Since last year’s Mandela day, which is always on the 18th of July, STORIES OF HOPE includes portraits about our dear allies of PLWH in recognition of their contribution to ending HIV and AIDS. In August 2023, Jennifer Hopelezz, a truly remarkable HIV drag activist and ally, was induced into the Heroes of Hope gallery.

Almost one year later, while eagerly anticipating the start of AIDS 2024 in Munich on 22 July, we will be looking forward with Jennifer to AIDS 2024 and give her the honour to introduce our newest Hero of Hope who happens to be Jennifer’s family!

Jennifer; when you hear AIDS 2024’s theme ‘putting people first’, what does this really mean for you?

“Well to me, it’s a little bit too obvious because of course that’s what you expect, people first before profits and organizations and businesses. But sometimes that seems to get lost and it all seems about the whole infrastructure around HIV/AIDS that has been built up over the last 40 years.”

Jennifer, from your perspective, what do you think should change to ensure that community-based organisations are empowered to apply a ‘people first’ approach to their HIV response?

“I am always surprised at how little feedback is asked of us as a community group – but also as business owner with sex-on- premise venues. We have a whole heap of experience and information that is not tapped into. We have a totally different perspective to the government organizations, and we also have a certain freedom they don’t have as we are an independent voluntary group.”

Jennifer, you are the mother superior of a large drag family in the Netherlands. To celebrate diversity in the wonderful world of drag, in 2019 you added a new drag house to your family, called Lost Bois. One of your family members is Eric the Dragking. Could you introduce Eric in a few words?

“Eric personifies what our houses stand for. Using the power of drag as a tool of activism, to use the attention you get as a drag performer to get your message across. Because you surely get much more attention when you are in drag! Sex positivity, HIV and AIDS, fighting discrimination-these are really core values of our drag houses and that is what Eric is also about! (He also happens to be one of the best looking kids I have, haha, don’t tell the others!)”

Eric, so nice to meet you and such an inspiring Story of Hope! Why did you decide to do drag and what is your link with the HIV community?

“I decided to perform drag because drag is another powerful way for me to fight stigma and discrimination, and bring change to people and communities. I am living with HIV for 20 years and I know what is like to be stigmatized or discriminated. As Eric the Dragking I can also contribute positively to reducing HIV stigma and improving PrEP awareness in the Queer community.”

Eric, how do you connect your HIV activism with your drag performances?

“I combine my HIV activism with my drag during my performance where I always make sure to be Stomping HIV stigma away. This means that on stage I will be bringing messages of hope for PLWHIV whilst also raising awareness on HIV stigma and access to health services. If together we want to end HIV and AIDS, everyone should know about access to HIV services and prevention and claim it as their right. I like being on stage with artifacts to amplify my HIV activism, it makes people curious and this is a great way to start a positive conversation on HIV.”

PrEP diversity

Jennifer, as a drag activist you are also strongly advocating for PrEP availability and access. How do you contribute to PrEP diversity and what do you think are the key priorities right now?

“We really need to open our focus from not only cis gay men but to women, transgender people and immigrants. That’s why we are so happy that Eric has joined the PrEPNu outreach team because he knows how to reach these other groups that we don’t. All our networking and all our knowledge is based around the gay scene, especially in Amsterdam. But if we are to end HIV and AIDS, then we need to step out of our bubble and reach these other groups as well.”

So Eric, you will be joining AIDS 2024 in Munich, Germany. What will be your key message there?

“During AIDS 2024 you will find me mainly at the Global village, this is where the global HIV community will be meeting and I am hoping to see a lot of my fellow grassroot HIV allies. My main message will be to share the importance of PrEP Diversity. We should always remember that HIV does not care about gender, sexual orientation or ethnic background. PrEP is designed to prevent against HIV for everyone. I am confident that we can end new infections if we make sure to enable access to PrEP for those who need it. That is why #PrEPdiversity is very necessary.”

Eric, following Jennifer’s Story of Hope last year, you feature in this Story of Hope. How important is this for you?

