in the arms of my husband, however I also plan to be the world’s longest living HIV survivor so he has to keep up. My doctor and I are working together to see if I might be able to switch to the shot. I would lose 180 pills a month and with all of the others that would be absolutely GRAND.
So take your medication as ordered by your doctor so you will stay up right and then have the choice as to whether to lay down or not.
lambchopp59
As another survivor of the initial soul crushing pandemic when we were helpless against this plague, experienced so much loss of tremendously beautiful souls who had so much more happiness to contribute, I’d like to offer my life affirming virtual hug to the both of you on behalf of five spirits who have ascended beyond our imaginations.
Whatever someone wants to express for validation, as long is it isn’t harmful to themselves or others, a virtual hug for them as well.
Hank31
It would probably be best to consider that lives matter before you engage in activity which transmits HIV, not afterwards.
Also, that t-shirt literally means that the lives of human immunodeficiency viruses matter.
Vince
Did someone piss in your cornflakes today Hank or are you miserable like that every day?
Hank31
@Vince One reason why I am not miserable is that, as a teen, I read universally available HIV prevention materials and avoided the very few things which could cause infection. It’s really not that difficult to do. And it is so much more respectful to human life and health than getting and spreading HIV and then afterwards donning t-shirts to fight “stigma.” Cheers!
Vince
Hank31
This kid wears the shirt to help others. That takes courage. What have you ever done besides pass judgement on others? I’ll bet not much.
Oh and STFU. Back under your bridge troll.
Hank31
@Vince As noted above, what I have done to help others is: 1) inform myself of how to prevent infection with HIV by reading universally available public health information and 2) follow the guidelines therein, thus 3) protecting my life and heath as well as the lives and health of other gay/bi men. I’d say that’s pretty good.
Beats t-shirts and slogans.
storm45701
Compassion and empathy are required here. I’m sure he regrets his mistakes as a young man; we all do. He is making the best of a bad situation and finding his dignity after what has been a long struggle to compensate for his errors. We do not know his entire story, only a sliver; and if his honesty helps but one other person, all the better.
cliche guevara
The article doesn’t ever say how he contracted HIV but you are casting judgment about how his behavior and suggesting he should have acted differently. You are the problem here, no the shirt.
bivector
This is remarkably ignorant. Moralizing and grandstanding about HIV doesn’t prevent it, but ending the stigma and encouraging testing does. Congratulations on sounding like a self-righteous POS though. This kid is helping people and you are making things worse. You’re the reason people spend months to years too terrified to get tested, allowing this to spread.
Heywood Jablowme
I’ve been poz a long time and I cringe every time I read something like: “They weren’t there when relationship prospects dried up because men wanted to be with someone ‘clean.’”
Don’t use “stigma” as shorthand for “I’m not getting laid enough! It’s so unfair! U=U!”
(And anyone who uses “clean” in that context is just a d!ck anyway. Move on, you can do better.)
There are plenty of nice HIV+ guys out there, and they’ll understand better what you (we) are dealing with.
rural queer socialist
Yes IN DEED! ‘HIV Lives Matter’!
And also, in deed, ‘UNBORN BLACK LIVES MATTER’!
ABORTION kills queer people.
rickywintour
I really wish your mother would’ve aborted you lmao.
jockjack5
I applaud the bravery of the young Mr. Jack Johnson IV and his T-shirt.
Bravo! Good for him!
But…
Black males are only 6% of the U.S. population, but account for 43% of the HIV+ cases in the most recent data available from the CDC.
That is astounding… boggles the mind!