DALLAS — In May of 2020 we handed over our platform to Black voices in our North Texas community through a series called “While I Have Your Attention.”
Those courageous souls spoke out against racial bias, race based violence, and systemic racism.
Now, as we mark another Pride Month that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, we are, once again, turning our platform over to our family, friends, and neighbors to amplify even more voices in the struggle for equality in America.
Here is the story of Jason Thompson:
The climate in Texas is tough. It takes those small conversations to make a change.
It takes me. It takes you.
Talk to your mom. Talk to your dad. Your aunt. Your coworker.
Now that I have your attention, I would ask you to get involved in some way and your community – whether that’s a conversation with your loved ones, whether that is volunteering, raising money, joining an organization. Most importantly, voting.
Just do something.
My name is Jason Thompson. Pronouns are he/him. I work in healthcare IT. And I’m a gay man.
I was diagnosed with HIV when I was 20 years old, and I shut down. I went into severe depression. I could barely get out of bed because I just assumed, well, you know, this is it. It’s definitely been a journey.
I remember having to take five pills a day. My medication cost more than my rent at one point in time. Today, I don’t even take a pill. I get injections every other month. The medical advances have made a huge difference.
There’s still a lot of stigma. I’m 41 now. So it’s been 21 years, and I’m still alive and I’m undetectable.
U equals U: Undetectable is untransmissible. In essence, you can’t transmit the virus because you have so little of the virus in your body. I feel like it’s a relatively new thing in the last couple of years that people are just starting to understand – like, the science behind it. So I understand why people are maybe still a little bid afraid and people should be conscious of their body and being safe and all of that stuff. I can’t fault anybody for that. I do wish a little bit more people understood what that meant.
I’m involved with Black Tie Dinner, the largest LGBT one night gala type of fundraiser in the nation. We’re really proud of that. We’ve distributed over $30 million to organizations. It feels really good to be able to give back and support the people who supported me.
I have benefited from some of these organizations that Black Tie supports – like the Resource Center. I absolutely wouldn’t be where I’m at without the Resource Center. I’ve used their services. When I first moved to Dallas, I used to get groceries out of the food bank that was behind Hunky’s. I used their case management to help me get my HIV medication.
To me, it’s simple. Just love unconditionally and educate yourself. I think once you start educating yourself, that’s when you realize it’s not as scary.
I want people to know to be involved. Share an Instagram story, volunteer, raise money, have a conversation.
Everybody doing something in some way – that’s going to help.
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