“I am very grateful to be given this opportunity. In 2021, when Stories of Hope was launched, I shared that I was the first Burundian female to play the Indonongo here in Europe. Back then, Eric was not out of the closet yet. I realise that talent is like champagne, it cannot be bottled up, it has to released to be shared and enjoyed fullest. So today I am so proud to share Eric’s talent, the first Burundian and Dutch Dragking living with HIV and open about it. I hope that my HIV dragtivism will be an inspiration for PLWHIV who are still in the closet and also to serve as an example for those who think that life is over after an HIV diagnosis. I am living proof that HIV will never take away your talent!”

Stories of Hope

Let us please welcome Eric the Dragking to our community of Heroes of Hope. You can find Eric’s story here!

Are you talented and never let HIV stigma stand in your way? We are looking for talents to share their experience during World AIDS day on the 1st of December 2024.

Get in touch if you would like to share your story with the global HIV community!

Hello my lovely people.

It’s always a pleasure to share with you the stories that inspired you and the World. This time we are going to talk about Drag. While a lot of you may have heard of drag and drag queens as performance arts, many of you may not yet be familiar with drag kings.

I am proudly part of a family called the House of Løst Bois, the first house of Drag KINGS in the Netherlands based in Amsterdam. With our lovely Mother Taka Taka and Father Julius. Everybody has a reason to do drag. In fact, my passion for drag has been there the whole of my life, but I just did not give it a name. When I was little, I already liked dressing up like a boy and play ‘boys games’, fishing in the Ninga river, go birds hunting or climbing trees. I am so grateful that my parents understood me and did the best to allow me who I wanted to be.

Why am I Eric TheDragKing? When I was 5 I was crying a lot telling my mother “I don’t want to be a girl!” One day my mum was tired of my cries and she said “OK, you are now a boy and your name is Eric”. From that day on I was so happy for people to call me Eric instead Eliane, allowing me to be myself as a kid.

Then, at high school I joined a theather group of drummers and dancers which is traditionally performed by men in Burundi. I was the only girl in the group. So, one day when we were on the stage performing, the MC publicly announced that between the boys performing there was also a girl between them! And I was dressed up, had a great haircut and dancing so well that the audience was not able to spot me amongst the boys! For me what really mattered was to be myself and show that a girl is as talented as a man if they are given a chance!

So, now I am Eric TheDragKing, the king who lives with HIV. As I have experienced and seen many times what stigma does, I dance HIV and AIDS stigma away to inspire and empower whoever living with HIV and not open about it. Living healthy and embrace who we are is much stronger than the tiny virus. To perform drag is another powerful way for me to fight stigma and discrimination, and bring change to people and communities.

This month I was part of an event called Becoming: Drag, organized at Likeminds in collaboration with the House of Hopelezz and the House of Løst Bois . If you suffer from queerphobia, this was not right place to be. The queer world is where everyone feels at home. We felt a big sense of community connecting to the audience via our performances. It was a very inspiring evening where the audience was also part of the performance, dressed up in glitter, colourful hair and beautiful dresses. It was all fabulous! Please have a look at the pictures made by Kiriacademy.

I loved the talk show between our Mother Taka Taka, Father Julius and Mother Jennifer Hopelezz about drag values and how drag can be used as activism in many ways, for example as a form of protest or for prevention, for example on PrEP. Hence the word Dragtivism!

Yes, Eric TheDragKing is a Dragtivist! To dance HIV and AIDS stigma away as a drag king is another powerful way to communicate with people facing HIV stigma and discrimination. I know in many communities we have people living with HIV going through a lot and still trying to deal with this alone, so if I am able to reach an even a wider community, through my drag art, this would be a great result toward reaching a HIV stigma free world!

I am proud to be the first Dragking open about my HIV status in the Netherlands, in Burundi and the whole of Africa. I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the drag community and that a performance such as Becoming: Drag provides me with a platfom to fight stigma and discrimination.

In the end what brings us together is connectedness through drag as art. To perform our art for you to enjoy we feel stronger together as one big family. I truly believe the beautiful art of drag is a way to express ourselves, to share our passion, and to come togeher as a community. What an incredible evening!

Peace,

Eliane