Thomas Neuwirth, better known as the bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst, who won the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest, announced on Instagram that he is is living with HIV and that he is coming out about his status because “an ex-boyfriend threatened to go public with this private information, and I will not give anyone the right to frighten me and affect my life in the future.”
Conchita posted the above Instagram message over the weekend. It’s written in German (she represented Austria in the Eurovision contest), but Google Translate offers this English version:
Today is the day to free me from the sword of Damocles for the rest of my life: I have been HIV positive for many years. This is actually irrelevant to the public, but an ex-boyfriend threatened to go public with this private information, and I will not give anyone the right to frighten me and affect my life in the future. Since I received the diagnosis, I am in medical treatment, and have been under the detection limit for many years without interruption, so that I am not able to pass on the virus. I did not want to go public with it for a couple of reasons so far, I just want to mention two of them here: The most important one was my family, who have known and supported me unconditionally since day one. I would have gladly spared you the attention of the HIV status of your son, grandson and brother. Likewise, my friends have been aware of this for quite some time and are dealing with it in an unbiased way that I would wish to everyone and everyone concerned. Secondly, it is information that I believe is mainly relevant to those people with whom sexual contact is an option.
Coming out is better than being outed. I hope to build up courage and take another step against the stigmatization of people who have become infected by HIV, either through their own behavior or through no fault of their own. To my fans: the information about my HIV status may be new to you—my status is not! I’m well, and I’m stronger, more motivated and liberated than ever. Thank you for your support!
Neuwirth prefers male pronouns when referring to himself and female pronouns when referring to his alter ego, Conchita Wurst, according to The New York Times, which corresponded with the entertainer’s spokesperson via email.
Conchita shot to global fame after winning the Eurovision contest with her song “Rise Like a Phoenix” (watch her performance above). She has been a spokesperson for LGBT issues and has performed across the globe.
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