WHILE sharing personal journeys of people with HIV/AIDS can empower others, journalists must handle their stories with accuracy and care.
Rainbow Pride Foundation board secretary and HIV advocate Christopher Lutukivuya says this is to avoid further harm to vulnerable individuals and communities, stressing the importance of ethical storytelling in shaping public understanding.
After coming out in 2013, he said what began as an effort to support others quickly turned into a source of public scrutiny, with media coverage and social media reactions often misrepresenting his intentions and reinforcing stigma.
In his case, he said headlines twisted his story and as a result, friends drifted away. The very act of speaking out became a public trial.
“One of those individuals made me the villain of coming out publicly as a gay person living with HIV,” he said.
Despite the backlash, Lutukivuya stood firm and continued to speak out.
“We may have done the honest thing by telling our story, by trying to help somebody who cannot speak for themselves but the words that came out of the mouth that wanted to help was weaponised in a way that further marginalised the key affected population.”
He shared his thoughts on how the attention around fame can overshadow the effort behind it.
“Most of the time we look for fame, especially those who are putting out their stories on the media, leaving aside what really matters.”
For 11 years he limited public appearances but continued advocacy in safe spaces.
“One of the things I’ve noticed is most of the time we come publicly like this, and at the end of the day we are being psychologically affected by the responses that come towards us.”
He encourages media personnels to share such stories with a sense of responsibility.
“When you’re doing your reporting, make sure that it’s realistic, that you do no harm to the community in which you are reporting.
“Accuracy of information matters.”
He emphasised that he wanted his journey to be a balance between telling the truth and protecting vulnerable communities.
