Main image via The Canadian Press
Not too long ago, the very mention of HIV and AIDS was enough to send people into a panic. Even today, although advances in medicine have rendered HIV treatable with a combination of medicines, the stigma around HIV still exists.
Casey House, a Toronto-based hospital for HIV and AIDS sufferers, aimed to break this stigma with June’s HIV+ Eatery, a pop-up restaurant run by HIV-positive chefs.
Image via The Canadian Press
The restaurant’s aim was to dispel the belief held among many Canadians that food prepared by a person with HIV was unsafe. It quickly sold out its two-night run, giving organisers hope for future events.
Image via The Canadian Press
HIV-positive artist and activist Mikiki said the representation of HIV in popular culture has not yet caught up with medical developments, and that the experience of serving and preparing food allows HIV-positive people to show the world what living with the virus is really like.
“It allows us to be seen as, honestly, just humans.”
Image via The Canadian Press
Article via The Star