180 - HIV in the Bible Belt

When Derric came out to his Dad, his father disapprovingly told him that he was going to get AIDS. Derric grew up in the Bible Belt, West Virginia, where in a lot of places being gay is still unaccepted. So a couple years later, when Derric tested positive for HIV, he was devastated. Opening up about his diagnosis was extremely challenging and within a short amount of time he moved west to be in a more accepting and supportive community. Derric's story is incredibly important because living with HIV and being gay is still wracked with stigma, which makes it hard for Derric to talk about it. By sharing his story he hopes that people living with similar challenges feel less alone and we know that this will resonate deeply with a lot of our listeners. Thank you, Derric for being vulnerable and open with us, you're a beautiful human being!