Matthew Hodson
@Matthew_Hodson
Followers
51K
Following
174K
Media
30K
Statuses
93K
Currently only posting selfies / writing about HIV and LGBTQ+ rights on other platforms. Come find me on š¦ or š§µ. Links in my last post here. šš
London, Europe
Joined September 2010
A š§µ on #AIDS in the 80s/90s:.I was 15 when I first had sex with a man. Iād snuck off to Londonās Heaven nightclub with the express intent of ridding myself of my āgay virginityā, a goal I achieved easily with a visiting American photographer. 1/13.#LGBTplusHM #UnderTheScope
437
6K
35K
When I was diagnosed with HIV, aged 30, I was told I could expect to live for another 20 years. Today I turn 57. HIV treatment works. Tell everyone.
725
6K
95K
I was diagnosed with #HIV 23 years ago. At the time I doubted I would live to 50. Today is my 54th birthday. HIV has changed. Tell everyone.
664
6K
59K
When I was diagnosed with #HIV 24 years ago I doubted I would live to 50. Today I turn 55. The drugs that keep me alive also mean I canāt pass HIV on. HIV changed. Tell everyone.
557
3K
39K
Keith Haring died of AIDS aged 31 on 16 Feb 1990. His last piece of art, Unfinished Painting, was deliberately incomplete, reflecting the devastating, unquantifiable loss to the arts due to AIDS.
154
6K
39K
āOrlando had become a womanā¦ Their change of sex, though it altered their future, did nothing whatever to alter their identityā¦ but in future we must, for conventionās sake, say āherā for āhisā and āsheā for āheā.ā. Virginia Woolf having no problems with pronouns in 1928.
186
3K
38K
Today is the anniversary of my HIV diagnosis. I was 30 and had lost many friends to AIDS. The doctor told me that with treatment I could expect to live another twenty years. That was 26 years ago. HIV changed. Tell everyone.
287
2K
33K
26 years ago, two years after the introduction of effective HIV treatment, the Bay Area Reporter, San Franciscoās lesbian and gay community newspaper, ran āNo Obitsā as its headline. It was the first edition not to report an AIDS death in almost 15 years.
61
4K
26K
I was diagnosed with #HIV 22 years ago. At the time I doubted I would live to 50. Today is my 53rd birthday. HIV has changed. Tell everyone.
377
3K
20K
I have been called a fag and a bender and a poof but Iāve never had someone shout out, āOi, cis!ā at me. #CisIsNotASlur
494
2K
19K
I knew Justin Fashanu, the first professional footballer to come out as gay (we had a brief thing). He was hounded by the press and the crowds and took his life at 37. Seeing Harry Kane wearing a rainbow armband - it matters. š.#Pride matters. #Euros2021
116
2K
20K
I was diagnosed with #HIV when I was 30. At the time, I did not expect to live to 50. Iām 54 now. HIV has changed. Tell everyone. #WorldAIDSDay
78
2K
17K
Sinead OāConnor played Gay Pride in 1988, alongside Erasure, just a month after Section 28 had been passed. Pride back then was much more of a protest, lesbians and gays were treated as 2nd class citizens. Performing at Pride was a sign of allyship, when there were few to be had.
56
2K
16K
Prince Harry donated $1.5m from the proceeds of Spare to @Sentebale, the charity he founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to support young people affected by #HIV. He carries on his motherās work.
462
2K
15K
Iāve been living with diagnosed #HIV since I was 31. Without effective treatment I probably wouldnāt have made it into my 40s. Today I turn 52. HIV has changed. Tell everyone.
300
3K
13K
20 years ago, 2 years after the arrival of combination therapy that effectively treated #HIV, the Bay Area Reporter, San Franciscoās LGBT newspaper ran āNo Obitsā as its headline. It was the first edition not to report an AIDS death in almost 15 years.
35
3K
12K
Justin Fashanu was Britain's first openly gay footballer. He was hounded for it and took his life at 37. I knew him (we had a brief thing). I recall how hurt he was by his brother Johnās inability to accept his sexuality. Sad to see he hasnāt changed.
557
1K
11K
If weāre going to play this game, can we add the word āstraightā to every headline which reports a crime committed by a heterosexual?
154
4K
10K
30 years ago the Daily Mail described the potential extermination of homosexuality as a āhopeā.
187
2K
10K
Those people freaking out (again) about Anne Boleyn being portrayed by a Black woman were pretty quiet every time Jesus was portrayed as white.
392
1K
9K
When I was diagnosed with #HIV 25 years ago I doubted I would live to 50. Today I turn 56. The drugs that keep me alive also mean I canāt pass HIV on to sexual partners. HIV changed. Tell everyone.
