Sean Strub

When HIV/AIDS activist and Poz Magazine founder Sean Strub set out to write his new memoir Body Counts, there was a very specific time period in the fight against the disease that he wanted to focus on: the early days.

“It is history that hasn’t been well-documented. Many people think that AIDS activism began with ACT UP, but that wasn’t until 1987,” explains Strub. “There was an amazing movement from 1981 to 1987 from which we can learn a lot.”

The new memoir covers Strub’s personal experience in the early fight against HIV/AIDS as well as the process of founding Poz. It also argues for a different approach to fighting the virus today.

“[We need] greater emphasis on the human rights-oriented approach to the epidemic as opposed to just the biomedical prevention and treatment strategies. There’s no pill that reduces stigma.”

Winter Vacation Spot: Miami, Palm Springs, Key West, Fort Lauderdale
Key West, but not Duval Street.

Best Picture Oscar Pick: 12 Years A Slave, American Hustle, Gravity, Philomena
Philomena, because it is moving, sentimental and true.

Short Answer:

What do you think is the biggest misconception about HIV/AIDS today?
That getting HIV is no big deal and one can just pop a pill to deal with it, as well as thinking it is the worst thing in the world that can happen to a person. Both are wrong; the reality is that acquiring HIV is life-changing, expensive, stigmatizing and can lead to serious health problems, but it isn’t a death sentence and it doesn’t mean one can’t pursue and achieve their dreams and goals in life.

How do you think the younger generation’s views on this disease are wrong?
I can’t generalize that younger generation’s views on HIV are wrong except to the extent that people think they can tell who “has it” or that they have a stereotype about the circumstances and individuals likely to result in HIV transmission. Most new cases are transmitted by people who don’t know they have HIV, which is something everyone—not just young people—tend to forget. The consequences of HIV infection today are very different than they were years ago; acquiring HIV is a life-changing event, to be sure, but it isn’t a death sentence and fear-based prevention messaging is counter-productive.

What about the early days of HIV/AIDS will people be surprised to learn about in this book?
Mistakes made by the gay and lesbian community leadership early in the epidemic, as well as the depth of prejudice and intolerance within the gay community. I find young people are shocked by my depiction of how closeted most gay people were in the early ‘80s. It is relatively recent history, but a profoundly different social dynamic at plan then versus today

What else do you think is needed to take away some of the lingering stigma against those living with HIV/AIDS?
There are practical measures to reduce stigma, like ending HIV criminalization, but ultimately the stigma will only be significantly reduced if we facilitate the empowerment of people with HIV and enable them to be engaged in meaningful ways in HIV-related policy development and implementation. We need to move HIV service delivery away from the benefactor/victim service delivery model back to the peer-to-peer model the LGBT community pioneered in the mid ‘80s.

What’s the best reaction you’ve had to the book so far?
My Dad, who wasn’t as shocked by all the sex in it as I thought he would be.

What’s your go-to drink?
Coconut water, sometimes with a splash of vodka. And the solstice margarita at the Hotel Fauchere in Milford, PA (but I’m biased, because I’m a co-owner of the hotel)

What’s your favorite neighborhood in New York?
I especially like the hidden micro-neighborhoods, like Milligan Place, where I once lived, but overall I’m still a West Village boy.

What are current trend you wish would die?
The argument that one must be “for” or “against” condoms or “for” or “against” barebacking. It isn’t that simple and addressing complex prevention issues and risk analysis in simplistic terms isn’t helpful.

What’s in your fridge?
A gorgeous glass bottle shaped like a maple leaf, filled with maple syrup, a cool ceramic jar of Moutarde de Meaux, and Beppino Ocecelli butter in a beautifully-designed wax paper wrap with a metal rivet. I’m a sucker for cool packaging. Norvir is in the fridge, too.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?
When someone doesn’t want to listen, nothing will stop them.

What’s your favorite clothing item you own?
I’ve got a frayed and worn blue chambray work shirt that has been patched and sewn and repaired so many times it looks more like a relic than a piece of clothing. But it gives me a sense of comfort and is the shirt I wear when I’m writing.

What’s the most played song on your iPod?
“Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk” by Rufus Wainwright. I can’t say why, I just like it and can listen to it again and again. And I don’t smoke.

Read any good books lately?
In Bed With Gore Vidal by Tim Teeman, Redefining Realness by Janet Mock and Fire Island Modernist by Horace Gifford.