{"id":381,"date":"2026-10-09T13:42:01","date_gmt":"2026-10-09T13:42:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beyondpositive.org\/sluktest\/?page_id=381"},"modified":"2026-10-09T13:42:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T13:42:03","slug":"jonathan-blake-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.beyondpositive.org\/sluktest\/our-campaigns\/positive-people\/jonathan-blake-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Jonathan Blake"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jonathan Blake<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I was diagnosed in October 1982 with what was then called HTLV3 now known as HIV: it was deemed a terminal diagnosis back then with at that point nothing to aid but Palliative care when the time came. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My number at the London Middlesex Hospital was L1: London 1. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In December of 1982 I attempted suicide, but with my mother\u2019s voice in my head \u201cyou clear up your own mess don\u2019t leave it to others\u201d<\/em> ringing in my ears I couldn\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, if I couldn\u2019t kill myself I had better get on and live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s what I have attempted to do ever since. I have been fortunate to meet Nigel Young, and to become part of Lesbians & Gay Men Support the Miners In 1984-85 – so was too busy and involved to dwell on my diagnosis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My strategy has always been to keep busy & volunteer Done me proud but I have been very fortunate with how this virus has treated me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the film ‘Pride’ came out in 2015, and my HIV status was globally shared, Patrick Cash the playwright and author asked me if I would like to do an HIV conversation with him I jumped at the chance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eight weeks later he also asked if I\u2019d like to read a new set of Monologues he\u2019d written. I was once again I was performing, for the first time since 1981, as Barney in the ‘HIV Monologues’.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jonathan Blake I was diagnosed in October 1982 with what was then called HTLV3 now known as HIV: it was deemed a terminal diagnosis back then with at that point nothing to aid but Palliative care when the time came. My number at the London Middlesex Hospital was L1: London 1. In December of 1982 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":326,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-with-title","meta":{"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-381","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t