Famous People With HIV

Greg Louganis was born to high-school students and was raised by his adoptive parents. Before becoming a renowned diver, he had studied drama and excelled in dance and gymnastics. The four-time Olympic gold medalist is HIV-positive and an LGBT icon. His memoir, Breaking the Surface, was made into a TV movie.

Julio Cortázar was an Argentine novelist, essayist, and short story writer. Counted among the founders of a literary movement called the Latin American Boom, Cortázar is credited with influencing a generation of Spanish-speaking writers and readers in Europe and America. He is also regarded as one of the most innovative authors of his time.

Andrew Sullivan is a British-American blogger, editor, and author. A political commentator, Sullivan has contributed immensely to several publications like The New Republic, where he was an editor. From 2016 to 2020, he also worked for New York magazine, where he was a writer-at-large. In 1996, Andrew Sullivan’s book Virtually Normal won the Mencken Award under Best Book category.

Apart from being a successful new wave musician, as part of Big in Japan and Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Holly Johnson is also a talented painter, who has held exhibitions at venues such as Tate Liverpool. He also penned a memoir, after being diagnosed with HIV in the early 1990s.

Félix González-Torres was an American visual artist best remembered for his sculptures and minimal installations made out of everyday objects like lightbulbs, stacks of paper, clocks, and packaged hard candies. In 2010, his 1992 piece Untitled sold for $4.6 million at an auction. Félix González-Torres died at the age of 38 due to complications from AIDS.

Renato Russo was a Brazilian singer-songwriter. He is best remembered for his association with the band Legião Urbana where he was the lead singer. He came to be recognized as the most prominent songwriter of Brazilian rock. Renato Russo's adolescence and his discovery of his love for rock music inspired the 2013 biographical drama film, Somos Tão Jovens.

David Brudnoy was a radio host whose show was aired on WBZ radio. Brudnoy was a respected figure as he was very knowledgeable about contemporary political issues which he discussed on his show in a courteous manner. Although he knew that he was gay throughout his life, Brudnoy came out publicly in 1994 when he was 54 years old. 

Politician Roger Montoya had begun training in gymnastics at age 7. He was a talented painter, too, and later also studied dance. A gay man, he also appeared in a couple of gay porn films and was later diagnosed with HIV. He has also invested in educational and charitable initiatives.