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LGBTQIA+ identities in the bleeding had been through so much pain and THOMAS 9
disorders world deserves space and suffering that they were just glad I was SAVAGE
support to address the unique needs alive.” Thomas had a slightly different
one’s experience may bring. experience when coming out to their LATE SUMMER 2020
“Growing up with hemophilia helped mother. “She said, ‘I always imagined
me when I was coming out because it’s you would be the kid to get married and
one of those things that we have that have grandkids first. I know that can still
no one sees. If I didn’t tell someone I had happen. I just need to change the way it
a bleeding disorder, they didn’t know,” happens in my head.’”
Parents whose child is the first in their
“Growing up with family to be diagnosed with a bleeding
disorder are already familiar with the
hemophilia helped experience of adjusting their anticipations
me when I was for their children. Thomas stresses that
coming out because their mother’s emphasis on talking about
it’s one of those what they were going through,
things that we have both on the inside and
that no one sees. outside, was a big part of
If I didn’t tell coming to understand
someone I had a themself.
bleeding disorder, “Sadly, within the
they didn’t know. hemophilia world,
there are still a
— Thomas Savage number of people
who blame the
recalls Thomas Savage of Iowa. “I came gay community for
out to my HTC because I thought it was their [HIV] infections,”
important [information] for them to know Mark Ward, founder of
how to support me. They didn’t really Haemosexual, an online support
know what questions to ask but were and information resource for LGBTQIA+
great about it.” people with bleeding disorders, said in a
2018 interview.
Mental Health Both the LGBTQIA+ and the bleeding
disorders communities were decimated
A significant number of people living with by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Despite
chronic illness experience depression and significant improvements in detection
the Centers for Disease Control report and treatment, men who have sex with
higher rates of depression among people men are still routinely discriminated
who are not cisgender or heterosexual. against in health policy and the public
The Trevor Project, an organization that eye as potential transmitters of the
supports LGBTQIA+ people in times of virus. Some people want to distance
crisis, shares the heartbreaking statistic themselves from HIV because they
that those who come from families where believe it is caused by irresponsible sex
their identity is not accepted are more practices or illicit drug use, but with more
than eight times more likely to have than 10,000 hemophiliacs unknowingly
attempted suicide than those who come infected through their medications, this
from supportive families. One shouldn’t community, more than others, should
make the mistake of assuming that understand that moral or social failing is
mental health challenges are part and not the cause of HIV.
parcel of being LGBTQIA+. “I didn’t grow up with the hemophilia
“When I came out to my parents, it community. I grew up with the HIV+
was a non-issue,” says Guadalupe. “We community,” says Shellye. “My dad was
infected when I was in middle school.
