To say that Pose is an unlikely hit is an understatement. It’s a goddamn miracle, and while we’re at it, Pose is also a gift to LGBTQ history, to the visibility of marginalized people, and to HIV awareness in the here and now. It challenged me, then, when the most recent episode, “Blow” (7/30/2019), left [...]
Pose on FX is nothing less than astounding to me. So much could have gone wrong, with the era, the themes, the characters, and – the aspect of the show closest to my heart and my critical eye -- the disease that looms over it all. Trans writers and advocates are better qualified to remark, [...]
(UPDATE: On April 27, 2019, Ella Johnson's video proceeded to Nationals. She ranked first in the "Senior Individual Documentary" division.) When Ella Johnson made a video documentary about Greg Louganis for her National History Day project, she knew most of her fellow students would be shocked. Ella is a high school freshman in Whitehall, a [...]
The GLAAD Media Award nominations are out, and for the fourth consecutive year My Fabulous Disease has been honored with a nomination in the category of Outstanding Blog. While the GLAAD Awards have risen in stature over the years (now comprised of two star-studded ceremonies in New York City and Los Angeles honoring journalism, television, [...]
Dr. David Fawcett and Mark S. King at HIV Endgame in Toronto. Dr. David Fawcett and I have an oddly symbiotic relationship. David has specialized in drug and sex addiction for many years, and I was a drug addict for many years. We’ve become close friends and have managed to use both of [...]
"Sing Your Song" follows the awakening of a young man living with HIV in Mississippi. Stop what you’re doing. An exhilarating new short film produced especially for people living with HIV (PLHIV) is about to grab your heart and make you stand up and cheer. To commemorate World AIDS Day 2018, the Sero [...]
A moment of reverence, please. In 1975, I went to the movies and discovered everything I needed to know about men, sexual allure, chest hair and the masculine ideal that would fuel my fantasies for the rest of my natural life. The film was Lifeguard and the star was Sam Elliott. You unfortunate folks under 40 may only [...]
Andrew Rannells, Matt Bomer, Zachary Quinto and Jim Parsons star in Broadway's "The Boys in the Band." (Ramona Rosales) Most of playwright Mart Crowley’s bitchy zingers hit their target in the first-ever Broadway production of his 1968 play, The Boys in the Band, that much should be noted. The starry cast, composed of [...]
Edgar Ramirez as Gianni Versace in The Assassination of Gianni Versace (Jeff Daly/FX) In a new interview, Brad Simpson, a producer of the FX series American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, has expressed regret for recent comments that appeared to dismiss modern HIV stigma. Charles Sanchez interviewed Simpson for a piece [...]
The cast of the original stage production and film version of The Boys in the Band. When I was 15 years old in the mid-1970s, I couldn't wait to attend a local community theater production of The Boys in the Band. I was intrigued by the play's dark and mysterious reputation, and had [...]
