At a recent World AIDS Day event, we heard of several interpretations of the meaning of the theme: It starts with me, and I’d like to spend a few moments here with you today reflecting about the theme.
Firstly, it always starts with me! Since my diagnosis I have been the educator, the peer, the activist, the fighter, and the person who continually represents and reinforces the paradigms of experience that makes up community health sector work and the support that we provide. So in that respect, I believe in change, education, and information – that impetus always starts with me.
Yes, it always has to start with me. Sharing lived experience is unique like that. It comes down to me. As someone with lived experience and privilege – especially privilege of education, of employment, of language, of health, and social position, I have the agency to stand up and challenge the faces of stigma and discrimination that all people living with HIV face. For those of us in similar positions, we must find the courage and temerity to raise our voices, especially for those who for fear of retribution cannot stand up for themselves.
Then, as the Senior Health Promotion and Peer Navigation Manager at Positive Life NSW, we boldly walked in this year’s Mardi Gras Parade under the banner – It starts with us. Those of us who can raise our voices, must continue to encourage, sustain and support each other and our allies who have been with us since the very beginning. I believe this is a sacred responsibility, and means our brothers and sisters who have gone before us, and our allies are alongside us, supporting us, and ensuring that the systems that we access are safe, supportive, and kind.
Many of us in the broader world still live in communities that do not understand HIV, have not modernised the language of HIV, have not adopted the life-changing paradigms of U=U or Treatment as Prevention, and views us with pity.
Recently I was at a function where I had cause to mention my HIV status to someone who immediately responded with “Ohhh dear – I’m so sorry to hear that! – are you going to die?” Whilst I recognise that this person meant well, I abhor this way of thinking!
I am a fully realised human, alive, thriving and living by all accounts, my best life. I’m able to do that, because our elders, some of whom are here today, and many who have long passed, took the words of this theme – It starts with me, did not accept the status-quo, and delivered with it a powerful response that has lasted and will continue to last decades. It’s on their sacrifices that I can say these things today. We must continue to rise above and beyond again and again for our community in the face of continuing and debilitating stigma and discrimination that impacts our HIV diagnosis.
I would like to acknowledge their sacrifice, putting their bodies, histories, experiences, hearts, minds and souls on the line time and time again for science. They were bold enough and brave enough, courageous enough and wise enough, to see that we could build a brighter future for all people living with HIV.
– Andrew Heslop
Published in Talkabout #212 March 2025
