Stay out of our way dont be so gay

Knowing that HIV criminalization cases in Ohio have been on the riseparticularly among Black gay men, I decided to test out how it might feel to live here in the gayest way possible: By seeing how men on gay hook-up apps treat me as a person living with the virus. I am undetectable and healthy, but wanted to make sure you were okay with that before we met.

But when it came to treating me like a person after I shared my HIV status, things became dicey. When these people wrote to me, some blocked me after I shared my status. Others responded that I was ruining the community. Another man thanked me for sharing my status and disclosed that he was also living with HIV.

In total, I was rejected by more than 50 men who were otherwise interested in me. I was embraced by 12, and met up with four.

Stop Saying “That’s So Gay!”: 6 Types of Microaggressions That Harm LGBTQ People

And as it is, gay men already go through so much. Now what? So why are we criminalizing nondisclosure of HIV? If we actually want to get serious about containing HIV, that means rejecting incarceration and expanding health care. Doing so will mean:. Expanding health options and abolishing HIV criminalization laws requires years of educating the public, meeting with legislators, and advocacy.

Then ask them what needs to happen next and how to ensure that the government stays out of our sex lives. Juan Michael Porter II is an award-winning journalist. He spent five years at TheBody. Read More ». Username or Email Address. Remember Me. Submit a story idea.

Submit a story! Juan Michael Porter II. Related Articles. Search for:. Subscribe to The Spark. Subscribe Now. Scroll to Top.