World Aids Day is celebrated on 1 December annually and it calls for extending antiretroviral therapy to everyone battling HIV, and end the Aids epidemic within a generation. The day also allows us to express solidarity for those living with Aids and commemorate those who lost the battle to this fatal disease.
Unlike the older generations, people with Aids or who are HIV positive can live a relatively healthy life without being a pariah. In fact, there are many people who shine in their respective fieldsdespite living with the virus. Here are a few of them:
Charlie Sheen: After a media ruckus in November 2015 about a "womanizing" celebrity who has been putting many of his partners in danger, Charlie Sheen revealed in an interview with Matt Lauer that he is "in fact HIV-positive". The "Two and a Half Men" star was reportedly diagnosed with the virus four years ago.
Chuck Panozzo: The Styx bass player who came out as gay and HIV positive in 2001 has been living with the disease for at least 14 years. He is also involved in campaigning for AIDS awareness, and his journey has been penned in his 2007 autobiography "The Grand Illusion: Love, Lies, and My Life With Styx".
Jack Mackenroth: The gorgeous model Jack Mackenroth who appeared on season 4 of "Project Runway" as its first HIV-positive member, is very vehement in his attempts to combat the stigma of the disease. His professional and personal achievements are also hugely inspiring to everyone trying to live a happy life with HIV.
Greg Louganis: The Olympic diver who won gold medals in 1984 and 1988 is openly gay and was tested positive with HIV in 1988. However, it was in a 1995 interview with Oprah Winfrey that Louganis spoke openly about living with HIV for the first time. He also works closely with the Human Rights Campaign to defend the civil rights of the LGBT people and people that are diagnosed with HIV.
Magic Johnson: The basketball legend who played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 13 years,was diagnosed tested positive for HIV in 1991, following which he retired. At the time his wife Cookie was pregnant with a baby, but both of them tested negative for the disease. However, since then, he has dedicated his life to battling Aids.
To donate for the Aids research visit the amfAR website.
