This side of my life has been the scariest side to tell.
And I understand the judgment that comes with it.
I’m a public figure who has worked in the sex industry, so I already know what some people are going to think when they hear HIV, sex work, and unprotected sex in the same story. For some, the conclusion will be immediate: careless. Reckless. Irresponsible.
And truthfully, if I had never stood in these shoes, never lived this life, and was only looking at it from the outside, I might have some of those same thoughts.
So I’m not asking anybody to abandon their judgment just because this is my story. I understand where some of it comes from.
Did I lack judgment during some of those encounters? Yes. Did I always exercise the level of accountability that I should have? No. I can admit that without running from it, minimizing it, or dressing it up to make myself more comfortable.
But accountability also means being truthful about the entire story, not allowing the most uncomfortable part of it to create a narrative that isn't true.
I have had many sexual encounters and personal relationships with people who were HIV-negative then and remain HIV-negative today. So while I understand the criticism surrounding some of my decisions, let's not turn my honesty into a narrative that I was out here passing HIV to people. That has never been my story. Ever.
I can take accountability for my choices without accepting responsibility for anyone else’s reality.
There is a human being behind every decision you're judging. Being a sex worker never meant I didn't care about myself or the people I encountered sexually. Living with HIV doesn't automatically make someone a danger to others. Human beings are complicated. Fear is complicated. Sex is complicated. Disclosure is complicated. And sometimes our decisions don't reflect what we know to be right.
None of that erases accountability.
I know some of y'all are going to tear me to shreds after hearing this part of my story. And I receive it. I understand the questions. I understand the disappointment. I even understand the anger.
But there are so many people like me walking around this world right now, people carrying secrets they're terrified to say out loud because they believe the moment they tell the truth, the world will strip them of their humanity.
And perhaps if the world were a little more willing to understand before it condemned, just maybe more people would feel safe enough to tell the truth.
Maybe more people would disclose. Maybe more people would get tested. Maybe more people would have the difficult conversations. Maybe fewer people would believe silence is their only protection.
Understanding doesn't mean excusing someone's actions. Grace doesn't erase accountability. But accountability shouldn't require someone to accept every accusation or assumption placed upon them either.
I refuse to believe the worst decision someone has made should become the entire definition of who they are.
If I was going to call this chapter REBIRTH, then I couldn't only show you the parts of me that were easy to celebrate. I had to introduce you to the man whose decisions I had to confront, forgive, learn from, and ultimately become better than.
This isn't me asking you not to judge me.
It's me finally being strong enough to tell the truth knowing that you might and hoping that somewhere, someone who sees themselves in my story realizes that accountability, honesty, growth and humanity can all exist in the same person.
I hope this message serves you all well ✍🏾🤍