Living with HIV - Rodney Lofton
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R&B/Hip-Hop performers in the music industry. His voice also provided a "biting" commentary of gossip in the music trade publication, Music Biz. While fulfilling this dream of being in the entertainment industry, Lofton was dealt a tragic blow that could have easily ended his career aspirations. He was diagnosed with HIV. He retreated to the safe haven of home, Richmond, Virginia, to regroup and redefine himself. For two years, Lofton continued to freelance as he prepared for what he assumed was the end. A chance meeting with the Editor of The Malebox, an African-American gay publication, allowed him to broaden his readership to include an African- American gay following. His articles addressed topics in Black Gay culture on dating issues, HIV/AIDS and his most popular feature, insight into the mind of a male escort. He decided during this time to focus his energies on writing his one great work of art, a play entitled, The Last Supper, which premiered as a workshop at the University of Kentucky. The play addressed indirectly, Lofton's fears associated with living with HIV and the hope of reconciling with his father. When he beat the odds, he decided to redirect his energy by working in the HIV/AIDS community. His voice has been heard by countless young people around the country and even internationally. He has served as Keynote Speaker and Facilitator by the New Jersey World AIDS Day Celebration, the Ryan White National Youth Conference, The United States Conference on AIDS and countless others. His commitment to youth HIV prevention led him to work in the Saratov-Oblast region of Russia, assisting agencies with high rates of HIV infection among young people. In the summer of 2005, Lofton decided to step away from HIV/AIDS work to focus on himself and his healing. Out of this period of reflection, came his "baby," his true and gritty retelling of where he has been, how he got there and the end result of his actions. The Day I Stopped Being Pretty is Lofton's memoir, presented in its most gritty and heart wrenching telling. Visit his website at www.rodneylofton.com or www.myspace.com/rodlofton to learn more.
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Rodney Lofton was born in Seaboard, North Carolina and raised in Richmond, Virginia. His life's journey has been detailed in his first novel, a memoir entitled, The Day I Stopped Being Pretty. Lofton had a dream at an early age of becoming an actor. He remembers vividly the days of sitting in the movie theaters of downtown Richmond, to view the great actors and actresses on screen. From that moment, he began to lose himself in the great lives of the characters on screen. At the age of ten, he auditioned for the television show, Palmerstown, USA. Although he lost out on the role, the acting bug had bitten. Throughout his high school years, he auditioned and landed roles in his high school productions of The Wizard of Oz, Don't Bother Me I Can't Cope, and a class project "Oh Freedom," in which he played the tragic mulatto son of a slave and slave master. During this time, he discovered he was different from the other guys in the neighborhood. He realized he was Gay. As he matured, he sought affection in the arms of many, searching for that one defining love that eluded him. His search began when he realized that the love of his father was not reciprocated. His journey for love and attention took him to New York City, where his childhood dream came true. He began working as a Publicist for a Public Relations firm, where he represented the likes of Kool and the Gang, Mary Wilson of the legendary girl group The Supremes and a host of others. He continued to make a name for himself, as a freelance writer for the national teen publication, SPICE Magazine, providing reviews and feature articles on the top
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Will You Walk With Me?
- By Rodney Lofton
- Published 08/13/2007
- Living with HIV - Rodney Lofton
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On In July 1981, the New York Times reported an outbreak of a rare form of cancer among gay men in
Twenty-five years late the disease still plagues society. How did we get to this point?
How Many More?
- By Rodney Lofton
- Published 08/4/2007
- Living with HIV - Rodney Lofton
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Rating:
I remember sitting at the breakfast table with Grandma when I was a little boy. I would hungrily devour the wonderful meal of scrambled eggs, homemade pancakes, sausage and sometimes-fried bologna. I would curiously peer up from my plate between bites, fearful that the delicacies before me would disappear and just watch Grandma. Her face was worn, showcasing signs of happiness and sadness, but she was regal. As I searched her face for some reaction, she would look up from her newspaper, catch me spying on her and gently smiled. As she sat there with her morning cup of Maxwell House and the Salem cigarette she would allow me to steal puffs from, I sensed something different in Grandma’s demeanor. I looked at her with the attention I had only displayed on Saturday mornings, while watching the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner cartoons. This particular morning she seemed somber. I noticed next to her ashtray filled with cigarette butts, was her well worn telephone book. As she flipped the pages of the Metro section, I noticed how she would compare a name she came across in the paper to a name in her telephone book.
“Grandma, what ya doing?” I asked, as I stuffed the last piece of breakfast meat into my mouth. She thought carefully before she spoke. “I am erasing names from my telephone book,” she said with her shaky quivering voice. Not satisfied with the answer, I asked, “Why?”
Looking back now, I understand. Grandma was removing the name of a friend or a loved one who passed away
