Monthly Archives: February 2021

A little less than two months ago, Mike Pence very well couldve been killed by an angry mob of insurrectionists furious with him on behalf of Donald Trump for not overturning Joe Bidens electoral victory. But while such an offense might be grounds for most of us to end a friendship at the very least, for Pence its all water under the bridge, and hes apparently as loyal to Trump as ever. He spoke very favorably about his relationship with President Trump, Indiana Republican Jim Banks, chair of the Republican Study Committee, told CNN after meeting with Pence Tuesday. I got the sense they speak often and maintain the same personal friendship and relationship now that they have for years, he continued, adding that Pence plans to launch an organization defending the successful Trump-Pence record of the last four years.

While no one expected Pence to come out and condemn Trump after four years of catering to him, an in-person meeting between the two on January 11 was reportedly lengthy, stilted and uncomfortable. But CNN reported on Monday that the two had spoken twice on the phone since Bidens inaugurationwhich Pence attended and Trump did notand that a source close to the situation described their relationship as amicable, though they would not elaborate on the contents of either call.

Pence joined the 2016 ticket to balance out Trumps narcissistic hedonism with some social conservatism, and while he took every opportunity he could to lavish praise on his boss, it was never clear that there was anything more to their relationship than politics. Even if there was some personal affinity, one would think it would have dried up quickly during Trumps interregnum; after trying about 20 different ways to hold onto power and failing each time, the former president eventually began pressuring Pence to subvert the will of the people and simply hand him an election win on the day Pence was to oversee the certification of results. He had no authority to do so, of course, and what Trump and his allies on Capitol Hill were demanding of him was absurdly anti-democratic. But the harassment continued. You can either go down in history as a patriot, Trump reportedly told him, or you can go down in history as a pussy.

Much to Trumps dismay, Pence chose to perform his ceremonial role as outlined in the constitution, and convened lawmakers on January 6 to formalize the electoral college win of Biden and Kamala Harris. While that was happening, Trump was outside the White House, whipping his fanatics into a frenzy, calling on them to march down to the Capitol to fight like hell for him. They did just that, temporarily disrupting the certification process and forcing the vice president and lawmakers to take shelter as the pro-Trump mob chanted things like hang Mike Pence. Not only did Trump not call off the attack, do anything to stop it, or even check in on his deputy,but he continued to berate Pence on Twitter even as he knew he was under threat, and took pleasure in watching his supporters ransack Congress. Remember this day forever! he tweeted afterward.

For anyone with an ounce of self-respect, a guy bullying you, nearly getting you killed, and not apologizing for it would be cause to burn all bridges with him. But Pence, like a lot of his fellow Republicans, has shown for four years that he has no such self-esteem, and seems to be remaining obsequious to a guy who has proved time and again that loyalty flows only one way. He likely has some political incentive to try to keep the relationship aliveif anything, Trumps grip on the GOP has only tightened since November, as even Trump opponents like Mitt Romney have acknowledgedbut if your hopes of getting a job in future requires you to have an amicable relationship with your would-be executioner, perhaps its time to consider another line of work.

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Apparently Mike Pence Is Still Personal Friends With the Guy Who Sicced a Mob on Him - Vanity Fair

When I travel, one of the highlights for me is enjoying the variety of local cuisine. Im traveling today, and as I drove to the airport, I looked forward to picking up a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich once I arrived.

Upon selecting the coffee shop, latte and sandwich that most appealed to me, though, I was hit with a fleeting feeling of grief. By choosing those things, I wouldnt have room to try the other options.

Maybe I should have gotten the souffl instead of the croissant. How would the pistachio latte have tasted?

Theres a limit to the amount of food I can consume. Theres a limit to the amount of money I can spend. Theres a limit to the amount of time I have. And I spend a tremendous amount of time resisting those constraints, wishing I could have it all.

As an Enneagram Type 7, thats par for the course. We are terribly prone to gluttony and hedonism. I want to try everything and say no only to the things that arent enjoyable. I want to have absolute control over what Im not able to do.

But, as they say, the sweet doesnt taste as sweet without the sour.

