This week, The Body featured Nick Harrison and Scott Schoettes in an article about the historic court victory they won for servicemembers living with HIV earlier in the month. In the interview, Harrison discusses the frustration he felt during the eight-year court battle. He also talks about the other servicemembers who still face HIV stigma and discrimination in the military.
“There are people who randomly call me, email me, or find me on Facebook who have just become HIV positive and/or figured out they’re not allowed deployment or promotion, who ask me, ‘How should I fight this?'” Harrison notes, “I’m an attorney, but think about 18- or 19-year-old soldiers in Georgia just learning they’re HIV positive. The military really hasn’t done what it should have in terms of supporting them. Some have even had problems with military medical professionals talking down to them, or with general discrimination [once their HIV status was revealed]. It’s really hard to count all those stories.”
The entire interview can be found here: https://www.thebody.com/article/sgt-nick-harrison-win-against-military-hiv-ban