Drag queen wears crown covered in HIV-positive blood to Belfast Pride

Boombox regular performer, Electra, wore a crown painted in HIV+ blood to Belfast Pride earlier this month to help spread awareness of the infection.

She told Belfast Live: “My princess ball gown is topped off with a beautiful tiara. Look closely, and you will see the red hue.

“The crown is coated in the blood of a consenting HIV+ donor, taken by a qualified doctor and then applied to the crown to dry, letting the virus die with it. It was sealed with a plastic sealant to protect myself against infection if rain were to liquify the blood again.”

HAPPY PRIDE EVERYONE!! #WEAREONE #HIVHeroes The day before Pride, I reposted an article about an Austrian magazine @vangardist that mixed HIV+ blood from consenting donors with ink. To spread a message of respect, solidarity, and to fight back against the stigma against those who are HIV positive. When I first read it, last year, it inspired me to come up with a similar concept. My Violet Chacki-inspired princess ball gown is topped off with a beautiful tiara. Look closely, and you will see the red hue. The crown is coated in the blood of a consenting HIV+ donor, taken by a qualified doctor, then applied to the crown to dry, letting the virus die with it, to be sealed with a plastic sealant to protect myself against infection if rain were to liquify the blood again. My message is as the Austrian magazine was. Respect. Solidarity. Battling the stigma. We must educate ourselves more on how HIV is transmitted. I have witnessed the abuse received by HIV+ brothers and sisters in our community; and this arises from ignorance, which leads to hate, and we become divided as a result. This was for Belfast Pride Day. We may celebrate and be joyful, but we are by no means a perfect community just yet. There is so much we still must learn ourselves, internally, to respect one another. I am fully aware that heterosexual HIV+ individuals out way the number of HIV+ homosexual people in the UK now, but in light of this week’s decision regarding the NHS funding PrEP our community are once again labelled as sexual deviants amongst the media who regard it as a “gay disease”, and heterosexual HIV+ individuals as innocent victims – we are all innocent victims. Please do not let this dilute the power of educating yourself and others on the irrational fears surrounding HIV transmission. If you wish to speak with me on this project, message me. This is about open and honest discussion! Respect. Solidarity. We. Are. One. #belfastpride #drag #dragqueen #gay #LGBTQ #hiv #positivelife #solidarity #lovewins #gaypride @msanamatronic @cheddar_gorgeous #weareone #pinknews #attitude #gayni

A photo posted by Electra La Cunt (@electralacnt) on Aug 7, 2016 at 3:00am PDT

She then went on to tell Belfast Live: “My message is respect, solidarity, battling the stigma. We must educate ourselves more on how HIV is transmitted.

“I have witnessed the abuse received by HIV+ brothers and sisters in our community; and this arises from ignorance, which leads to hate, and we become divided as a result.

“But in the light of the decision regarding the NHS funding PrEP, our community are once again labelled as sexual deviants amongst the media who regard it as a ‘gay disease’, and heterosexual HIV-positive individuals as innocent victims – we are all innocent victims.”

Words: Darren Mew

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