In my work, we often ask our clients to give us creative constraints. Is there a color they dont like? A certain style? Is there a use case that has a time constraint or an application that requires a certain formatting?

Our creative director often says that the worst thing you can say to a creative is, Just make something awesome. Hes right: the most creative ideas come out of constraints.

Colleen Cook works full-time as the Director of Operations at Vinyl Marketing in Ashland, where she resides with her husband Mike and three young daughters. She's an insatiable extrovert who enjoys finding reasons to gather people.

Just look at how weve all innovated over the past year. So many things that have always been done a certain way have been disrupted, and new, amazing ideas came out of the disruptionmany of which will sustain well past the end of the pandemic. The limitation felt brutal, and while the byproduct doesnt make it all worth it, the new things that are created are good.

Most people do their best work under the pressure of a deadline. The time constraint forces them to nail down their energy to that moment and turn out something better than they would have if they felt untethered, with endless amounts of time.

Im a firm believer that, without a clear and close deadline, most things wont actually get accomplished or wont be accomplished as well as they might have with the time constraint.

I doubt Im alone in finding myself crippled by focusing on the limitation. I long to find a way to manipulate the constraint away, to free myself from it. I panic at the thought that the limitation might be too restraining to accomplish the task at hand.

Yet Im learning that if I can accept the limitationperhaps even welcome that limitationI might free myself into an exciting new place of creativity and enjoyment. I might just enjoy the croissant more because it was the best choice, given the constraints at hand.

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Commentary: Are the things limiting you actually helping you? - Richland Source

Launching on February 23, the genderless capsule collection marks a shift for the Italian label into the world of streetwear.

Launching on February 23, the genderless capsule collection marks a shift for the Italian label into the world of streetwear.

The Attico is embracing the world of streetwear with "Life at Large," a genderless capsule collection launching on February 23.

Brilliant, bold, alive and eclectic, the Milanese label by Gilda Ambrosio and Giorgia Tordini debuted in 2016, a colorful juxtaposition of vivid hedonism and electric luxury wear. Their elevated contemporary looks have, historically, been refined pieces dotted with color, embracing a lifestyle of sophistication in full saturation.

"Life at Large" departs from the chic formality The Attico has traditionally fabricated, but retains the glamour of it all, the whimsy and spark, juxtaposed instead, now, onto genderless streetwear.

True to its name, the collection is created for those whodolive life at large, those who dress up for the everyday, who are carefree and confident. Everyday looks follow a pale, colorful palette made up of creamy beiges, rosy pinks and rich, warm browns, speckled with cooler neutral shades. Outerwear and layering are strongly featured throughout, in plush hoodies, crisply tailored blazers and printed graphic sweatshirts.

The beauty of the collection is woven into its simplicity: every piece is dynamic and neutral until styled to become it's own. The core of streetwear, the adaptability and versatility of it, is seen in every garment, from a plain black tank to a baby pink, asymmetrical draped top.

Enter the slideshow below to view the collection and shop The Attico here.

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The Attico's "Life at Large" Collection Is A Playful Take on Streetwear - vmagazine.com

Long before fashion weeks started splintering, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana set up their own haute couture ecosystem in Italy, immediately spying potential for male clients.

Six years after their first Alta Sartoria collection paraded through Palazzo Labus in Milan, the designers say men make up fully half of their couture clientele, numbering more than 200 people in Asia, the U.S., Europe, India, Russia and South America, in particular Mexico and Brazil.

Whats more, they described a close, collaborative relationship with their clients, offering them a familial, immersive experience exalting all things Italian. The designers have staged lavish couture events in Florence, Portofino, Naples, Monreale and Agrigento over the years, in addition to stops in the U.S., Japan, Mexico and China (where the companys business has rebounded after a November 2018 scandal when the designers were accused of making racist comments on social media; they apologized and the brand has worked to reestablish relationships).

Its not just a fashion show for cool clothes. Its a moment, its history, its a relationship, its food, its Italian, its everything, Dolce enthused of couture in a telephone interview. Couture is more about style of life. Prt--porter is more fashion.

While some men order styles directly from the runway, Dolce characterized the Alta Sartoria collections as a suggestion to open a conversation about wardrobing them for their unique style of life, or a very special occasion.

