Titan Capri

I went to a neighborhood doctor in November of 2004, and they said it was something with my blood, so they gave me some iron pills and told me that I would be ok. In Feb-Mar, I started losing weight, and around April, I was soaking in my bed with night sweats and chills. I finally decided to go to the doctor and have my blood drawn. Because they could not figure out what was going on with me, I left with no medication or anything, but made an appointment for follow-up in about 2 weeks. I was told I had AIDS. My learning about my status was horrible due to the doctor coming in and telling me I had AIDS and walking right out of the room. I read the report, and I saw that I only had 4 T cells. I didn’t know what that meant or what to do. Things for me took a turn at that moment. When I went to the front desk, they said, “Go there and do this.” I really don’t know what they said. I tried to go back to a normal life. That didn’t work. So, I tried to go to a group session for those recently diagnosed. This group looked nothing like me and did not offer me a safe or brave space to begin the healing or treatment process. A couple of weeks later, I passed out at work. I rushed to the hospital because things were not looking good. I am thin and don’t know if I will live. I was on the AIDS floor and waiting for death. I started having seizures, and I prayed that the Lord would let me go because I was a disgrace to my family, church, and myself. My god said to me, “NO, you still have work to do. So, we are going to get you up out of this bed, get you well, and allow you to do the work that you were put on this earth to do.”

When I came to Dr. Gathe, he was standing at the foot of my bed and tapped me on the feet and said, “There you go, we got you.” I believe Dr. Gathe was an angel sent to me to give me knowledge, understanding, and some hard truths about where I was and what was next for me. I finally had representation, someone who looks like me and understands the dynamics of a person of color dealing with something this monumental. That became my diagnosis date, May 5th, 2005. It was the date that someone saw me first. It took me some years after that to make sure that I was good mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. That’s when I made the promise to be Titan and walk in my truth! Now I identify as a Black Gay Man Living with HIV and celebrating 20 years of Thriving in my diagnosis.

How do you want to work with SAC to help end the HIV epidemic in the South?

By being a representation of my LGBTQIA/HIV community and allies with knowledge, understanding, and truth. I would like to collaborate with SAC to make sure that we are part of the larger community. I believe there is so much stigma and trauma surrounding HIV and the LGBTQIA community that we are not truthful about where we are and what it will actually take to end the HIV epidemic in the South. I believe that knowledge, transparency, and realistic solutions are the key to our Power, Position, and Purpose!