Tez Anderson

Tez Anderson is an award-winning, nationally recognized HIV Long-Term Survivor activist, writer, and speaker who has been living with HIV since 1983. He focuses on HIV Long-Term Survivors aging with HIV. He is the founder of Let’s Kick ASS—AIDS Survivor Syndrome (2013), the first and largest group worldwide dedicated to improving the lives of HIV long-term survivors and older adults aging with HIV.

Anderson coined the term “AIDS Survivor Syndrome (ASS)” to describe the psychological state resulting from living through the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In 2014, he established HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD) to bring attention to those living longest with HIV, who often felt forgotten and invisible as they aged. His work has had a profound impact on the lives of HIV long-term survivors, fostering empathy and understanding in the community.

Anderson’s activism began in the early 1980s as a gay rights advocate in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. He has been open about his HIV-positive status since 1990, when he disclosed it in People magazine.

His influence extends to the entertainment industry, where he co-wrote and served as Executive Producer on the 2006 feature film “The Night Listener” and was a Creative Consultant for the groundbreaking “Tales of the City” miniseries (1994).

For more information, visit LetsKickASS.hiv andHLTSAD.org.