Thursday's Project Runway All Stars featured season nine designer Viktor Luna disclosing that he is HIV positive in a segment done with the advocacy group Greater Than AIDS. "The stigma is not the fact that it's people being mean, it's the fact that they don't know. Within our community, whether it's gay or straight, speaking out can come in different ways. Whether it's somebody saying something bad about HIV and you letting them know how it really is, speaking out directly and talking about your HIV status like I did, or guiding people in the right direction," he said. "I think just being open with who I am really helps with my design because I have no limits. I don't let anything stop me." Check out the clip below.
Another Project Runway alum, Jack Mackenroth, recently launched multi-media campaign "HIV Equal" to reduce the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and encourage testing. Photos include an "HIV=" logo and a caption reading "STATUS:___" with each participant choosing a word that is more important to their identity than their HIV/AIDS status. Participants include Broadway stars Nick Adams and Billy Porter, and HIV/AIDS and LGBT activist Peter Staley. The campaign will soon travel the U.S. allowing people to get their "HIV Equal" photo while also getting tested.
Visit Poz Magazine to find a list of testing centers in your area.