World AIDS Day: How art and advocacy reclaimed my life, transforming my HIV journey
That epiphany came in Spring 2023 as I was performing a scene in the play one in two by Donja R. Love. During the scene, the character I played, Donté, is being proposed to by The Man of His Dreams moments after surviving a suicide attempt.
Donté is skeptical that society will allow two Black gay men to marry. The Man of His Dreams assures Donté that we can be whoever we want to be while living with HIV – with Donté eventually agreeing to the proposal.After my performance that night, I thought to myself, “What the f-word do I do with this revelation?” By the time the play closed the next week, I’d found the answer: To Thrive.One in two is named after a 2016 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that 1 in 2 Black gay or bisexual men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime.
The stage play is a call to action for the world to see Black men living with HIV as more than a statistic. The play’s final monologue was my own reminder that I am a full person with a life that stretches beyond the theatre walls.A post shared by Michael Ward (@michaelxward)Subscribe to Native Son’s newsletter for more news, information, and conversations about Black gay and queer everything.My doctor at the time assured me that HIV is not a death sentence — but I was skeptical.
For years, I lived fast to die young. I intentionally put myself in harm’s way. I partied hard through my twenties to disassociate.