244
831
9K
If PrEP had been available in the 1990s I would not be living with HIV now. Itās more effective HIV prevention than condoms. PrEP users should be praised not shamed.
96
954
8K
Just 30 years ago the Daily Mail was discussing the extermination of homosexuality as a āhopeā. #LGBTplusHM
175
2K
8K
Just as we fought for greater acceptance of LGBT people, we now must fight to end HIV stigma if we are to end this epidemic. I can think of no better way of honouring those who died. š.#LGBTplusHM #UnderTheScope .š§µ Ends.
80
288
8K
Patti LuPone breaks silence on Nicole Scherzinger.
14
617
8K
Section 28 didnāt come out of nowhere. It came from a society where 75% thought homosexuality was wrong. From a society that feared the sight of a man in drag would corrupt. From a society that believed ignorance was better for children than any knowledge of gay lives. š§µ 1/16
94
2K
8K
Never forget that Madonna served the greatest moment in pop history.
178
883
7K
An HIV diagnosis is no longer a death sentence. We need to share the good news that treatment will prevent AIDS. We must challenge fear by ensuring that everyone knows effective treatment means we canāt pass HIV on to our sexual partners (#UequalsU). 12/13
22
445
7K
If you are lesbian, gay or bisexual and think that distancing yourself from trans people will protect our LGB rights youāve not been paying attention to whoās leading the attacks. š.
186
867
6K
It was AIDS that killed those men, but it was homophobia that allowed it to happen ā and that led to so many men dying alone. Homophobia killed us then. Worldwide, it remains the cause of thousands of deaths, through violence and neglect, even today. 11/13
12
441
6K
Justin Fashanu would have turned 61 today. Justin was Britain's first and still the only high profile openly gay male footballer. He was beautiful and talented. I knew him (we had a brief thing). He was hounded by the press and the crowds and took his life at 37. #LGBTHM22
63
1K
6K
How anyone can get upset or flustered by seeing two men dancing together is beyond me. Why wouldnāt you want this joy in your life?.#Strictly .
360
326
5K
Postscript.In 1996 effective treatment was introduced that prevented HIV from progressing to AIDS. I was diagnosed with HIV in 1998. I was 30. At the time I did not expect to live to 50. I will be 57 this year. #MakeStigmaHistory
71
158
5K
I think of David who took his own life rather than face lingering death, and I think of Derek, who loved beauty but lost his sight. I think of Ian, always the smartest but kindest man in the room, and of Paul with his huge blue eyes and even bigger heart. 9/13
12
105
5K
And then my friends started dying. Death and grief were bound up in my experience of being young and gay. And it didnāt even feel odd ā a community dealing with fear and loss was the only one I knew. 7/13
11
127
5K
All those people freaking out about Anne Boleyn being played by a Black woman were remarkably quiet every time Jesus was played by a white man.
120
636
5K
There were trans women at Stonewall. There were trans women at the first Pride rally in London. There were trans women marching with me on Section 28 protests in the 1980s. Our communitiesā histories are intertwined. We are stronger united. Celebrate all #LGBTQ+. #LGBTplusHM
106
852
4K
āHIV does not make people dangerous to know, so you can shake their hands and give them a hug. Heaven knows they need it.ā.- Princess Diana .Before effective HIV treatment, in a climate of fear and ignorance, Princess Diana with a small gesture made a huge difference.
36
585
4K
I still picture those I lost: wise, twinkly Mick, a member of the Gay Liberation Front and the first person I knew with HIV; Roy, who denied his illness beyond the time when all of his friends knew; handsome James ā and his legendary parties. 8/13
3
90
4K
There were trans women at Stonewall. There were trans women at the first Pride rally in London. I marched with trans women on Section 28 protests in the 1980s. Our communities, our activism and our Pride histories are intertwined. #Pride š³ļøāšš³ļøāā§ļø
161
694
4K
Madonna included safer sex information with every copy of the Like A Prayer album. Thereās a reason why gays of a certain age (my age) will always love her, she had our backs when few did.
34
580
4K
Like his mother before him, Prince Harry has used the spotlight of his fame to tackle the stigma that is still associated with HIV. When Harry publicly took an HIV test, demand for tests increased by 400%. Happy birthday Harry.
54
651
4K
Later that week, I watched with rising panic the Horizon documentary, Killer in the Village. It warned of a new disease that was killing gay Americans. A few cases had just been identified in the UK too. At that time, the disease did not have a name. We now know it as AIDS. 2/13
10
90
4K
Hannah Waddingham as gays before and after they come out.
