Survivors Spotlight: Living with HIV and Mourning a Loss During the Pandemic

The G-Man Interviews: John Brown

Counselor Discusses His Ongoing Effort to Help Others That
Have Been Diagnosed and the Death of His Partner of 34 Years

(Produced by Gary Glennell Toms)

 

Welcome.

John Brown is a 54-year-old widower and U.S. Navy veteran. He identifies as a Black-Panamanian gay male and is a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina. The New York native, who was born in Brooklyn and raised in Far Rockaway, Queens, has been HIV+ for 26 years.

In 2018, he lost his partner of 34 years. James Wiggins worked as a registered nurse at Harlem Hospital in New York City and as a social worker. The couple share a son, Mario, whom they adopted in 2001.

Brown, who now works as a counselor, is here to discuss his ongoing effort to help others that are HIV+ and the life and death of his partner. For the sake of full disclosure, I have known him and his family for many years. However, this report has not been compromised in any way because I have never consistently interacted or communicated with him or members of his family over the last two decades.

The interview was conducted on January 25.

You can contact Mr. Brown on Facebook or at LasVegasBoy89@yahoo.com.