[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulD6qFK8Tdk&index=46&list=PLQIikebAPmLXfBSdF6-wWrzcpt-4cS2zg[/youtube]
[powerpress]
I first met Ken through Twitter. He shared his HIV status in numerous videos on YouTube which just touched my heart. And as many of you know now, I’ve since shared that I have an STD (herpes), but at that time I hadn’t come out. I knew when I had a guest on KirstyTV that shared their STD story, that that was going to be the thing that cracked me open and broke me down. And Ken broke me down.
Ken was my role model. I wanted to be able to say, “I have an STD”, just like Ken says he has HIV. For a long time I called it, “X” because I felt so dirty and was afraid of the stigma attached to herpes. And now I tell people at the luggage carousel, at the mall, on a weekly basis in all sorts of places. It means the world to me to have Ken in LA, to meet him face-to-face and to have another opportunity to share his story to more people.
We all support each other by telling our truth and sharing our stories. Ken gave me the courage and now through sharing my story, people write to me every week. So I know that when we share our stories, we give other people permission to live in their truth, feel okay, and say, “Me too.” There is always someone out there who has the same or similar secret. When you live confidently in your truth, then other people start to accept it.
Ken adds, “There is a community always waiting to be built. And you just now gave that somebody the permission to now just be.”
By giving up my story, I feel in control and I’ve told the world. In terms of relationships, our truths are a great filter for people who are not worthy of our love.
Follow Ken Williams on Twitter @KenLikeBarbie or on YouTube (William Roberts).
Stay tuned to www.KirstyTV.com for more exclusive and uplifting interviews. We will be sharing inspirational stories from everyday people, celebrities and experts every week. You can also subscribe to the KirstyTV Talk Show Podcast on iTunes.