Jonathan Blake (activist)
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Jonathan Blake (born 21 July 1949Guardian Birthdays 21 July 2022) is a British
gay rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Not ...
activist and former member of
Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) was an alliance of lesbians and gay men who supported the National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain), National Union of Mineworkers during the year-long UK miners' strike (1984–1985), strike of 1 ...
(LGSM). He was one of the first people diagnosed with
HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...
in the United Kingdom and is one of the country's longest surviving people with the illness.


Biography

In February 1981 Blake visited a friend who was getting married in San Francisco in the US. He believes it was there that he contracted the virus, during a visit to a steambath. In July 1982, he noticed he had enlarged lymph nodes, and they continued growing and becoming more painful. He checked into a STI clinic and in October of that year he was diagnosed with
HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...
; then called HTLV3. He was the first case at
Middlesex Hospital Middlesex Hospital was a teaching hospital located in the Fitzrovia area of London, England. First opened as the Middlesex Infirmary in 1745 on Windmill Street, it was moved in 1757 to Mortimer Street where it remained until it was finally clos ...
, given the number L1 (London 1), and one of the first cases in the country. In December of that year, in fear of how the illness would affect him he attempted suicide: "the voice of my mother was in my head, she would say, 'you have to clean up your own mess!' And then it was a question of, well I can't kill myself. I better go on and live. But how on earth are you going to do that?". A turning point took place when he attended a nuclear protest with a group of gay men in 1983. It was there he met his partner Nigel Young and started being more politically active. Together they joined
Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) was an alliance of lesbians and gay men who supported the National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain), National Union of Mineworkers during the year-long UK miners' strike (1984–1985), strike of 1 ...
, which helped Blake take his mind off his diagnosis. He continued to live his life, immersing himself in volunteering and completing education courses, ultimately obtaining a diploma in tailoring and working on theatre productions and eventually becoming an assistant pattern cutter for the English National Opera. Blake saw men living with HIV die during a trial for antiretroviral drug
AZT Zidovudine (ZDV), also known as azidothymidine (AZT), was the first antiretroviral medication used to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. It is generally recommended for use in combination with other antiretrovirals. It may be used to prevent vertica ...
in the late 1980s and refused to take part, believing it was a failed chemotherapy drug, and while it wiped out the cancer, it also wiped out your immune system. In 1989 his CD4 (T cell) count fell to 200, the cut off point for an AIDS diagnosis. In 1996 he decided to start medical treatment, a combination of D4T, DDI and
Nevirapine Nevirapine (NVP), sold under the brand name Viramune among others, is a medication used to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS, specifically HIV-1. It is generally recommended for use with other antiretroviral medications. It may be used to prevent mo ...
, and after 4 weeks felt the effects, describing his sudden surge of energy as "Lazarus raised from the dead". He started Anti Retro-Viral Therapy (ART) in 1997 which he continues to this day.


Legacy

He extensively discussed his experiences of attitudes towards sexual health and
homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between people of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexu ...
during the 1970s. He speaks openly about living with HIV and the struggles it entails, and fights against the stigmatisation of the illness. He has volunteered at various HIV drop-in centres including The Landmark in Brixton/Tulse Hill; Lighthouse South London; the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT); and The Food Chain. He was the Face of THT's first safer sex poster aimed at gay men and took part in Peter Cash's ''HIV Monologues'' (2016–18). He is a champion of the U=U (Undetectable = Untransmittable) campaign and a commentator on current LGBTQ+ rights issues. In September 2014, the LGSM's activities were dramatised in the film ''
Pride Pride is a human Emotion, secondary emotion characterized by a sense of satisfaction with one's Identity (philosophy), identity, performance, or accomplishments. It is often considered the opposite of shame or of humility and, depending on conte ...
'', where he was played by
Dominic West Dominic Gerard Francis Eagleton West (born 15 October 1969) is an English actor, director, producer, and musician. He is best known for playing Jimmy McNulty in HBO's ''The Wire'' (2002–2008), Noah Solloway in Showtime's '' The Affair'' (20 ...
.


See also

* HIV/AIDS in the United Kingdom *
HIV/AIDS activism Activism, Socio-political activism to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS as well as to advance the Management of HIV/AIDS, effective treatment and care of people with AIDS (PWAs) has taken place in multiple locations since the 1980s. The evolution o ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blake, Jonathan English gay men English LGBTQ rights activists Living people 1949 births People with HIV/AIDS 20th-century English LGBTQ people 21st-century English LGBTQ people British activists with disabilities LGBTQ people with disabilities