Positive Life NSW

Photo: CASPIX

Gary

Gary Taylor says the time has come for a rethink on how we talk about HIV. He was diagnosed with HIV in 2007 and is pretty sure that in the early stages of the diagnosis he was 'engineered' out of his job because of it. A mixture of fear and ignorance was the driver.

Rather than letting the experience force him underground and reluctant to talk about his status, Gary decided that the best option was openness. He tells anyone who asks.

His experience shows that more than 20 years after HIV/AIDS became part of the landscape in Australia, people with HIV still suffer discrimination in varying forms. He is determined to help put an end to it and has many ideas about how to tackle the problem. As a start, he would like to see the campaigns about HIV refocused away from the grim reaper image, which despite being more than two decades old, still dominates the minds of most people in the community.

He says he is prepared to do his bit and become one of the faces of a new campaign. He explains that it is not just about changing the perspective of the public, but also to help those people who are HIV positive.

He recalls that the day he found out he was HIV positive he cried himself to sleep. “All I could think of was the grim reaper advertisement. I thought I would be dead in six months time. But the new reality is that with the recent HIV drug treatments available you will survive."

"It is still in the back of my mind, but I will probably die of old age before I die of HIV."

"I think the new campaign should emphasise how serious [HIV] is, but it should also highlight the fact that people who are HIV positive are not going to die. I think we need more awareness that it is not just a 'gay disease', straight people can get HIV too. We need to get people thinking about practising safe sex."

"I will happily take part in this. I will go and tell gay and straight people about being HIV positive and how my diagnosis was an earth-shattering event."

"If people want to stigmatise me as a gay boy with HIV, that's fine. It takes the pressure off other people who can't deal with it. They can come to me and say 'this is what I am thinking can you go and say it?'. I can voice their concerns."

Gary says he understands that some people are not as prepared to be so open. Often it is concerns about losing their jobs or revealing too much to unsympathetic relatives.

"My partner who is HIV positive asks me how I can do it I just say 'if there is one voice for the community I am happy to be that voice'."

Gary is a gregarious young man who has bounced back strongly after the initial dark days following his diagnosis. He was supported by friends, family and a friend's dog. "It belonged to a flat mate. A pet can't tell you you're an idiot. They just look at you and give you a lot of love and attention when you're home alone."

Gary says he decided pretty early on that he wasn't going to let it beat him. "I am up front with being positive and I think it has made me a more confident person."

"I feel I can either let it affect me or not hold me back. I have never looked back. I did something stupid, but I am not going to let it be a hindrance for me. It has made me a lot stronger, made me look at my life."

All this is even more remarkable when you hear about his experiences of telling his employer he was HIV positive. After talking with his union he decided it was time for a change. His new job has been pretty much smooth sailing. He has told his manager about his status and despite a few hiccups with one colleague, which has been ironed out, he feels things are going well. He is the union delegate and this has given him confidence to speak out against discrimination in the workplace.

Outside of work he and a group of people in the gay and lesbian community have begun an internet-based television channel called www.unseentv.tv

It focuses on everything from parties to health and fitness to politics. The venture has grown and they are now working on a pilot for Foxtel for an hour show each week. If it comes off it will be just another way for Gary to spread the message about being HIV positive.