Culture

Jonathan Van Ness effortlessly shuts down Majorie Taylor Greene after HIV comments

By Jordan Robledo

17th October 2021

Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness has shut down conservative congresswoman Majorie Taylor Greene after her ignorant HIV comments.

While the world slowly creates a “new normal” amidst the ongoing pandemic, many businesses and organisations have introduced a vaccine mandate for employees.

One of those organisations is the NBA, which requires its players to get vaccinated or they’ll be suspended from participating in the season.

Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving is one of the few basketball players banned from playing after he refused to take the vaccine for “religious reasons.”

Shortly after Irving’s suspension was announced, Greene took to Twitter to spew uneducated comments surrounding basketball legend Magic Johnson and HIV.

“The fascist NBA won’t let Kyrie Irving play for refusing a vaccine. But yet they still let Magic Johnson play with HIV,” Greene tweeted.

Van Ness was quick to shut down the ill-informed congresswoman in a series of follow up tweets.

“What a dumb ass. HIV is sexually transmitted not a respiratory virus not to mention HIV+ folks who take ART are undetectable and untransmittable,” he said.

“Dumb, dumb, dumb, f**ks at it again. Learn about HIV yall. Enough with this fear-mongering.”

Van Ness has been a longtime advocate for HIV education and has even opened up about his own diagnosis in 2019.

Another fact that Greene failed to realize was that Magic Johnson retired from the NBA shortly after his diagnosis.

After consulting multiple doctors, Johnson returned to the court to play at the NBA All Star Game and Summer Olympics in 1992.

The legendary player also played as a Laker for the 1995-1996 season after further consultation with his doctors.

Unfortunately, many Americans like Greene are incredibly misinformed when it comes to HIV/AIDS.

Back in August, GLAAD has released its second annual State of HIV Stigma Study, which is a national survey of US adults that measures the attitudes towards HIV/AIDS and those living with HIV.

In the study, they reported that only 48% of adults in America feel that they are knowledgeable about HIV.

Almost all of those surveyed (87%) felt that there is still a stigma around HIV, with less than half (42%) knowing that people living with the virus cannot transmit it while on proper treatment.

Perhaps most shockingly, around half (53%) of non-LGBTQ+ respondents said they would be uncomfortable interacting with a medical professional who has HIV.

GLAAD, which is the world’s largest LGBTQ+ media advocacy organisation, conducted the State of HIV Stigma Study between 14 January to 29 January 2021 through an online survey of 2,517 US adults aged 18 and over.