Introducing our first Amazing HIV-positive man of 2016: Miguel Caballero, whose Spanish-language blog, Imagina Más, helped bridge the information gap about HIV and AIDS. Miguel, and today's superstar — Rob Williams — is the first of our 75 Amazing HIV-Positive People of 2016. They join a list of people who inspire us to no end.
For the last few years, Plus magazine has been honoring some amazing people who just happen to be HIV-positive. We began first with gay and bi men in 2013, and then last year added women—a mélange of cisgender and transgender women of all orientations who collectively are making the world a better place. Along the way, we’ve heard from thousands of readers and advocates offering up names of their colleagues, idols, and friends and we’ve noticed that everyone knows someone amazing. So this year, we’re rolling out a list of 75 Amazing HIV-Positive People of 2016.
Among are list are men and women who are straight, gay, bi, transgender, parents, children, asexual, sex workers, corporate hot shots and politicians and boho artists and millennial YouTubers. It’s to honor and celebrate the, well, amazingness that’s all around us, and to make sure the rest of the world sees us for who we are, not merely as the stereotypes they’ve heard about people living with HIV.
We’ll be rolling out the list one day at a time, every business day, for 75 days, and though some folks get nominated again and again (hey Sean Strub, Maria Mejia, Douglas Brooks, and Tami Haught, I'm talking to you!), we've decided we won't duplicate anybody for at least three years. That's enough time to let us celebrate some of the hundreds, actually thousands, of other amazing folks we could be recognizing!
We hope this list, as with all of our amazing people of the past, helps just a tiny bit to break down the stigma about being HIV-positive, helps elevate and empower those who aren’t yet able to come out, and reminds all of us that you can live a long, healthy, happy, and amazing life even with HIV.
And, if you’re curious, we’ve some of the previous winners below (with links to their profiles).
The 10 Amazing HIV-Positive Gay Men of 2013
Greg Louganis
Jack Mackenroth
Bill T. Jones (who is featured in our upcoming May/June issue!)
Peter Staley
Rudy Galindo
Greg Harris
Freddy Ceja
Andrew Sullivan
Thomas Duane
David Stern
The 20 Amazing HIV-Positive Women of 2015
The 20 Amazing HIV-Positive Men of 2014
