Mr. Gay Pride España Second Runner Up Coming Out Again On Stage! #PinkInOurLives

augustus 20, 2019 Lesley Middleton LGBT 8 reacties

Normally we interview the winner of an election, but Juan Miquel did an emotional and brave statement when he was on stage for the Mr. Gay pride Espana 2019. He became the 2^nd runner-up and his compelling coming out with something important got our attention. Not the first one as coming out of a closet, but an other coming out like telling publicly that he has HIV. Thanks to our friend and former mister Gay Belgium candidate Geoff Fontignie Lozano we got the chance to talk with Juan Miquel.

Congratulations Juan with becoming 2nd runner-up Mr. Gay Pride España 2019.

“Thank you so much. I am really happy to have participated to this contest”.

Can u first tell our readers a bit about yourself?

“My name is Juan Miguel Sosa Hernández, I’m 38 years old and I live in a small village of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria. For the moment , I dedicate my time to teach master dance classes. I’ve been professional dancer and I also studied to be a gymnastic teacher. I am preparing myself at the moment for the future and hopefully for work opportunities”.

When did u do your coming out to your friends and family and how did u do it?

“I never had the urge or necessity to coming out of the closet . I’ve been a child who had a really nice and happy childhood. I always received the support of my family and my friends”.

Why did you enter the Mr. Gay Pride España competition?

“I’ve decided to participate to the contest because I realized that I was not only a beauty pageant, but that they were looking for someone, who can brings something to the LGTBI community. Who will help to fight for the rights and give visibility to our community”.

U were very brave on stage in front of lots of people. Can u tell us what happened?

“I declared in public that I was HIV positive, and also non-detectable. It was for my family and friends, and also all the persons, who watched the show, so that they discovered what was my status. Because I’ve always kept it in secret”.

Why did you want to this story on stage and how did everybody react?

“When I decided to compete, I was thinking that I’ll be able to help our community with my participation. I’ve been detected HIV positive 6 years ago. During several years, I was listening derogatory and ignorant comments, people who talks about the virus without any knowledge. Most of the people who have this virus suffer in silence and they live with fear to be rejected. During all this years, I was able to verify how much wrong information there is in our society, no interest to know how the treatment works, who are the non-detectable persons, sero-discordant couples, HIV prevention. For that reason I’ve decided to face this and to be able to help all the persons who suffer in silence. Show visibility and normalcy to something that today is really important and commit to the society. Stop with the bullying and discrimination”.

When did u found out you had HIV and how did u feel when u discovered it? What made u come to terms with it now?

“I discovered that I had HIV 3rd December 2012. That day when my doctor called me, I stayed in silence during 10 seconds and went to the appointment. She asked me how I felt, and I answered that I was fine. That I knew the risk I took and that I ll accept the consequences. From there I had to start the acceptation, the fears that no one will love me, that people will reject me, to live hidden of the society and feel lost. During months I couldn’t even watch myself in a mirror. Till that day I sat to watch TV and saw Mr. Gay Pride España contest, I thought, I will compete and get back my life but also my physical and mental level. And from now, I’m again this Juanmi from 2nd December 2012, but stronger and with much more energy than before. I decided that it was time to leave fears and walk proudly. And yes , declaring my non-detectable status in public, I can help other persons to find in me a support, then I’m reaching my goal”.

What are now your plans or dreams for the future?

“I would love to bring my campaign about HIV visibility as far as possible, visibility for non-detectable people, be able to explain to everybody what a non-detectable person is, that the society can be informed about treatment, prevention, stop with bullying and discrimination. That we can talk about it naturally”.

Are you single/in love/dating/married? And if you are single, how does mister Right look and be like?

“I’m a single person, who discovered things about myself that I didn’t know. I think it’s important to dedicate time for ourselves to know and love yourself. Because lots of times we give everything to others without thinking that we also need to love ourselves. If you don’t love yourself … who’s gonna love you”?

Do you have any advice for the younger generation regarding coming out and safe sex?

“It’s really important to show advertising about prevention for sexual transmitted diseases. I think that more seminaries are necessary, conferences or maybe advertising on tv, where they can speak about it in a natural way instead of a cold advertisement. Where they are not close. When you see them, they create a feeling of reject and fear. And I think that i has to be the opposite, they have to create curiosity feeling to help people to understand”.

Do you still believe we need a Pride and why?

“I think that we have reached lots of our rights already, but there is still a lot to do. We can’t guard down. In Spain we actually live a situation, where some political parties want to quit all the rights that we achieved and they want to go back to the past. We can’t and must not accept it”!!!