Actor Paul Clayton wears Heart badge to help end HIV stigma

Actor Paul Clayton. Photo credit: Yellowbelly Photos

My name is Paul Clayton, and I’ve been fortunate to appear in shows like Peep Show, Doctor Who, and The Full Monty. Last year, I made a guest appearance in EastEnders as a gay drag queen living with HIV.

Since 1982, Terrence Higgins Trust has supported me and my friends, some of whom I lost in the 80s and 90s. When the first friend of mine died in 1987 from an AIDS-related illness, staff and volunteers from Terrence Higgins Trust helped us to organise the funeral and were a torchbearer in showing us a way forward.

Terrence Higgins Trust is the UK’s leading HIV charity and does amazing work supporting people living with HIV, fighting stigma, and working to end new cases of HIV.

As a firm supporter of Terrence Higgins Trust, I am asking for your help today. We want more people to wear the Heart badge to show solidarity with people living with HIV today, to help fight against HIV stigma, to remember Terry and each and every person lost to AIDS-related illnesses.

That’s why for every donation received by Terrence Higgins Trust as part of this campaign, you’ll receive a Heart badge to wear with pride.

Donate today to receive your Heart badge

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Now, it’s more important than ever to fight to end HIV stigma.

My experience of stigma has been a stark reminder that stigma is deeply ingrained in society.

In the 80s and 90s, stigma against anyone linked to HIV, including gay men, was dreadful. My ex-husband and I were told to take an HIV test before getting a mortgage, just because we were gay. At the time, HIV was wrongly seen as "the gay disease." This discrimination was widespread across society, making us feel like second-class citizens. But even today, stigma remains a major barrier to HIV testing.

Through my acting roles, I’ve portrayed characters living with the same fear and shame that many gay men faced then, when HIV was seen as a death sentence with no effective treatment.

Many of you will have similar experiences of HIV stigma affecting your lives.

Terrence Higgins Trust has done so much for the LGBT+ community and people living with HIV. It’s been such a lifeline and has been, for so long, the place that people turn to.

Thanks to effective treatment, people living with HIV can thrive, but not everyone does. We must support those living with HIV, as we do with other long-term conditions, and Terrence Higgins Trust have been doing this since day one.

Today, their online space, My Community, is for people living with HIV to connect with their peers and to share experiences – regardless of where they live. There, newly diagnosed members can get support from those who have been living with HIV for years. Members can share advice on how to live well with HIV, and a sense of community is created.

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As a member of My Community, I can ask for advice, help and just get a virtual hug, which is one of the best things. I have a wonderful network of people who have supported me through the roughest parts of my life and celebrated with me through some of the amazing parts too.