It’s been 20 years since I was diagnosed with HIV, and in that time, I’ve learned that many people are afraid to live with me or be near me. But rather than give in to irrational stereotypes, I know it’s my responsibility to educate others, and affirm that “we live together” in this world, whether you have HIV or not.

That’s why I work to raise awareness about HIV. But recently, I experienced shocking discrimination from a popular hotel in Thailand, the Town in Town Hotel, and I need your help as potential tourists and guests of this hotel to change their policies, as well as their hearts and minds.

Organizations working on HIV/AIDS health care and education were scheduled to host an event as this hotel -- and we’ve used this hotel for years to hold conferences on HIV/AIDS. But this year the hotel refused to allow us to stay at their venue. They said that because people attending the event would have HIV/AIDS, they would not be allowed to have the conference or stay in the rooms. Apparently customers complained that they did not want people living with HIV/AIDS to stay in the same rooms, or eat in the same dining areas.

This is outright discrimination toward people living with HIV/AIDS. Moreover, it only fosters stigma toward people living with HIV and false information about HIV/AIDS. You can’t contract HIV from sharing the same room or the same dining areas.

We’ve seen this problem before. Not so long ago, there was a toddler who tried to go to school in a child development center in the Eastern region of Thailand. When other parents found out that this child’s parents were HIV+, they wouldn’t let their kids attend school. Despite pleas from medical professionals and doctors, parents continued to keep their kids away while this child attended school, for fear that just being in the same classroom with a kid who had parents who were HIV+ would result in risk for HIV/AIDS.

We have to stand strong against this kind of misinformation and stereotyping. The Town in Town hotel owes it to all customers not to foster discrimination, and treat all of their customers equally. Please stand with me and urge the Town in Town Hotel to apologize for discriminating against people living with HIV/AIDS, and ensure that all future guests can stay at the hotel, regardless of their HIV/AIDS status.