A DAY WITH HIV IN AMERICA
5:30 PM, Eugene, OR | Cree Gordon, 26, has been HIV-positive for more than six years; his friend Mathias is negative: “I call my picture, ‘Opposites Attract.’ Though we are not together, we are good friends and I came up with the idea to show that caring about someone with HIV should not be scary.” 7:00 PM, New York | Jack Mackenroth, HIV-positive: “I wore that shirt for the entire day. I believe that visibility is the key to fighting the stigma of HIV. I had the photo taken by a complete stranger in a very public place on purpose to force them to question the word and what it meant. I felt proud.”
5:50 PM, The Bronx, New York | Susanna waits for the train home after a long day working at a city hospital psychiatric unit in the Bronx: “I love the phrase, ‘Learn Acting’ in the background. Having HIV and not being public about it sometimes feels like I am acting. Sadly, stigma exists. Today I hope that by being a powerful example, I can start to erode misconceptions and dismantle stigma by standing up and saying this is a day with HIV in America.” 30
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NOVEMBER+DECEMBER 2011
7:26 PM, Costa Mesa, CA | IanMathew Alvarez; “This picture of me (shaved head), my husband Travis, and my mom Rosie was taken at a lounge called The Tin Lizzie Saloon. Both Travis and I are positive. My mom and whole family are very supportive and adore us, so we chose to include her in the photo.” P o s i t i ve lyA w are . com