Yesterday, Mykki Blanco, known for being out and proud as a gay rapper from New York City, came out on Facebook as being HIV Positive.
The incredibly brave and courageous move is one that has been heralded across the world. Commenting and replying directly to user comments, Blanco also said, “no more living a lie. HAPPY PRIDE”, “the music industry ain’t gonna like i admitted this so if a curator could help me move more into the art world that would be awesome,” and “hiding, being afraid of stigma is exhausting, we are souls not image’s.”
This is an act of true courage, from someone who has shown nothing but, even when they are continually faced with adversity and controversy. The announcement came just as Pride weekend was kicking off in both Brooklyn and Los Angeles, and will hopefully make others suffering similar situations feel less alone.
Mykki is right, fuck stigma. It is time for those suffering not just HIV, but anything with such a stigma to stop living in fear because it is time for those who aren’t to open their minds and hearts. In this age, all it takes is a Facebook status to change someone’s life, or to even change the world. It’s about time we start realising this and doing it for the good. Blanco said it best with a tweet following the post:
Mykki Blanco is said to be dropping a new album titled Michael later this year. If you’re unfamiliar with her work, the track below is a perfect way to fix that: