Christopher Holman (pronouns: He/Him) was born in Summerville, South Carolina, and besides a few years in Georgia and North Carolina, lived in South Carolina all his life. Holman describes the specific work he does in radio advertisement production and continuity and his passion for radio imaging. Growing up in Summerville, he met very little prejudice regarding his sexual identity which he now describes as being bisexual. His mother was accepting, and his brother stopped telling gay jokes and became Holman’s defender once he came out. Only in church did he encounter any sort of negativity about being gay; he could see the contradictions inherent in Scripture and interpret some of the proscriptions as being dated from a different time. While young he did lack self-esteem and had image problems which he has worked to overcome. He discusses his current relationship with a woman, which does not interfere with his attraction to other men, noting that his current relationship has the possibility of being an open one. He describes life as a gay man before and after he became HIV positive, and the way that his status impacted and ultimately ended, to his regret, a long-term relationship with a younger male partner, who spurned him and from whose family came death threats. He speaks about the ethics of withholding one’s HIV status, describes how ill he was in the past and his current good health. In passing he describes a local radio station “war” that absorbed him as a youth, refers to drag queens Brooke Collins and Missy E. Holiday, and describes the physical spaces and clientele of the bars the Arcade and the Treehouse, briefing mentioning the Battery as a cruising ground. He compares the gay interactions of the past with those in the present, noting the alienating and abbreviated ways of communication and of finding sexual partners via apps instead of direct human interaction. He speaks of his eagerness to participate in HIV/AIDS related programs and projects, his enthusiasm in marching in the Pride parade and, despite the social progress he has seen over the years, the enduring lack of kindness between people, straight or gay.
