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Calling Brighton’s Lounge Lizards

If you’re a gay man who’s been diagnosed HIV as positive more than a year ago, see if any of the following chimes with you. You’re more or less OK with your diagnosis, but you still have occasional bad days – don’t we all? You might not know anyone else with HIV in your social circle, someone to have a chat and a laugh with, maybe share a pint. Perhaps most basic of all, you’d just like the opportunity to be around other positive men now and again to share the highs and lows of simply getting on with life?

The Lounge is best described as a safe, confidential place, where gay men who’ve known themselves to be HIV positive for a year, or longer, meet in the evening for conversation, sometimes with a guest speaker to talk about topics relevant to people in our situation, and usually followed by (optional) drinks in a nearby gay pub.

The Lounges is not designed or run as a group therapy session. It’s not a place where you’re expected to share your angst or bear your soul (unless you want to!). Although the Lounge is a THT initiative, it’s very much an informal group run by and for its members.

“I enjoy the feeling of being in a supportive environment with people who really understand what I’m talking about when it comes to HIV. I also like the fact that if someone doesn’t understand something then we are all relaxed enough to say so”, says one member.

The Lounge runs as a ‘closed’ group rather than a drop-in, which means that the group running at the moment is not open to more members. However, a new Lounge group is set up every 6 months – if you live in Brighton & Hove and would like more details with a view to joining, please contact Mark Cull at THT Brighton on 01273 764223 or email him at mark.cull@tht.org.uk