EP 204 | Undetectable

Damon, Jordan & Tony are curious about the ongoing stigma regarding HIV.

This episode discusses our lived experiences as Black Queer men with and without HIV. How can we collectively work to remove the stigma and educate people about HIV in 2020?

We discuss our individual HIV statuses, the shift in our perception of HIV over the years, the intersection of art and activism, the science behind being undetectable, the role of negative individuals in removing stigmatization, and any advice for individuals newly diagnosed.  

The episode, easily one of our most personal, also welcomes Dimitri Moïse into the Surface Level family. His vast list of accolades include being a Broadway performer, magazine editor, and a national HIV activist. Dimitri has used the combination of his own positive diagnosis with his public platform to shed light on the reality of HIV in 2020 and help inspire people all over the world. He shares a beautiful moment with the hosts in witnessing one of the guys speak publicly for the first time about being positive. In true Surface Level fashion we still laugh and have a lot of fun, but with this episode in particular we hope to inspire our listeners to lead with compassion, listen to science, and shed beliefs not based in reality, as we do our part in chipping away at this decades old stigma.