Billy Porter Reveals That He Has Been HIV+ For More Than a Decade

Say what?

not shocked

And?

Love Tamron Hall. She is a smart and thoughtful and it's a very poignant interview.

Oh come on...I'm surprised. Are you not surprised because of his age? His ethnicity?

Glad he's staying healthy.

I am glad he’s staying healthy too, R5. He looks wonderful.

Can we break into "The Black Bottom"?

He looks great and healthy. 👍

Good for him. His red carpet showboating has become irritating, but his decision to be open about his HIV status is commendable and encouraging for those who still feel ashamed of their status.

It’s more like a conversation between Tamron and Billy than an interview.

Good point R9. He did say that “the shame was debilitating”.

Nips like chocolate chips on him.

So - how did he get it? He was a fully-informed gay man and out for many years. He knew how not to contract HIV.

This isn't something to applaud. And this comment is insulting: "HIV-positive, where I come from, growing up in the Pentecostal church with a very religious family, is God’s punishment." And being gay is accepted? He wasn't living with his family or anywhere near a Pentecostal church.

"There has never been a moment that I’ve not been in trauma" - oh for crying out loud.

This man is a tedious drama queen cloaking his true colors in all this over the top positivity and acceptance shtick. It is grating. #TeamHater

You’re entitled to your opinion R13 however judgmental it may be.

I'm a HUGE festering cunt scab!

Black Men who have sex with men...have a 50% likelihood of contracting HIV during their lifetime, according to the CDC.

I’m not surprised and of course it’s because of his age and ethnicity.

[quote]So - how did he get it? He was a fully-informed gay man and out for many years. He knew how not to contract HIV.

Because he's a human being and sometimes humans make mistakes, trust the wrong people or just take a reckless chance.

For some reason I thought he already announced this before, but I guess I’m thinking of someone else.

Pose is ending. No one cares about his red carpet appearances . He needs attention.

R20 - exactly. Yeah, I was kind of cunty in my response at R13, but I'm tired of all this attention-seeking behavior and over the top public performances.

Next up - a declaration of his pronouns and his non-binary status and listen to him educate us all about it!

[quote]I’m not surprised and of course it’s because of his age and ethnicity.

So you're shocked that a gay person is HIV+ but not shocked because they are black?

Maybe a fan would want to read all that personal shit about him.. does he have any?

He probably continued getting barebacked after knowing his status. Typical selfish, evil power-bottom.

He's just like Christopher Columbus. He told the world something millions of people already knew about.

As sad as it is that he is living with HIV, I remember the 80s and how it was almost always a death sentence. Tragic. It’s amazing what they can do now, medically. With cancer too.

I have a set of Variety obituaries in hardcover volumes and it’s so depressing and stark to see how AIDS hit the entertainment community so hard back then.

He is so desperate for attention.

I would’ve been surprised if Billy came out as HIV negative.

[quote] So - how did he get it? He was a fully-informed gay man and out for many years. He knew how not to contract HIV.

R13, he admits that. It is rare for a man, and a gay man, to be so honest and forthright about the source of his shame. Give him credit for that. He is not asking for validation just some release from the burden of shame and dysfunction that we all live with.

Of course we have all the nellie, pursed lips prisspots who haven't had sex since Ladybird Johnson was first lady, hissing about how he might have contracted HIV.

Hiss! Hiss! HISSSSSSSSS!

He only did this because Emmy campaigning is about to start and this is his last shot for an award.

R30 - kind of rich you talking about old people when your other threads are about Mitzi Gaynor (Mitzi!) and Tab Hunter, you old fool.

Millions of gay men have been able to keep themselves HIV negative for decades by following the science. Contracting HIV is foolish and wholly preventable. If you're in favor of people wearing masks during COVID, then this is an even more extreme form of irresponsibility.

Like I said.....

At least he's not a clothes horse, like me.

R19 Maybe you're thinking about when Jonathan Van Ness announced it

People are NOT allowed to be human or make mistakes. NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

R18, well said.

