Charlotte, North Carolina

HIV Negative

My wife and I met online on a gay dating website. She was male then, before her transition. We met after texting for three years and dated for two years. I proposed in July 2017, and we have been happily married ever since. My wife is still in the stages of transitioning and has been HIV positive since 2010. I’m HIV negative and on PrEP. We live a happy and healthy life. We reside in North Carolina with our five fur babies and a cat. I work in prevention services and linkage to care, and my wife is a dog salon manager. Together we work to conquer the world.

What three adjectives best describe you?

Healthy, happy, humorous.

What is your greatest achievement?

Building dreams with my wife, such as our dog breeding program and dog kennel.

What is your greatest regret?

I don’t really have any, other than I regret all the money I wasted as a teen.

What keeps you up at night?

My wife.

If you could change one thing about living with HIV, what would it be?

I wish my wife didn’t have to take meds every day.

What is the best advice you ever received?

Stay healthy and continue getting tested.

What person in the HIV/AIDS community do you most admire?

My wife.

What drives you to do what you do?

My wife and my friends who are living with HIV. I love them so much, and I’m in this battle with them.

What is your motto?

Undetectable = Untransmittable.

If you had to evacuate your house immediately, what is the one thing you would grab on the way out?

Phone.

If you could be any animal, what would you be? And why?

A cat because they are smart.