Tez Anderson
Public Speaker, Founder, and Writer in San Francisco, California
I'm an 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 in 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.