ISSUE 7
C E L E B R AT I N G
VOLUME 50
48 YEARS
F R I D AY
IN
F EBRUA RY 18 , 2 0 2 2
PRINT S E AT T L E ’ S L G B T Q I A + N E W S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T W E E K LY S I N C E 19 74
THIRD HIV CURE REPORTED by Mike Andrew SGN Staff Writer A third person has reportedly been cured of HIV infection, according to a report released February 15 at the annual meeting of the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infection. The patient in this case is described as “a middle-aged, mixed-race woman.” The cure was effected through a “haplo/cord transplant” that included a mixture of stem cells from a relative (the “haplo” part) and stem cells from an infant’s umbilical cord.
see THIRD CURE page 20
Image courtesy of NIAID
HIV-discovering virologist Luc Montagnier dead at 89 Dr. Luc Montagnier – Photo by Jacques Brinon / AP
by Hannah Saunders SGN Contributing Writer French virologist Luc Montagnier, who won a Nobel Prize in 2008 for discovering the HIV virus, died on Feb. 8, 2022, at the age of 89. Montagnier led the team that identified HIV in 1983 and shared his Nobel Prize in medicine with colleague Françoise BarréSinoussi. Montagnier was born on Aug. 18, 1932, in Chabris, France. He lived through the Ger-
man invasion of World War II and recalled being hungry most of the time. In June of 1944, bombing from Allied troops partially destroyed his home, and he despised wars for the remainder of his life. In his new house, he set up a chemistry lab in the cellar, where he produced hydrogen gas, sweet-smelling aldehydes, and nitro compounds. Throughout his life, Montagnier excelled in chemistry and biology.
see MONTAGNIER page 21
Chong the Nomad shows off Capitol Hill in latest episode of I Know a Place Chong the Nomad aka Alda Agustiano – Photo by Jordan Nicholson
by Kylin Brown SGN Contributing Writer Electronic dance musician and producer Chong the Nomad, whose given name is Alda Agustiano, is the latest Seattle star to host Visit Seattle’s vlog-style series I Know a Place.” In the video, now live on Visit Seattle’s website, Agustiano brings viewers and her friend, Detroit-based musical artist Jax Anderson, along for a tour of her favorite local businesses.
Agustiano, a 26-year old Lesbian of Indonesian descent, has become a wellknown Seattle artist over the last few years, having most recently been tapped by Marvel to contribute to the lead single from the soundtrack of 2021’s hit film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The song, “Lazy Susan,” also features 21 Savage, Rich Brian, Masiwei, and Warren Hue.
see I KNOW A PLACE page 7