Entertainment journalist Marc Malkin
and husband Fabian Quezada-Malkin cover the September/October issue
of HIV Plus magazine.
In June, after completing his first
AIDS/LifeCycle ride, Malkin came out HIV positive on Instagram.
‘The ride has left me with many
things, but probably the biggest gift I have received is the
inspiration to live my truth. On this beautiful day of LGBTQ pride, I
have something to say for the first time in such a public forum. I am
HIV-positive,” Malkin captioned a photo of himself on a bike with
his husband by his side.
Malkin told HIV Plus that
speaking to riders and local supporters along the route inspired him
to come out.
“One person I interviewed pulled me
aside later one night and told me that he was HIV-positive but he
wasn't out about it. It broke my heart because I knew exactly how he
felt. We both wanted to be open, but we just weren't ready,” he
said.
Soon after that exchange, Malkin came
out during a presentation by Positive Pedalers, a group of
HIV-positive cyclists and their supporters. When the group asked
those living with HIV to stand up, Malkin slowly rose from his chair
to applause. “When I sat down, with tears in my eyes, I began to
think seriously about coming out as HIV-positive,” he said.
“I have been living with HIV for
almost a decade,” Malkin
said. “I have been on meds from the day I was diagnosed. I
have never been happier and more satisfied with my life. I am
living, I will not die from HIV.”
Quezada-Malkin said that he faced
homelessness after being diagnosed as HIV-positive at 17.
“I've had to come out of three
closets: as an undocumented immigrant, as a gay man, and as someone
living with HIV,” he said. “Every time I have told my truth, I
have seen how it could help someone else, even if it's just a
stranger reaching out to me on Facebook thanking me for sharing my
story.”
Today, Quezada-Malkin is one of the
most sought-after colorists in Beverly Hills, California and he
recently got his green card.