We speak with our customers. We try to understand what people need, he said, describing an exchange of sketches, color suggestions and swatches. Its a beautiful conversation.We discover a lot of very different lifestyles.

For example, two months ago a client asked if the Alta Sartoria ateliers could create a jumpsuit for skiing something Gianni Agnelli might have worn on the slopes in the Sixties. Dolce said he and Gabbana relished the challenge of a technical couture garment, and managed to source a stretch wool reminiscent of the period.

Dolce recalled that his father was a tailor, and he always envisioned that role far beyond mere outfitter. Its organizing dreams for the customer, he said.

The Alta Sartoria atelier stocks mannequins for all its important clients, which reduces the number of fittings required. Tailors are also dispatched with clothes to places like Singapore, Tokyo, New York or Los Angeles if necessary.

Here, Dolce and Gabbana discussed their adventures in high fashion for men:

WWD:What compelled you to launch Alta Sartoria in 2015?

Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana: Alta Moda is a project on which we reflected for many years, until we concluded that closing D&G our second line was the necessary condition to embark on this new path. Therefore, in July 2012 we presented the first Alta Moda collection in Taormina and in January 2015, in Milan, the first Alta Sartoria.

History teaches us that man, by nature, has always chosen to mark time, a particular moment, choosing a special outfit. We have seen it with high aristocracy, princes and maharajahs. Similarly, with Alta Sartoria we want to satisfy male hedonism with a proposal that is consistent with the DNA and values of Dolce & Gabbana. With Alta Sartoria, we satisfy mens desire to feel unique.

WWD: Did Alta Sartoria take off right away?

D.D. and S.G.: Yes, we immediately had an excellent feedback. Some important prt--porter customers approached Alta Sartoria, the husbands of our Alta Moda clients started ordering for themselves and word of mouth was undoubtedly helpful.

A look from Dolce & Gabbana Alta Sartoria collection.Courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana

WWD: How important are the couture shows?

D.D. and S.G.: For us, the Alta Moda and the Alta Sartoria events narrate Italy. They are not just a moment of showcase, but of sharing and exchange. We like to communicate a lifestyle, a feeling and live it with the clients now friends who participate in our events and who, after years, love to meet each other. With the Alta Moda events, we speak about Italy, its art, culture and excellence, from artisanship to food, of the places we choose. Each event has its own narrative, which represents the added value of the experience we give life to.

WWD:Has couture shopping become a couple activity?

D.D. and S.G.: Many are couples, but it is interesting to note that many young people are fascinated by the Alta Moda world. Often sons and daughters of our clients ask to participate in our events and we are happy about it.

WWD: How do you account for the growing popularity of couture for men, and how is it different from the made-to-measure suit business of yore?

D.D. and S.G.: We have a critical attitude toward made-to-measure because we think it often leads to a well-made product, but still industrialized. Alta Sartoria is a very different project that is based on the relationship, the dialogue between the client and our team from the atelier, to the tailor. It is an intimate connection, almost a confession, through which we get to know the client and his world and he learns something new about himself. He is very fascinating.

WWD: What are the most popular garments or categories of couture garment for men?

D.D. and S.G.: Usually men approach Alta Sartoria asking for a traditional suit, maybe characterized by particular details, but still a classic. But when they relax and feel at ease, their personality and hedonism comes out and they really start to appreciate the project and to ask for clothes, or accessories, in line with their passions often linked to the world of sport. So, we find ourselves working on projects that are not really fashion and that represent a challenge, which leads us to a constant technical and creative research.

WWD: Are there any specialty techniques used only for mens couture, or skills you had to bring into your ateliers?

D.D. and S.G.: Alta Moda and Alta Sartoria are synonymous with experimentation. This has led us, over time, to have to expand our ateliers and to acquire highly specialized employees. With the Alta Moda project, we want to give visibility to the artisan excellence of our country and, in each place where we choose to show, we go in search of a manufacture, of a particular technique to work on.

A watch from Dolce & Gabbanas Alta Gioielleria collection.Courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana

With the Monreale show, for example, we worked on the mosaic technique, weaving different fabrics and materials leather, brocade and sequins.

