OT Podcast: Heard Tell On Prager Comments Comparing AIDS/HIV in 80s to Covid-19

The latest Heard Tell show from Ordinary Times’ Andrew Donaldson covers the HIV/AIDS comparisons to Covid-19, the Dennis Prager comments, & how to survive with hope with activist David Hubbell.

Guest David Hubbell is a long term survivor HIV survivor and a native Chicagoan were he has lived for most of my life. David tested positive for HIV in June 1985 at the age of 27, and was notified of the results via a letter from the Red Cross. Participant in first aids drug trial for AZT in 1987 and has been on several drug regimens over the years till the present day. David it on a couple advisory boards. The Howard Brown Aging Services Advisory Board is a long time LGBTQ health organization in Chicago. And CAHISC, The Chicago Area HIV Integrated Services Council (CAHISC) is an integrated planning council which provides guidance on the allocation of funding to providers to deliver HIV prevention, care and housing services to the Chicago Eligible Metropolitan Area (EMA).

So you might have Heard Tell that some recent comments by Dennis Prager stating that “During the AIDS crisis, can you imagine if gay men and intravenous drug users, who were the vast majority of the people with AIDS, had they been pariahs the way the non-vaccinated are? But it would have been inconceivable. And it should have been inconceivable; they should not have been made pariahs. But this is kosher, this is OK.” This created a strong reaction on social media and elsewhere. But instead of just reacting, we wanted to turn down the noise on this and talk to someone who lived through the AIDS/HIV crisis and can speak from personal experience and give their perspective on then and now. David Hubbell was first diagnosed with HIV in 1985, and he tells the story of finding out via letter, the early days of the crisis, drug trials, surviving the “unsurvivable”, and what does and does not compare. Talking about health crisis then and now with a focus not on statistics or cultural issues but on the people involved, on this episode of Heard Tell.