John’s was diagnosed with HIV in 1990 only a few years after coming out, amidst a near decade of social stigma surrounding the diagnosis. He remembers his early years engaging with the gay community to be confusing, with little knowledge on preventative safety practices. When discussing his coming out story, John states “It wasn’t a great time to come out cause it was the late 80s so it was the height of the AIDS epidemic. Things were bad ya know, gay people were getting fingers pointed at them for a lot of things.” John has now been living with HIV for over 30 years and has gone through a variety of treatment options. In our interview, he described the emotional side to his acceptance with his diagnosis and remembers spending hours in a park with a close friend working through the realities of his diagnoses. Today he has exceeded his doctors expectation by three decades and continues to receive successful treatment. In addition, he discussed the change in available treatment options and prevention options available for people today in comparison to the early years of his diagnosis. ” We’ve gone from taking a handful of pills three times a day to taking a shot once a month, ya know there is lots and lots of options.”  

Between the lack of available knowledge for safety protocol, the limited treatment options, and the backlash of misinformation and demonization of the queer community, the AIDS epidemic shaped a complex set of challenges for the LGBTQ community. Seattle had its first reported case in 1982 and had lost 3,500 lives by the year 2000. Seattle was, however, at the forefront of recognizing and addressing the epidemic. As early as 1983, Seattle’s city council had commissioned funds to go to HIV/AIDS research. Continuing throughout the 1980s, Seattle had a variety of grassroots organizing working to create more resources for the HIV/AIDS community. These included the North West AIDS Foundation in the mid 1980s, People of Color Against AIDS Network in 1987, Seattle’s chapter of the nation-wide organization ACTUP in 1989, and the Bailey-Boushay hospice house in 1992. 

Although Seattle had several treatment facilities available for the AIDS and HIV community, John himself struggled to find proper treatment while in Seattle. In our interview, he addresses that he had a private practitioner which he received treatment through but struggled to find relevant assistance within the community. John credits the Eugene HIV alliance for helping him receive thorough care and for the efforts to give available care to the HIV and AIDS community through out Lane County.