18
513
4K
When I was diagnosed with #HIV aged 30 I wasnāt sure I would reach my 50s. Iām going to be 56 this year. HIV changed. Tell everyone.
57
335
4K
Fear, hatred and intolerance of homosexuality, attitudes which were then widely shared across all regions and social classes, combined with a virus to kill people like me and people like my friends. 10/13
12
144
4K
31 years ago the Daily Mail described the prospect of eliminating homosexuality as a āhopeā.
110
705
4K
My love life at the time was complicated and messy, often fuelled by alcohol and poor judgement. I considered myself to be safe ā I almost always used condoms but there were slips and breakages and mornings where I woke up with only hazy memories of the night before. 6/13
8
70
4K
At the same time Section 28, inserted into the Local Government Act in an attempt to ban āthe promotion of homosexualityā, started making its way through Parliament. 4/13
11
100
4K
The āgay plagueā, as the tabloids dubbed it, was all the justification needed for politicians, journalists and religious leaders to condemn our sick and short lives. AIDS provided a powerful new weapon for those who wished to attack us. #LGBTplusHM .5/13
3
117
4K
When George Michael was arrested and outed for cottaging his āapology videoā featured mirrorballs and urinals. I will always love him for that.
76
250
3K
The governmentās āDonāt Die of Ignoranceā HIV advertising campaign, featuring icebergs, a tombstone and a doom-laden voiceover, came out a couple of years later when I was in my first year at university. 3/13
4
86
4K
Yesterday the Daily Mail gave their front page to the view that children canāt be trans. Today it feigns compassion over the murder of a young trans girl. š
82
714
3K
Never forget what a bold, courageous act it was for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and trans people to march proudly and defiantly through the streets of a mainly hostile, homophobic London 50 years ago. We owe these veterans everything. #PrideInLondon .
20
326
3K
Congratulations to Quinn who has just made history by being the first openly trans person to win #Gold at the #Olympics! .Go #TeamLGBTQI+.
8
451
3K
#WhitePrivilege doesnāt mean youāve never faced hardship or challenges. It just means that the hardship or challenges you faced were not related to your skin colour. @JohnAmaechi says it better than I ever could.
164
1K
3K
Olivia Coleman is trending - and thatās not even how she spells her name!.Good enough excuse though to reshare this classic moment in which Olivia Colman absolutely destroys Jack Whitehall.
10
209
3K
My father discovered I was gay when he found me in bed with a āfriendā who was staying over during the holidays. At that time 75% of people thought homosexuality was wrong. I was too young to have sex legally (I was 19). He closed the door. We didnāt speak about it. #FathersDay
18
95
3K
The first #PrideInLondon was held in 1972, led by members of the Gay Liberation Front. The GLF even then had a 40 strong āTransvestite, Transexual, Drag Queenā group of activists, fighting for recognition and respect. Gay Pride has always included trans people. #LGBWithTheT
170
592
3K
If you have the choice between sitting with. Emma Thompson.Emma Watson.Daniel Radcliffe .Pedro Pascal.Dolly Parton.Miley Cyrus.Graham Norton.Regina King .Julianne Moore.Selena Gomez.Halle Berry.Gloria Steinem.Margaret Atwood. or sitting elsewhere, you sit with them, right?.
700
133
3K
A much needed timeline cleanser: .The Golden Girls and friends singing Sondheimās Old Friends at the 1986 Emmys.
30
497
3K
1986: Tory calls to examine āgay ideologyā in schools amid fears it is āharming childrenā. 2021: Tory calls to examine ātrans ideologyā in schools amid fears it is āharming childrenā.
16
613
3K
As Wes Streeting commits to making the ban on puberty blockers for trans kids permanent, it's telling that of the 64 LGBT+ MPs now in the House of Commons, not one of them is trans. Laws that primarily impact trans people are being made without trans participation.
296
519
3K
When I came out gay in the 1980s the Government were introducing Section 28, a law that declared our relationships as just āpretend familiesā. Love that this is now āfamilyā weekend viewing. #Strictly .
51
162
3K
Iām 53. When I was diagnosed with HIV, 22 years ago, I didnāt think Iād live to see 50. Effective HIV treatment means we now have about the same life expectancy as people without HIV. HIV has changed, tell everyone.