I think it's a valid question to wonder why people who are educated and old enough to remember what happened (or even lived through it) are still seroconverting, but what needs to be remembered is that people are human and they don't always make the right choices. Sometimes addictions are involved, but many times not. I have struggled with trying to wrap my brain around how it happens so often, getting angry about it when I compare my education on the topic and the path I walked to avoid it. And it's taken me some time to lose the judgment, which is unfair. Try to look at the situation and not the person.

When is his 15 minutes up? Or his Past Due date.

Fourteen years ago means he was scoring dick at a time when I was taking care of the demented and couldn’t even bring anyone home because Dementia insisted on visiting with them for three hours. I’m jealous; fuck Billy Porter.

I am not a Billy Porter fan, but I am sorry to hear that he is HIV-positive. I hate to hear that anyone is HIV-positive. Perhaps he can use this time to discuss the need to educate and re-educate gay men (young and old) about the dangers of unprotected sex. (There is a lot of barebacking going on in various gay communities.) I do wonder how he thinks he became infected, whether it was through anal or oral intercourse?

There was no PrEP 15 years ago. Gay men enjoy unprotected sex. Gay men will never return to safe sex now that PrEP prevents transmission of HIV.

Porter is one of the unfortunate ones who came of age under the deadly spectre of AIDS and suffered the shame of getting HIV when the only way to avoid it was abstinence or 'safe' sex. He is thriving and doesn't deserve to be judged for being HIV-positive.

Judge him for his fashion choices.

He has a book coming out this fall and after watching his interview this morning, I look forward to reading it.

As someone said, PrEP really changed sex for us. I know there are some people on here who are perfect and never made mistakes, but I'm sure that I'm not the only gay man who got caught up in a moment and was scared as fuck afterwards. I am not perfect and I have been lucky. I know a couple of guys who weren't as lucky and have been living with HIV for years and they haven't missed a beat. Great guys, who just happen to be + and they are doing fine.

R44 - it's not called being 'perfect', it's called being responsible. Y'know, like not drunk driving. Like wearing a mask during a pandemic. Except that avoiding HIV is even easier than that.

Fuck off R45

R22

I was pointing out how the first replies in this thread were all indifferent. As if him being black and older make HIV a foregone conclusion...which is just stereotyping.

The moral of the story is to not fuck guys with zits on their ass.

Billy’s life is never just fine. Always some revelation and trauma.

R41 What bitch...Oral?

I'm the troll who appears in all POZ threads on DL to say

"He knew better but he got the AIDS anyway. Dumb slut now must take very expensive heavy toxic chemotherapy the rest of his life! At least he's rich enough to pay for it, cause it's usually my tax dollars. And it's not a surprise. I could tell. He's got POZ face and I can see the CRIX belly. We all knew how to avoid AIDS and he just couldn't resist. Don't cry to me honey, I'm clean and intend to stay so!"

-- 63 years old, have practiced frottage with a Saran Wrap layer, with a bewildered rent boy, 2x a year since 1984

I would find this braver if we weren’t about to enter Phase I of Emmy campaigning. Get that nom, Billy!

Hi Billy! Phone has been a bit quiet since you burnt off Ryan Murphy, has it?

"This man is a tedious drama queen cloaking his true colors in all this over the top positivity and acceptance shtick. It is grating. #TeamHater"

Like I said in another thread, narcissists really hate when other people get attention.

He or his publisher are classing hin as an icon?

[quote]So - how did he get it? He was a fully-informed gay man and out for many years. He knew how not to contract HIV.

How do you think he got it, R13? There are only some many likely routes of infection and you know them as well as the rest of us.

He got it the way that makes you feel so very superior, you stinking perfect and without fault cunt.

R50, yes, ho, oral. People can become infected with a sexually transmitted infection through oral sex. And don't look at me like I'm crazy.

Not a fan of the look, but he is seemingly afraid of no one.

I envy that in a person.

I just heard. Glad he’s alright.

I'm sorry that he is HIV positive.

I'm sorry about everything having to do with Billy Porter.

Sandra Bernhard was on Andy’s radio show on Wednesday, and when he brought up the news, Sandra was very taciturn. She seemed over him. Barely acknowledged his courage. I’m guessing he’s a thunder cunt on set just based on the vibe Sandy was giving.

He just looks mean.