What Does Conchita Wurst ‘Coming Out’ as HIV+ Mean in 2018?

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Coming out can be one of the more stressful things in our lives to do.  Hey mom, dad, I'm one of the alphabet soup people… TQGQLIBA.   But some of us have to come out for a second time, but we are regulated to just three letters, HIV.

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Last week, Conchita Wurst felt she needed to come out for a second time before someone else went public about her HIV status.  I wanted to share the Austrian drag queen's story and why she felt she was forced to reveal her HIV status.  She shared it was all because an ex-boyfriend threatened to tell all.

 

 

heute ist der tag gekommen, mich für den rest meines lebens von einem damoklesschwert zu befreien: ich bin seit vielen jahren hiv-positiv. das ist für die öffentlichkeit eigentlich irrelevant, aber ein ex-freund droht mir, mit dieser privaten information an die öffentlichkeit zu gehen, und ich gebe auch in zukunft niemandem das recht, mir angst zu machen und mein leben derart zu beeinflussen. seit ich die diagnose erhalten habe, bin ich in medizinischer behandlung, und seit vielen jahren unterbrechungsfrei unter der nachweisgrenze, damit also nicht in der lage, den virus weiter zu geben. ich wollte aus mehreren gründen bisher nicht damit an die öffentlichkeit gehen, nur zwei davon will ich hier nennen: der wichtigste war mir meine familie, die seit dem ersten tag bescheid weiss und mich bedingungslos unterstützt hat. ihnen hätte ich die aufmerksamkeit für den hiv-status ihres sohnes, enkels und bruders gerne erspart. genauso wissen meine freunde seit geraumer zeit bescheid und gehen in einer unbefangenheit damit um, die ich jeder und jedem betroffenen wünschen würde. zweitens ist es eine information, die meiner meinung nach hauptsächlich für diejenigen menschen von relevanz ist, mit denen sexueller kontakt infrage kommt. coming out ist besser als von dritten geoutet zu werden. ich hoffe, mut zu machen und einen weiteren schritt zu setzen gegen die stigmatisierung von menschen, die sich durch ihr eigenes verhalten oder aber unverschuldet mit hiv infiziert haben. an meine fans: die information über meinen hiv-status mag neu für euch sein – mein status ist es nicht! es geht mir gesundheitlich gut, und ich bin stärker, motivierter und befreiter denn je. danke für eure unterstützung!

A post shared by conchita (@conchitawurst) on

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The Google translation of her post in German reads:

Today is the day to free me from the sword of Damocles for the rest of my life:
 
I have been hiv-positive for many years. this is actually irrelevant to the public, but an ex-boyfriend threatens me to go public with this private information, and I will not give anyone the right to frighten me and influence my life in the future.
Since I received the diagnosis, I am in medical treatment, and for many years without interruption under the detection limit, so that so not able to pass on the virus.
I did not want to go public with it for several reasons so far, I just want to mention two of them here: the most important one was my family, which has known and supported me unconditionally since day one. I would have gladly spared you the attention of the hiv status of your son, grandson and brother. Likewise, my friends have been aware of this for quite some time and are dealing with it in an unbiased way that I would wish to everyone and everyone concerned.
Secondly, it is an information that I believe is mainly relevant to those people with whom sexual contact is an option.

coming out is better than being outed by third. I hope to build up courage and take another step against the stigmatization of people who have become infected by hiv, either through their own behavior or through no fault of their own.

to my fans: the information about my hiv status may be new to you – my status is not! I'm well and well, and I'm stronger, more motivated and liberated than ever. Thank you for your support!

The 2014 Eurovision is not a newbie when it comes to being in the spotlight but she also seems like someone that is in control of her destiny.  She stated I “will not give anyone the right to frighten me or affect my life.” 

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We all need to claim power over our own lives and not give it away to anyone or let anyone try to steer us down the wrong path.

Wurst further explained that she hoped her decision to go public helped “lessen the stigmatization of people who have become infected with HIV.”

One of my good friends just recently wanted to talk about coming out as gay to his family and then his coming out as HIV+.  He said that the second time he came out to his family was so much more emotional, worse, difficult.  Being gay, well, he knew he was not wrong with that, but being HIV+, he felt that he let his family down, that he did something wrong, that he was ashamed. It was a powerful conversation, but it was more so just me listening and thinking how hard it must have been compared to the "I'm GAY" speech.  He knows now that he does not have or hold onto any personal shame about being HIV+, but back when he came out, actually for both times, the world was quite different.

And it is people, well-known individuals like Conchita that with her actions, she is removing yet another layer of that stigma some people feel regarding AIDS/HIV.

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No matter which three letters G-A-Y or H-I-V, we should not drop our heads.  No matter what LBTQQIAA label or category or none of the above, we need to retain our own power.

Thank you Conchita for being a powerful human being and showing us that we are in charge of our lives, we have the power over our own lives, and we have the power over HIV.

Have you had to come out twice?  Once for your sexuality and once involving your status?

Which one was more difficult?

We do have straight readers as well.  Have you as a straight person had to come out because of your HIV status?  What was that experience like?

h/t:  dnamagazine.com

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