DAVID POLSON portrait

David Polson was one of the first 400 Australian men to be diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. That was back in 1984, and he immediately told himself the disease would not kill him.

At that time, David was advised by his doctors to tell only three people about the diagnosis because of the hatred, discrimination and stigma surrounding HIV/Aids. However, as he watched others with the disease die, he decided that to stop the stigma, he needed to introduce HIV Aids into the broader conversation… the more you talk about it, the less stigmatised you will become. As a result, David is a keynote speaker who talks to audiences around the country about living positively with HIV, HIV testing, and confronting stigma.

David is a co-founder and the first Chair of QTOPIA, Sydney. A place for Memory, Education and Celebration of Queer lives. The founding Co-Patrons of QTOPIA are Ita Buttrose and Michael Kirby.

details:Materials: Oil on linen
Dimensions (cm): 200 x 150
Year: 2023