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Page 10
Junior
August 3, 1995
Junior's Apartment
Upper Tenderloin, San Francisco
Junior's younger brother Bunso is present.
MW: Has your sero-status ever been an issue in a relationship that you've been in?
Junior: No. I was dating Steven for 14 weeks before I told him. Every time I'd want to say it, I'd think, it's not the right time. At first it was a casual relationship. In April it was his birthday, I didn't want to ruin his birthday. Then, I saw my picture in the paper. I have to do something, because I didn't want him to see it first. I went to his place. Normally I would remove my shoes, put on shorts, but that time I didn't remove my shoes, and I'm still wearing my pants just in case I had to run for my life. I had had sex with him and I'd never disclosed my status. We were safe, but still, you don't do that.
I showed him the picture. "I joined a theater group." I had the piece that I wrote. I told him, "I want you to read this, but don't say anything until you finish the last page." He was reading and quiet, and then he said, "I'm here, it's okay." I know we'll be fine because he helped some people with AIDS, in a buddy system, a support system. Maybe he's more open-minded about that. I've given a lot of people copies of the piece I wrote; I guess that's my style. I have a different way of telling people. Like I never talked to my brother before about what I do, my things and stuff.
MW: What do you mean "your things
and stuff?"
Junior: Like when I get involved with relationships, wherever or whoever. I just invited him to have lunch with Steven and I without saying anything.
MW: So you allowed him to figure your relationship to Steven out for himself?
Junior: Yeah, because I don't want to talk about it. I don't know, I guess we still haven't talked about it. It's easier for me...
MW: Well, you can talk about it when I leave.
Junior: No, it's easier for me to talk about it through someone else, if there's a third person, instead of just the two of us.
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