Billy Porter Reveals He Has Been HIV-Positive for 14 Years

In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, multi-talented, award-winning actor, artist, and fashionista Billy Porter revealed that he has been living with HIV since 2007.

Porter is known for playing the charismatic and outspoken Pray Tell on the award-winning FX drama Pose, and it was revealed early in the first season that he was HIV-positive. Over the course of its three-season run, Pray Tell’s story arc morphed from being in denial of his diagnosis to grief and anger to acceptance. In the fourth episode of the third season, “Take Me to Church,” he goes back to his childhood home to confront his demons.

That episode aired three days ago. Porter showed how much art has imitated his own life.

My truth. In my time. Thank you @THR. https://t.co/QWLe8jfdrc

— Billy Porter (@theebillyporter) May 19, 2021

In the interview, he said:

“I was the generation that was supposed to know better, and it happened anyway. It was 2007, the worst year of my life. I was on the precipice of obscurity for about a decade or so, but 2007 was the worst of it. By February, I had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. By March, I signed bankruptcy papers. And by June, I was diagnosed HIV-positive. The shame of that time compounded with the shame that I had already [accumulated] in my life silenced me, and I have lived with that shame in silence for 14 years. HIV-positive, where I come from, growing up in the Pentecostal Church with a very religious family, is God’s punishment.”

Living through what Porter considers a plague, he often questioned why he was spared and is still living.

“I’m living so that I can tell my story,” he said. “There’s a whole generation that was here, and I stand on their shoulders. I can be who I am in this space, at this time, because of the legacy that they left for me. So it’s time to put my big boy pants on and talk.”

Porter also divulged in the interview that nobody involved with Pose knew of his HIV status.

“Then came Pose. An opportunity to work through the shame of HIV and where I have gotten to in this moment. And the brilliance of Pray Tell and this opportunity was that I was able to say everything that I wanted to say through a surrogate.”

Millions of people and celebrities have responded to Porter’s revelation in support.

+Life Media, an organization dedicated to eliminating HIV stigma, released a statement from its co-founder, Karl Schmid:

“Billy Porter’s decision to share his story about living with HIV is immeasurably important. His bravery advances the conversation, moving one step closer to eliminating the stigma related to the disease and informing about the facts such as undetectable equals untransmittable. Most impactfully, Billy is deeply inspirational in showing how once can live a full and rewarding life after a positive diagnosis.”

Congratulations to Emmy and @glaad-Award winning actor, @PoseOnFX star, singer and former Plus Life guest, @theebillyporter for having the courage to disclose your positive #HIV status and speak his truth, breaking his silence 14 years after his diagnosis in an interview w/ @THR pic.twitter.com/ZxgfDEsHlm

— Plus Life (@pluslifemedia) May 19, 2021

Click here to read the full interview.

Photos Courtesy of Social Media