Janine Brignola - HIV Chick

POZ I AM Radio

Janine Brignola, the chick once known as HIVchick on YouTube returns to POZ I AM Radio. For the last 12 years since finding out I was HIV positive I have ran the spectrum from behind the scenes to big mouth, loud activist to putting on that blazer and sitting quietly and politely while fitting more into my societal standard gender role and what’s socially acceptable. I have graduated from a private college, secured a pretty cool big opportunity career then left the corporate man gig, got sober from alcohol (even with some relapses), lost over 120+ lbs, raised a pretty cool kid, and finally realized that my biggest success in life had been realizing that happiness is what we all want and happiness comes when you realize that success is living your life according to your standards and what is right for you; not the man, not society, not anyone else. My hope to accomplish with activism is awareness and prevention. Enlightenment and understanding. For myself and others. I want to show people that HIV doesn’t define a person and they can still do anything they want; as I have and am. That we can choose our path and not sometimes but every time. No matter the obstacles, no matter the setbacks and no matter others negative and ignorant opinions on it. So yeah, this is my bio and I wrote it, in first person, and this my friends is what HIV looks like and what it looks like to have HIV and rock the hell out of it. So take whatever “bad” you’re given and create the life you want! I did and I have barely gotten started.