Love or hate Honey Boo Boo and her family’s ways, we’d hope you’d have the utmost sympathy for them if anyone of them got life-threatening news.
For instance, her uncle (who she calls Uncle Poodle, real name Lee Thompson) has revealed that he’s HIV positive, and we’re floored by it. He’s been a huge advocate to what he calls “queer rednecks,” which has equality and love at heart.
He now wants to use this information to teach others to use protection, and to be tested often… because, here’s the thing: he tested negative in March 2012, and then positive May 2012. It can happen that fast.
It was his boyfriend that infected him. Here’s what he has to say about it:
I later learned he had been HIV positive and was not taking medication and had not bothered to tell me about it. I was advised that I should press charges and, hesitantly, I did. It was the right thing to do.
His ex is now serving five years for doing something so awful.
Still, he remains positive and wants to help the youth coming to terms with who they are in the LGBT community:
My advice is to seek out their parents or an adult they trust. I would not advise them to go public or share the information with their schools until they feel safe and comfortable. They will know when the time is right. I want to have my own television show and highlight what it is like being gay in the south. I think I have a good story to tell.
We think you do too — and if not a show, maybe a documentary!
Would U guys be interested in an Uncle Poodle doc? We would!
Hope everything is okay Lee!
[Image courtesy Lee Thomspon.]