>> WE’LL BE FOLLOWING IT
THANK YOU, KIMBERLY.
>>> IT’S AN ANNIVERSARY YOU
MAY NOT HAVE MARKED ON YOUR
CALENDAR BUT IT’S ONE THAT’S
REALLY AFFECTED THE ENTIRE
WORLD.
30 YEARS AGO THIS MONTH
MAGIC JOHNSON REVEAL HE HAD
CONTRACTED H.I.V.
IN FACT IT’S CONSIDERED A
TURNING POINT IN THE BATTLE
AGAINST HIV-AIDS BUT HOW
MUCH SOCIAL PROGRESS HAS
REALLY BEEN MADE.
PAULA TUTMAN TALKS TO A LONG
TIME H.I.V. SURVIVOR FOR HIS
THOUGHTS.
>>.
>> Reporter: YOU MAY
RECOGNIZE HIM FROM HE OF HIS
14 MOVIES AND NUMEROUS
COMMERCIALS OR STAGE
PERFORMANCES.
THAT GUY WHO USUALLY PLAYLE
THE BAD GUY.
>> TODAY 60-YEAR-OLD DENNIS
KLEINMAN TELLS ME ABOUT THE
MOST DIFFICULT ROLE HE’S
EVER HAD TO PLAY.
HIMSELF.
14 YEARS AGO WHEN HE
DISCOVERED HE WAS H.I.V.
POSITIVE.
>> YOU FELT LIKE YOUR LIFE
WAS OVER.
>> Reporter: SHORTLY AFTER
HIS DIAGNOSIS HE WAS DOING A
STAGE PERFORMANCE.
>> I WAS CAST AS ROY CONE IN
A PRODUCTION OF ANGELS IN
AMERICA.
>> Reporter: IRONICALLY
PLAYING THE ROLE OF A
HOMOPHOBIC HOMOSEXUAL WHO
HAD CADES AIDS.
>> ONE NIGHT IN THE DRESSING
ROOM THEY WERE BEING VERY
CAVALIER AND REFERRING TO THE CHARACTERS SAYING WELL
THE CHARACTERS SAYING WELL
WHY DON’T YOU JUST DIE.
I, I HAD TO LEAVE THE ROOM.
HE YET TO COME BACK INTO
FEELING HUMAN.
I WAS STILL FEELING LIKE
THAT MINORITY THAT DESERVED
TO BE SHUNTED OFF TO THE
SIDE.
>> Reporter: IT’S BEEN 40
YEARS SINCE H.I.V. FIRST
APPEARED 30 YEARS SINCE
MAGIC JOHNSON ANNOUNCED HE
WAS H.I.V. POSITIVE AND FOR
DENNIS IT HAS FELT LIKE A
LIFETIME TO FEEL CAUTIOUSLY
SAFE ENOUGH TO TELL EVERYONE
LISTENING THAT YES, HE IS
H.I.V. POSITIVE, HEALTHY AND
YES, HUMAN.
>> I AM SO SORRY I HAVE TO
TAKE MY PILL.
NOW DAYS THERE’S ONE PILL I
TAKE A DAY.
IT IS THE TREATMENT.
AS LONG AS I TAKE MY PILL
IT’S I’M HEALTHY.
>> Reporter: DENNIS IS ACT
WHICH MATRIX HUMAN SERVICES
IN DETROIT WHERE JUST ONE OF
THE MANY COMMUNITY AND
HUMANITARIAN PROGRAMS HELPS
H.I.V. POSITIVE PEOPLE GET
TESTED, FIND OUT THEIR
STATUS, AND KEEP LIVING FULL
HEALTHY HAPPY LIVES.
>> BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LIFE
THAT’S WORTH LIVING.
SO WE WORK WITH THOSE TO
PREVENT THE SPREAD OF H.I.V.
BUT WE REALLY WORK WITH
THOSE WHO ARE LIVING WITH
H.I.V.
>> ATTITUDES HAVE CHANGED.
IT’S MORE SPOKEN ABOUT NOW,
IT’S MORE ADVERTISED.
PEOPLE ARE LIVING LONG AND
HEALTHY LIVES BECAUSE OF THE
TREATMENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE.
>> I THINK MAGIC JOHNSON
ANNOUNCING HIS H.I.V.
POSITIVE STATUS HELPED A
GREAT DEAL IN THE SENSE THAT
PEOPLE SAW THAT IT WASN’T
JUST A FRINGE CONDITION, IT
WASN’T JUST THESE LOW LIFES
ON YOU KNOW BACK ALLEY
PROSTITUTES AND THINGS IT
WAS EVERYDAY PEOPLE.
>> Reporter: SO LET’S TALK
ABOUT SOME OF THAT PROGRESS.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
PHARMACEUTICALS THAT CAN
MAKE YOU UNDETECTIBLE WHICH
MEANS YOU CAN’T SPREAD THE
H.I.V. VIRUS AS WELL AS
DRUGS SO YOU CAN’T CONTRACT
H.I.V.
SERVICES LIKE MATRIX HUMAN
SERVICES, BY THE WAY THEY
WRAP THEIR WHOLE ARM OR ARMS
AROUND PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE
THAT THEY HAVE RESOURCES AND
EDUCATION AND TO SHORE UP
THEIR CARE AND SUPPORT
SYSTEM.
EVEN IN THAT EVEN THOUGH IT
IS NOT AS MUCH OF A STIGMA
SANDRA, I CAN TELL YOU THAT
DENNIS WAS VERY COURAGEOUS
IN COMING OUT TODAY BECAUSE
HE KNOWS WHEN SOME DIRECTORS
HEAR THIS HE MAY NOT GET
WORK.
BUT HE’S READY TO STAR IN
HIS OWN NARRATIVE AND THAT
IN ITSELF IS PART OF THE
PROGRESS STORY.
>> YEAH, REPORTING LIVE FROM
DETROIT, PAULA TUTMAN.
SORRY, THERE YOU GO, LOCAL
4.