Jonathan Van Ness has become known for exuding an infectious positive energy, in addition to some iconic one-liners.
“I have a strong support system of friends and family who can help me when I’m feeling low, but it’s not always easy,” Van Ness explains. “I also believe that part of being positive is also being willing to feel your discomfort and pain, so truthfully I’m not always sunshine and rainbows, which doesn’t make my energy any less beautiful.”
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One member of the community featured in the film is Tiffany Newsome from rural Georgia, one of the worst-hit southern states, where one in 51 people are HIV-positive. After considering suicide, she opened up on Facebook Live and eventually found a support system, which helped her realize “the real killer for people living with HIV is loneliness.” In response, Newsome started a social service organization called Blossoming In Red Inc., helping provide the support she sought after finding out about her own diagnosis.
The documentary uses personal experiences and insights from communities across the country to explore the scientific advancements of the past four decades, the truth behind statistics and the disparity between how the government reacted to the HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 pandemics.
In a PEOPLE exclusive clip fromThe Neglected Pandemic, HIV-positiveHamiltonstar Javier Muñoz reflects on coming out with his status. “For the first six, seven months, I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror,” he says. “I couldn’t be kind to myself in those first few months. The wait of stigma is quite real.”
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But with advancements that have reduced the risk of spreading HIV and have made the quality of life better for those with a diagnosis, Muñoz, 45, stresses that it’s no longer a death sentence. He notes the “mental and emotional impact” that comes with responses from those who pity him. “I understand that you meant that with love, but it’s absolutely misinformed. And that’s a burden,” Muñoz says.
Van Ness, whorevealed their statusin their 2019 memoirOver the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love, hopes the documentary and their platform will help close the generational divide, educating millennials and Gen Z on the pandemic.
Jonathan Van Ness.ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty
“I also know that we need more education from schools and the government on this issue,” they tell PEOPLE. “I hope my advocacy is helping to bring more awareness to the fact that our educational system and the government isn’t preparing folks for a lifetime of sexual health, which we really need to start educating people more robustly.”
source: people.com
