The 'Queer Eye' star explains that he is 'okay' when people call him he, she or they because he is 'so much more than what that means to other people and to [him].'
- May 20, 2022
AceShowbiz - Jonathan Van Ness doesn't mind what pronouns people use for him. The "Queer Eye" star insisted he is comfortable with both masculine and feminine terms, as well as gender-neutral ones, because he feels like he is "all of those things and none of those things."
Jonathan told Australia's Daily Telegraph newspaper, "When I say, he, she, they, whatever, I mean it because I feel like in ways I am all of those things and I'm none of those things at the same time." He added, "That's why I feel like whether you want to say he, she or they, it is okay for me."
"If it is they or she, for me who I am is so much more than what that means to other people and to me," Jonathan continued. "That is where I come at it and why I identify as he, she or they because I feel like I'm everything and I feel like I'm nothing at the same time. That is kind of existential, but it is how I see it."
In 2019, Jonathan revealed he had been HIV+ since he was 25 and opened up on his diagnosis to help end the stigma around the condition. The 35-year-old star said, "This is only the beginning. I'm quickly realizing that there is still so much misunderstanding, so much sensationalizing of living with HIV. The stigma and the difficulty around the process of getting treatment is creating that. My work has only really just begun."
Jonathan has reassured fans that the condition is under control and he is "thriving." He said, "So there's a thing called a viral load and that's how much copies of the virus is in you. And you take a pill every day and it basically kills all the copies of the virus in your blood and that means you can achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load. There's been a lot of studies ... that basically, undetectable equals un-transmittable."
"So as long as you're adhering to your medication and seeing your doctor every three months. I mean, I've picked up figure skating, I've done nothing but get cuter and be able to work longer and harder hours," Jonathan shared. He then exclaimed, "I feel like I'm thriving!"
