A candidate for Central Florida's 10th Congressional District, Bob Poe, revealed that he is HIV-positive. Poe, 61 and a former state Democratic Party chair, made the announcement in an interview with Watermark Magazine of Orlando and also posted a video to his Facebook page.
Poe says that he was diagnosed with HIV 18 years ago, but until now had only shared that with a few family members. He says he's making it public now because of a recent encounter with a woman who is also HIV-positive.
"Let's call her Linda," he says. "Linda told me that she had been recently diagnosed with HIV and she thought she had a death sentence. I told her that she didn't and I even shared with her where she could go to get the resources that she needed." Poe acknowledged that he has to come to terms with his own fear and stigma with regard to HIV.
According to the Watermark Magazine interview, if he's successful in the election to the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 10th District, Poe "would be the first openly HIV-positive person elected to Congress." It was a brave act to tell the whole world about his HIV status. Good luck with the election sir and I believe that you can bring highly needed changes regarding stigma- in Orlando and elsewhere!
Source: http://www.npr.org/2016/06/11/481713142/florida-congressional-candidate-bob-poe-says-hes-hiv-positive
"Let's call her Linda," he says. "Linda told me that she had been recently diagnosed with HIV and she thought she had a death sentence. I told her that she didn't and I even shared with her where she could go to get the resources that she needed." Poe acknowledged that he has to come to terms with his own fear and stigma with regard to HIV.
According to the Watermark Magazine interview, if he's successful in the election to the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 10th District, Poe "would be the first openly HIV-positive person elected to Congress." It was a brave act to tell the whole world about his HIV status. Good luck with the election sir and I believe that you can bring highly needed changes regarding stigma- in Orlando and elsewhere!
Source: http://www.npr.org/2016/06/11/481713142/florida-congressional-candidate-bob-poe-says-hes-hiv-positive
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