For the collection presented at the Ambrosiana Library in Milan, we instead focused on the technique of punto-puttura and piccolo-punto to re-create the emotion of the paintings that we have chosen to reproduce on the garments.

WWD: Do men order couture mostly for special occasions?

D.D. and S.G.: Exclusivity is the concept behind the Alta Sartoria project. We only make unique and non-reproducible garments.

Unlike the woman who approaches Alta Moda for a special and unique occasion, the man tends to want to build a personal wardrobe made of clothes that satisfy and tell about his lifestyle, his dream.

See also:

EXCLUSIVE: Demna Gvasalia Thinks Couture Can Change Fashion

Paris Couture Weeks Top Trends: Celebs, Mushrooms and Men

https://wwd.com/runway/spring-couture-2020/paris/jean-paul-gaultier/review/

Continued here:

Dolce & Gabbana Discuss their Adventures in Couture for Men WWD - WWD

I first read The Picture of Dorian Gray when I was on my French exchange trip in high school. Surrounded by beautiful architecture and the roaming plains of Normandy, I was entranced by the idea of reading a novel that took place in Europe while abroad. Little did I know how Wilde would make me question the world around me.

The Picture of Dorian Gray follows the eponymous character on his lifes mission to retain his youth and beauty. An artist paints a portrait of the man, which Gray consequently curses, to take the burden of aging. As time proceeds, the portrait grows to become cruel and ugly, while Gray remains youthful in his faade. Although most wont go as far as to selling ones soul for such preservation, it is these same ideals that our society operates upon.

In a way, our world resembles that of Lord Henry, a man that influences Dorian Gray to seek hedonism and to use his youth to commit horrid acts. In a similar manner, American society treats the ephemeral nature of youth as a weapon to our sense of self, as though our lives are ticking time bombs. Birthdays become less of a celebration of life, but more of a reminder of our mortality and our fading beauty. We are told that if we are older, we are less valuable. However, Wilde shows that this is not the case. In one particular profound passage, he writes, Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

While we seem to notice our external features as those that people value, it is our intrinsic qualities that will withstand the test of time. Perhaps we will grow wrinkles, and in the years to come, we might have harsh lines around our mouths, many years of laughter engraved on our skin. Regardless, we shouldnt associate growing old as a negative process, but rather, comprehend it as a blessing. Growing means maturing, understanding more and more what is important to us and realizing our place in relation to the world.

I finished this book near the end of my exchange trip. Every part of me didnt want to leave. I knew I would miss taking the bus into the city, accidentally stumbling upon the remains of William the Conqueror on one particular trip. I would miss the family dinners, the trips to museums and couch-surfing in Paris. It was everything that I could have hoped, and more.

My last day, we visited Mont Saint-Michel. The former fortress is an island, only easily accessible at low tide. Otherwise, it becomes difficult to cross the dry path that leads from the mainland to the beautiful abbey. I remember looking out upon the surrounding area when we climbed to the top, and I marveled at the notion that the sandy scape I walked upon would soon be filled with glistening water. While the world outside of Mont Saint-Michel oscillated, visitors coming and going, the water levels altering under the influence of the Channel, what it represented remained the same. Its history of pilgrimage and resiliency provided a refuge for many who were seeking something greater than themselves.

Driving back to my host familys house after our visit, I looked out onto the fields of sunflowers, knowing that it would be the last time, at least for a while, that I would see these sights. The flowers almost appeared to wave, their petals bending under the persuasion of the wind. I was filled with an insurmountable feeling of loss. In the moment, I remember thinking that I would do anything to pause that moment to escape the constraints of time that dictated my departure from a life I so desperately wanted to live.

Despite my desire to hold on, I began to understand that it was the brevity of these moments that made me want to cling to them more. I am not master of time, and like Mont Saint-Michel, I cannot control the tides that surge and recede. However, I have control over how I treat such delicate moments in life. As Wilde eloquently puts it in his novel, Some things are more precious because they dont last long.

