Dance HIV Stigma Away: Eric the Dragking at Club Church, Amsterdam
Dancing HIV stigma away in Amsterdam
Every Thursday, queer people gather at Club Church in Amsterdam to party. This time, the dance floor carried a message too.
Eric the Dragking, the HIV Stigma Fighter, was invited to dance HIV stigma away. No speech and no stage announcement. Just movement, music and a crowd that came to celebrate.
Take your HIV medication and thrive
The message behind her dance is simple: take your HIV medication and thrive.
Modern HIV treatment lets people living with HIV stay healthy, live long lives and keep doing what they love, including dancing all night. People on effective treatment with an undetectable viral load also cannot pass HIV on to their partners (U=U).
Why this matters
Stigma is often a bigger barrier than the virus. It keeps people from testing, from starting treatment and from speaking openly about their status. Showing up joyfully, visibly and in a space made for celebration is one way to push it back.
That is also why access matters. Treatment only works when people can reach it, and across Europe access to HIV medication still differs from country to country. Explore the situation in your country on the SHAPE medication map.
Watch the dance
Follow Eric the Dragking’s work at HIV Stigma Fighter.
