Thanks to revolutionary advances in science and medicine, HIV is now a manageable chronic condition. People who are on effective treatment can achieve an undetectable viral load, meaning they cannot pass the virus on to sexual partners — a fact that deserves to be shouted from the rooftops.

Although HIV remains one of the world's most stigmatised health conditions, largely due to a lack of education and persistent misinformation, public attitudes have shifted significantly in recent decades. Today, celebrities who disclose their HIV status are far less likely to face the kind of ostracisation experienced by late LGBTQIA+ icons such as Rock Hudson, Liberace and Freddie Mercury.

Here, we celebrate the celebrities living with HIV who are using their platforms to challenge misconceptions, debunk harmful myths and help end HIV stigma once and for all.

Billy Porter

Billy Porter was diagnosed with HIV in June 2007, just a few months after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. In 2021, the Emmy Award-winning entertainer opened up about his status for the first time in a powerful essay for The Hollywood Reporter. With support from Pose creator Ryan Murphy, Porter said the “shame of that time”, compounded by the shame that had already accumulated throughout his life, silenced him from speaking out. The star has been in therapy since the age of 25, but recently started trauma therapy to confront the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of his stepfather – “from the time I was 7 to the time I was 12” – and coming out at 16 in the midst of the AIDS crisis.