Javier's Story
I am the creator of the first gay comic in Mexico. For many years, it was a space where I discussed topics related to the community, such as discrimination based on race, appearance, and mannerisms, which are all quite prevalent in the LGBT community here. Seeing issues like this addressed, many followers wrote and asked me to include discussion about HIV. I was hesitant at first.
As my publication became more popular, I was invited to appear at many expos and events. In one such gathering, I met a fan who came up to congratulate me. He mentioned that he was HIV positive and asked me to shed light on his struggles through my comics. He had a very positive outlook on life and was quite inspirational; I really enjoyed talking to him.
Later that evening, I came back to my hotel room and logged onto Grindr — and I saw that he was on there, too. My first thought was, “Oh! Why is he here? He's positive!” even though he clearly mentioned his HIV status on his profile. I recognized that even I, a very well-educated, progressive and an open-minded person, was being judgmental. I was adding to the stigma of HIV instead of working to undo it. I was acting out of fear and ignorance surrounding the topic. I saw, finally, how these assumptions about HIV make the life of an HIV positive person much worse, and that spreading information so people know the facts is the only way to keep it from happening.
So, I decided to conduct research on HIV and AIDS. I interviewed people who were living with these diseases, and, based on their testimonials, I created a new comic series where the character speaks openly about many related topics, such as the differences between HIV and AIDS, stigma, diagnosis, medications, PreP, and more. This pilot project was launched to address not only the struggles of gay and bi men with AIDS, but also the experiences of positive women and straight men. It became quite popular in a short time because the comic approached the topic on a human level rather than using a scientific or clinical perspective.
Artist Notes
“This illustration shows an embrace, which symbolizes acceptance and love for everyone. Generally, divinity is shown with violet and indigo, which is why the human figure shown in indigo represents Javier, who embodies this quality by accepting everyone. The act of acceptance can ignite new hope in the heart, which is symbolically shown here with blooming yellow flowers. The background has loops, which represent the struggles of living with HIV, and white flowers that represent hope.”
Published Jan 1, 2020
Updated Aug 4, 2023
Published in Issue IV: Activism