WE BAND OF HIV BROTHERS
start to take over your life. But I do share my worries with Neil in the same way he shares his
worries with me. And if he's talking crap I tell him he's talking crap."
"At some point I had to take ownership of this myself," says
Neil: "That was the turning point for me. It's not always been a
one-way street and there have been lots of good times as well. Stress
builds up gradually and we just had to deal with one problem at a time
and not let it get on top of us.
"But I hate the stigma and discrimination around HIV. People don't
necessarily have to say something horrible. It's just the way they look
at you in a snide way. They say something behind your back. I still get
guys who fancy me in a pub and come up and the minute you tell them you're
positive they run a mile. I wish they'd think how that makes you feel
because it makes you feel like scum. The viewpoint on HIV from the majority
of people is appalling."
Neil explains why he's got involved in the new National Aids Trust campaign
asking people 'Are you HIV prejudiced?'
"I was on Sky TV for World Aids Day, because I want to come out as
HIV positive and don't want to hide any more and be ashamed. My biggest
fear was people knowing, but the reason I have that fear is because there's
so much stigma and prejudice.
"I've got an eight-year-old daughter but I think if I didn't get
involved in the anti-stigma
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campaign because of her then I'm teaching her to discriminate. It's like coming out as a gay person all over again. The stigma campaign has given