Instead of fretting about the amount of packing I had to complete later that evening, or dreading my last night in the beautiful town, I talked with my host family in that last car ride home. I dont recall exactly what we talked about, or for how long, but I remember the way I felt. Not in control, but rather, yielding to the twists and turns of the road. In lieu of looking back at everything I was leaving behind, I sat there and realized how much I had gained. The flowers would eventually wane over time, and Mont Saint-Michel would merely be an image in my mind, but these moments would be engrained forever.

Perhaps I was looking at life through rose-colored glasses, a trite phrase that is the premise of Edith Piafs most revered song. However, I have come to realize that sometimes, we fail to cherish moments by realizing how much well miss them in the future. Lets not predict our longing for the past, but rather, appreciate the present. Maybe then we will abandon our futile attempts to turn back the hands of the clock, and instead, be content in the here and now.

Elizabeth Prater is a first-year student with double majors in marketing and the Program of Liberal Studies. In her free time, she manages her Goldendoodles Instagram account (@genevieve_the_cute_dog) which has over 23K followers. She can be reached at [emailprotected] or @elizabethlianap on Twitter.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.

Read more here:

Dorian Gray and our obsession with the brevity of time - Observer Online

Its an unhappy anniversary that comes at a time when were preoccupied with a different viral pandemic: 2021 marks 40 years since Aids was first discovered.

Karl, Richie, and Jill enjoying a night at The Pink Palace- Credit: Channel 4

Those nightmarish early years after the discovery of HIV and Aids have been charted in Russell T Davies Its A Sin, the last episode of which aired on Friday.

Set in London at the start of the 1980s and spanning the decade, it follows a group of young gay men following their dreams in the capital and having the time of their lives until the shadow of Aids appears.

Its a series which is both joyful and devastating, Davies charting the territory between the light and the darkness with customary brilliance it also reminds us of the shocking homophobia which infected Britain in the 1980s.

Jill researches the new virus affecting gay men- Credit: Channel 4

The first Aids-related death in London was in 1981, the same year that Davies turned 18 and in the show the writer charts every colour of the emotional rainbow, from joy to pain, hedonism to terror, disbelief to denial, shame to acceptance.

Based on Mr Davies and his friends experiences in the 1980s, the show was made to celebrate, commemorate and highlight the generation of lost boys who died after an HIV diagnosis before effective treatment and preventative measures were found.

He remembered the stories hed been told by families who arrived at hospital wards to discover their son was gay, that he had Aids and that he was dying, all in the same moment and it inspired Its A Sin.

The show has become Channel 4s most-watched box set, has won critical acclaim and has been credited with a massive rise in the number of people taking HIV tests which HIV charity the Terrence Higgins Trust called the Its A Sin effect.

Jill and Ash from It's A Sin attend a rally in London- Credit: Ben Blackall 2019

Fraser Wilson, a spokesperson for Terrence Higgins Trust, said: Its A Sin remembers a time in our history we must never forget when people were dying of a mystery illness and we didnt know why.

But its also important that everyone knows how much HIV has changed since then thanks to massive improvements in preventing, testing for and treating HIV.

The AIDS of Its A Sin is not the same as HIV in the UK today. It looks like that message is getting through and were seeing an Its A Sin effect in action with free HIV tests being ordered to do at home at a faster rate than weve ever seen before.

Most people will get a negative result, but its always better to know. Because you can live a long, healthy life with HIV but it all starts with a test so that you can access the treatment necessary to stay well.

Jill and Valerie in the last episode of It's A Sin- Credit: Ben Blackall 2019

I was at high school when the grim Aids tombstone adverts were on television and my school tackled the issue head on: at a girls-only sex education talk we were told that Aids wasnt something wed have to worry about. Because its that simple.

I remember the horrific Gay Plague headlines from the red-tops and the jaw-dropping interviews with vicars who claimed theyd shoot their sons if they were diagnosed with HIV.

I remember one of my best friends at school telling me he was gay and then in the same breath telling me how ashamed he was to admit it, and knowing then that the only thing wrong about what hed said was that he was paralysed by fear.

My Mum was an early supporter of The Terrence Higgins Trust and regularly donated money when my Dad died in 1992, because she had no time for the Multiple Sclerosis Society (disclaimer: I am sure they are great now) in the death announcement in the paper, she asked for donations to go to the THT.

