Ep 59: Steve Spencer (he/him) on Navigating Biphobia and HIV Stigma

September is Bisexuality Visibility Month, and I’m excited to kick it off with this week’s guest, Steve Spencer (he/him). Steve is award-winning bi+ and HIV advocate, researcher, and consultant. Steve is a bi, HIV positive man who is doing so much work to advocate for bi+ visibility and action against HIV stigma, and I was eager to have him on to give voice to all of this. In this episode, we hear Steve’s personal story of discovering his biness at age 13 but then being told by a well-intentioned but uninformed therapist that he was gay and did not need to pretend he was bi. He went on to spend the next 13 years repressing his biness. Steve shares with us what coming into his biness has been like for him, his experience as a person with positive HIV status, and guides us through wider conversations about biness, HIV, and so much more. I so loved getting time with Steve and think what he’s doing is so important, and I’m just so excited to be able to invite you all in to the conversation. About the guest:Steve Spencer is an award-winning bi+ and HIV advocate, researcher, and consultant based on Gadigal Land, Sydney, Australia, and he is a proud ambassador of Qtopia Sydney and the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation.Steve sits on the board of Australia's national peak HIV body, NAPWHA, and is a leading advisor, researcher, and university lecturer in bisexual health and HIV, working with The Kirby Institute, UNSW, and Johns Hopkins University. Steve also uses his large social media following - perfecting the art of discussing serious messages with a sprinkling of thirst traps - to advocate for bi-visibility and action against HIV stigma. Self-acceptance, community, courage, and empathy are at the core of Steve’s advocacy and you can follow his work on Instagram @ssstorven.For more, visit www.secondadolescencepod.com and @secondadolescencepod.