British Gay Lawmaker Inspired by Mandela to Go Public With HIV Status

AP ^ | 1/30/05 | The Associated Press

[Jean S]

LONDON (AP) - Britain's first openly gay lawmaker revealed Sunday that he has been HIV positive for 17 years, saying he was inspired by Nelson Mandela to tell the public he had the virus that causes AIDS.

Chris Smith, 53, the governing Labour party's former culture secretary, said he was responding to the former South African president's call earlier this month for more publicity about AIDS to fight the stigma attached to the disease.

"What Nelson Mandela said very much struck a chord with me," Smith was quoted as saying in the Sunday Times newspaper. "He spoke about how nobody should be ashamed of HIV and said that it should be regarded just like any other illness. He was brave and right."

Mandela, the anti-apartheid icon who was his nation's first black president, appealed for more openness after disclosing that his eldest son, Makgatho, had died of AIDS-related complications earlier this month.

Smith, who was first elected to the British parliament in 1983, went public with his homosexuality the next year. He was diagnosed with HIV in 1987, the newspaper reported.

Smith told the Sunday Times that Prime Minister Tony Blair had not known about his condition.

"I didn't feel the need to tell people, except for a very, very few, as it was not in any way affecting my work," Smith said.

He said he had been put on medication soon after his diagnosis and was maintaining his health.

Smith said he had been worried about how the announcement would affect his parents and others, but he did not regret hid decision to go public with his HIV status.

"Over recent weeks and months I have thought perhaps this is something that needs to be spoken about," he told British television station GMTV.

"If I can help to demystify this, if I can help to challenge a little bit of prejudice, if I can help to give a little bit of greater confidence to other people who are affected in the same way, well, let's say something."

Smith could not be reached for further comment.

His decision to go public with his condition drew praise from gay rights activists.

"The more people who are out about being HIV-positive, the sooner we will help break down ignorance and stigma," said Peter Tatchell of the gay rights group OutRage!

AP-ES-01-30-05 1703EST

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Yeah, because being black and having a communicable disease are exactly the same thing. /sarcasm

[Cornpone]

I can't stand it anymore. I have to come out of the closet and confess to the world. I suffer from HIV. I Hate Islamic Violence.

[tjwmason]

Yeah, because being black and having a communicable disease are exactly the same thing. /sarcasm

What on earth do you mean?

Race has absolutely nothing to do with this article.

[Calusa]

Yeah, because being black and having a communicable disease are exactly the same thing. /sarcasm

I'm amazed how clueless Libs are on this issue. From what I've come to understand many blacks don't appreciate their struggle for civil rights and equality to be associated to the gay community's Dark Gift to humanity. Maybe this guy would get more traction if he admitted responsibility for decisions and behaviors that led to him contracting a preventable communicable disease. He wasn't born to have unprotected anal sex or use dirty needles.

[spetznaz]

Yeah, because being black and having a communicable disease are exactly the same thing. /sarcasm

Erm, he happens to be white!

[newzjunkey]

There should be a certain stigma attached to HIV+ status. It's a death sentence even twenty-plus years after its discovery. Stigmas can help contain and change behaviors which spread the virus. It doesn't mean you need to go murder gays or HIV+ persons but that HIV should *NOT* be seen as blase as missing an arm or leg or breast or testicle or having asthma.

[CGTRWK]

Agreed. HIV is unlike almost every other serious disease out there in that it is essentially voluntary.

At least in Western countries, saying you have HIV is essentially saying "I engaged in promiscuous unprotected anal sex with men and/or shared needles with other addicts while using recreational IV drugs." There are a very few instances of the unlucky catching it through no fault of their own, but the exception does not disprove the rule.

The homosexual activist types who wear their HIV+ status like a badge of honor are only showing how utterly twisted their sense of honor really is.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

I was actually referring to the tendency of liberals to equate AIDS with a civil rights issue.

[Winniesboy]

Since a lot of Freepers won't know anything about Chris Smith, thought I ought to say that he was an excellent Culture Secretary - probably the best we've had, provided you accept the need for such a post - and is also a very nice guy (pretty rare for a senior politician). And to top it all, he's a Munro-bagger.