Tez Anderson

I am an HIV Long-Term Survivor activist, writer, and speaker who has been living with HIV since 1983. My work focuses on HIV Long-Term Survivors aging with HIV. In 2013, I founded Let’s Kick ASS—AIDS Survivor Syndrome, the first and largest group dedicated to improving the lives of long-term HIV survivors living with the virus before 1986 aging with HIV.

I coined the term “AIDS Survivor Syndrome (ASS)” to describe the psychological effects resulting from living through the early HIV/AIDS pandemic — when it was a death sentence.

In 2014, I established HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day (HLTSAD) to shine a spotlight on those living longest with HIV, many of whom have felt forgotten or invisible as they age. My activism has profoundly impacted the lives of long-term HIV survivors, fostering empathy and understanding within the community.

My journey as an activist began in the early 1980s as a gay rights advocate in Atlanta, Georgia. I publicly disclosed my HIV-positive status in 1990 through People magazine. Beyond activism, my influence extends to the entertainment industry—I co-wrote and served as Executive Producer for the feature film The Night Listener (2006) and was a Creative Consultant for the groundbreaking miniseries Tales of the City (1994).

For more information, visit LetsKickASS.hiv and HLTSAD.org.