Less than a week after my Dad died, there was a knock on the front door: someone introduced themselves to me as being from a news organisation, told me they were sorry to hear of Mr Briggs tragic death and then hit me blindsided.

Mr Briggs was a secondary school teacher, I believe, he said, we just wanted to talk to you about his battle with Aids.

As I slammed the door after an exchange which included several choice swear words, I was ashamed of myself for having pointed out hed died of Multiple Sclerosis and not Aids what business was it of anyones?

Then I realised the intent behind the question: a high school teacher with Aids would have been a great story in 1992. Thank God weve come such a long way.

Fast-forward to 1996 and I was a cub reporter on the Norwich Evening News and interviewed several people living with HIV including a gay man and a heterosexual couple. A friend suggested I wear gloves to the interview.

Alex Causton-Ronaldson- Credit: Alex Causton-Ronaldson

A quarter of a century later a frightening thought I am interviewing Alex Causton-Ronaldson who received his HIV diagnosis in 2014 at the age of 23.

He watched Its A Sin and couldnt help but draw parallels between it and some of his own life experiences while also acknowledging the huge gulf between living with HIV in the 1980s and now.

I moved to London from Norwich when I was 18 and I made the same kind of great friends and was as excited as the men in the show were to start a new life, he said.

I had a friend who used to make quite strong jokes about being HIV positive in the 1980s and I told him it made me a bit uncomfortable and he said: Im the only one left from my group of friends, dark humour was the only way we got through it.

He told me that hed been to 30 funerals for his friends before he was 25. It just hit home for me what hed gone through, how awful it had been.

So while I could see comparisons between then and now in the show, there has been so much progress since the 1980s.

My medication shrinks the amount of virus in my body to an undetectable level, protecting the immune system and stopping me from being able to pass HIV on.

Theres a medication called PrEP which prevents HIV transmission nowbut when I was diagnosed, it was very much not if my friends and I got HIV but when.

Alex Causton-Ronaldson and dog Bob- Credit: Alex Causton-Ronaldson

That said, I was convinced that I would be fine. I was the one always telling other people to be careful, the one buying condoms for friends, the one who would tell them off if I thought theyd taken risks.

And yet I was the one who ended up with HIV.

When Alex received sex education at school, in 2002, it was during the dark days of Section 28, a law passed in 1988 by a Conservative government that stopped councils and schools promoting the teaching of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.

Margaret Thatcher said at the time: Children who need to be taught to respect traditional moral values are being taught that they have an inalienable right to be gay. All of those children are being cheated of a sound start in life.

The law was thankfully changed in 2003.

Its difficult to teach about safe sex for gay men when you cant say that being gay is OK, he said, so whole generations failed to get vital information about being safe.

Meanwhile, medicine was getting better and better and treatment more effective, but

Section 28 did nothing to stop young people feeling that being gay was shameful.

Back in Norwich in 2014, Alex started to lose weight which he put down to a healthy new regime (I thought: my personal trainer is AMAZING!) but when he found gravity bruises appearing for no reason, he went to the doctor and began a battery of tests.

The HIV test he took at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on June 6 was a formality hed had a negative result in January and had not been in a position to contract the virus since.

The next day, he moved back to London ahead of starting a new job on Monday June 9 and, after a successful first day, he was starting his journey home when he received a message. It was a nurse at the clinic where hed taken the test.

When he spoke to the nurse who asked if he could come in to the clinic the next day and he told her that hed moved, he said he would have to give him his results over the phone.

Almost 33 years to the day after the first clinical report of a new virus in America, Alex was told he was HIV positive.

I passed out, he said, I thought Im going to die, no one will ever love me. All these emotions raced through me fear, disbelief, shame.

Other than his boyfriend of the time, Alex told no one: the next day he went to work and popped out at lunchtime for a second test. As he was speaking to a nurse, a doctor told him he needed to speak to him urgently.

My blood platelets were so low that a paper cut could have killed me, he said, suddenly I was in a wheelchair with a blanket over me and being rushed to A&E.