18
906
3K
Me (gay man who was arrested for gay rights activism / former CEO of Gay Men Fighting AIDS / notoriously fond of sex with men): ļæ½ļæ½ļæ½Support #LGBTQ rights!ā. Random š¤”s in my replies: āWhy are you erasing gay men?!ā
97
176
3K
Wishing a happy birthday to Diane Abbott. She was the first Black woman to become an MP and is now the longest serving Black MP. She receives more online hate than any other MP, which she bears with remarkable grace. She deserves far better.
291
378
3K
Re. Queer. 1. If youāre NOT likely to be called it you donāt get to decide whether or not itās offensive. 2. If you ARE likely to be called it (or have been) you can choose whether to embrace or reject it, but you donāt get to choose for all others who may also get called it.
314
424
3K
1991: Princess Diana said you could hug someone with HIV without risk. This needed to be said. Now: You can have sex, without condoms, with someone who has HIV and is on treatment, without risk. This needs to be understood. #UequalsU.HIV has changed. Tell everyone.
38
579
3K
For the last 3 months Layton and Nikita have beamed queer joy into households across the UK. Itās gay representation I couldnāt have imagined when I was young. They deserve to win because of their dancing. Theyāre winners already!.#Strictly #StrictlyFinal.
84
193
3K
Diane Abbott is trending again. She was the first Black woman to become an elected MP. At almost 35 years, she is the longest serving Black member of Parliament. She receives more online hate than any other MP, which she bears with remarkable grace. She deserves far better.
81
467
3K
It looks like a couple of male tennis players, Fabien Reboul and Max Broville, may have just come out as gay (maybe bi?) via a post on Fabianās Insta. In other newsā¦ š„š„š„
29
149
2K
I wish this had been on Saturday night TV when I was a kid. I think every gay man over a certain age does. Same sex dancing is like same sex marriage: once itās here, it seems so natural and right itās hard to imagine why it ever never was. #Strictly.
63
233
2K
UK school librarians told to remove LGBTQ books, including titles like Heartstopper. This is Section 28 by the back door. You canāt teach children to be gay but you can teach them that itās ok if they are.
121
761
2K
āItās not a gay story itās a love story, you arsehole.ā.ā¤ļø Nick Offerman.#TheLastOfUs
22
333
2K
When we were dying of AIDS, James Anderton described gay men as 'swirling around in a cesspit of their own making.'.He was emblematic of the policing that led many gay men to view the Police as hostile, so crimes against us went unreported. It's hard to forgive.
57
436
2K
While youāre here. White privilege doesnāt mean that youāve never faced hardship or challenges. It just means that the hardship or challenges you faced were not related to your skin colour. @JohnAmaechi says it better than I ever could.
74
847
2K
āTrans people are not scary. We are just normal people with hopes and dreams like anyone else.ā.Congratulations to newly elected Plymouth councillor @Dylan4Compton. š.
50
242
2K
Me at 30 (the year I was diagnosed with #HIV). I didnāt think then that Iād live to be 50. I was wrong. HIV has changed. Tell everyone. PS I donāt care what you say, I think this haircut was awesome.
60
344
2K
Madonnaās Like A Prayer album was released in 1989, 35 years ago today. The patchouli scented LP carried safer sex info. At a time when homophobia was rife, spurred by fear of AIDS, this was an act of remarkable allyship. š
25
469
2K
If we canāt be happy for two gay men joyfully celebrating their wedding in whatever way they choose then really, whatās the point? .
119
232
2K
1991: Princess Diana said you could hug someone with HIV without risk. This needed to be said. Now: You can have sex, without condoms, with someone who has HIV and is on treatment, without risk. This needs to be understood. #UequalsU.HIV has changed. Tell everyone.
9
503
2K
Thanks for all the birthday wishes. When I was diagnosed w/ #HIV, almost 20 years ago, my hope was to live to 50. Job done. Treatment works.
88
259
2K
RIP Janey Godley. She was fierce and staunch and funny. She will be missed.
57
218
2K
When Princess Diana shook the hand of a man with #AIDS she helped to challenge the fear and ignorance that surrounds HIV. She also showed allyship with gay men, at a time when the UK Government was so hostile it had just introduced new homophobic legislation.
27
345
2K
It appears that Graham Norton has been hounded off Twitter following a very famous person accusing him of supporting ārape and death threats to those who dare disagreeā with trans rights. This is all that he said. š.
95
365
2K
Madonna included safer sex information with her 1989 album, Like A Prayer. AIDS hit hard the gay / arts circle of friends that Madonna made when she first moved to New York. In 1989 there was no effective treatment for HIV (and no PrEP). She stood with us.
22
374
2K
Section 28 did not stop children from growing up to be lesbian or gay or bisexual but it did prevent many from realising that it was ok if they were.
41
347
2K
