Healing Conversations for Men Who Have Sex with Men Surviving the Virus and the Epidemic with Tez Anderson
Tez Anderson is an HIV Long-Term Survivor, Writer, Speaker, HIV Activist and Founder of the Let’s Kick ASS (Aids Survivor Syndrome) grassroots movement empowering HIV survivors. Tez joins the show today to discuss how he went from coming to terms with his own diagnosis and standing as a long-term survivor, to becoming an advocate and running groups to help connect and empower others. Tez talks about how Let’s Kick ASS came to be, where we have made strides in helping long-term survivors, and the issues we still face today. He shares the symptoms that long term survivors often face, and how he and his team help others cope with grief, anger, fear, and planning for the often unexpected future.
TAKEAWAYS:
[2:28] Tez was diagnosed in 1986 with HIV, and lived through a several year period here he thought HIV had gotten into his brain. He felt angry, confused and was severely depressed, without feeling as though there was much reason to live. He thought he had 18 - 24 months to live, and prepared for death.
[4:23] Tez was not prepared to live past his own expected 5 years either financially or emotionally and looked hard to find support and resources that would help him in the years to come. This experience served as a foundation for him to help others because he knows the isolation and doubt that comes with being a long-term survivor.
[7:43] Tez found that it was trauma causing his symptoms, not the actual disease. He began to meet with other long-term survivors and found they had similar experiences. They put on a town hall and the attendance was more than double what he expected.
[9:10] Once HIV became a chronic manageable illness rather than a death sentence, the urgency dropped down and advocates had to make sure people knew it was still an extremely important issue to focus on.
[11:46] The first town hall became a cultural touchpoint in San Francisco, and other organizations that dealt with HIV started to pay attention to long-time survivors.
[12:30] The combination of side effects from early medications, along with the actual virus, makes the comments of “It’s just one pill a day” feel hurtful and dismissive.
[15:54] There are still many people who don’t have access to support easily. They feel alone and through Let’s Kick ASS, Tez provides a way for people to chat about their experience without having to explain it or expose information they don’t feel comfortable sharing yet.
[19:19] Lack of future orientation can be one of the biggest symptoms of long-time survivors.
[21:53] Besides the in-person testimonials and people sharing their personal experiences, The Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study showed real scientific evidence of long-term survivor syndrome.
[24:27] Tez works with other long-term survivors on their guilt about surviving when their loved ones or close friends may not have. Survivor guilt is valid, but much like shame, is useless for how it helps or benefits us now.
[27:01] There is still a generation in need of attention, care, and support.
RESOURCES:
QUOTES:
● “I aged into my job.”
● “Death is death. It’s messy and complicated, and it can be beautiful and awful at the same time.”
● “I had prepared to die. I had not prepared to live.”
● “Once it became chronic and manageable and no big deal, the urgency ran out.”
● “It’s about empathy. It’s about generating and cultivating empathy.”
● “It’s not about surviving the virus, it’s about surviving the epidemic.”