(Its A Sin spoiler alert!)

When I saw the scenes of Colin in the ward on his own, I was taken straight back to the tropical and infectious diseases ward and feeling so alone there.

You also cant help thinking that if this was the 1980s, I wouldnt be here now. I would have died. But today, HIV does not need to be a death sentence and this is a virus that we can stamp out entirely.

Alex praised the medical team who treated him and remembered the kindness of a healthcare assistant: I was all on my own so he would come and sit with me every single day, bring me trashy magazines, talk to me about boys, he was amazing, he said.

Most people have time to process their diagnosis but with me it was youve got HIV, youre really ill, youre going to hospital. My brain told me it was a manageable condition, my heart told me something completely different.

For a year, Alex stayed silent about his condition: only his boyfriend of the time knew but when the couple split, he came home to Norwich and told his parents.

My Mum was so upset not about the diagnosis, that Id felt too ashamed to tell her. She said I could have been there for you in hospital. My parents, my family and my friends have always been so supportive.

Alex Causton-Ronaldson at his sister's wedding- Credit: Alex Causton-Ronaldson

For a while, only five people knew Alexs HIV status. Then there was a brush with the Channel 4 legal department about an appearance on First Dates and a rather public interview at a rally.

I went from five people knowing to the world knowing in a day! Alex laughs, but speaking out against stigma, encouraging people to be informed and letting them know that there is no shame in being tested or being HIV positive has made such a difference to my life.

Today, I am in a really good place.

Alex Causton-Ronaldson who was diagnosed in 2014- Credit: Alex Causton-Ronaldson

Alex now takes three tablets a day hes well, hes enjoying spending lots of time with rescue dog Bob, has a new job as head of education for a branding organisation and is looking forward to lockdown lifting.

I am so grateful to Its A Sin and Russell T Davies for starting so many new conversations about HIV. Its important people know how much things have changed but also that they still need to make sure theyre informed, he said.

One day, hopefully well talk about HIV as something that used to be a problem, but that was eradicated. I look forward to that.

Timeline:

1981: Aids first noted in America where five people showed symptoms of a rare infection. On December 12, a gay man dies in London due to an Aids-related illness: he was a frequent visitor to the USA.

1982: Terrence Higgins becomes one of the first people to die of an Aids-related illness in the UK and a trust is formed in his name.

1985: Yorkshire TV hires a temporary venue for its discussion programme Where Theres Life when technicians refuse to work with HIV-positive guests.

1986: A national survey suggests 95 per cent of the public think people with HIV should carry cards showing their status.

1987: Aids is a worldwide epidemic with cases across the globe. The first antiretroviral drugs were approved and a needle exchange opens in Dundee. The Governments Dont Die of Ignorance TV ad campaign begins. Princess Diana shakes hands with an HIV-positive person in London.

1988: Section 28 prohibits local authorities from promoting homosexuality.

1991: Freddie Mercury becomes the first high-profile person to die of an Aids-related illness, a day after revealing he was ill.

1996: A combination of antiretroviral drugs becomes standard treatment for HIV meaning the progression from HIV to Aids is increasingly rare. It also prevents the transmission of HIV between same sex and opposite sex partners as long as the HIV-positive partner has an undetectable viral load.

2010: The Equality Act makes it illegal to discriminate against an HIV-positive person.

2014: UNAIDS establishes the 90-90-90 goal (to have 90 per cent of all people living with HIV diagnosed, receiving treatment and achieving viral suppression). The UK met and exceeded this target.

2019: It is estimated that 105,200 people are living with HIV in the UK, 94 per cent of whom are diagnosed. This means one in 16 people are undiagnosed.

2020: It was announced that PrEP, a drug that prevents the transmission of the HIV virus, would be available free in England from April. This could help eliminate new HIV infections within 10 years.

2021: It is estimated that around 38 million people across the globe with HIV/Aids approximately 81 per cent of people know their HIV status. South Africa has the highest number of people living with HIV in the world.

* For more information, visit the Terrence Higgins Trust atwww.tht.org.uk

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It's A Sin: Aids in the 1980s and living with HIV now - Eastern Daily Press