In Berlin, watching RuPaul’s Drag Race feels like home. I only follow the U.S. original reality show, now in its 16th season, and the U.K. spinoff. I was not a big Drag Race watcher in America, but now it helps me feel connected to my gay friends across the pond.
But recently, when the show’s contestant Q came out as HIV-positive, it struck me hard. Q is 26 and tested positive at 24. I was 21.
“It’s crazy how much people with HIV have to deal with,” Q told fellow contestant Plane Jane. “I’ve been treated differently by health care providers. I think it’s so important to have queer people in health care. You really feel that difference.”
Amen, you do. I remembered the day in
