Your Stories
Being by his side
Earlier this year, Bill and I went to New Orleans for an annual weeklong get-together with friends from college. We all went to a restaurant for lunch. Bill is highly allergic to shellfish and it was made very clear to the waitress he could not have any food prepared with shellfish. Unfortunately, he had a severe reaction to a pasta dish with sauce we later found out contained crawfish. The restaurant was not prepared to react, so we rushed to a drug store to purchase some Benadryl.
Positively dating
I’m single again, HIV-positive and back on the dating scene. It’s been three years since I dated and almost seven since I dated with such confidence. But who is ready to honestly date me?
The person I count on
We had our first date 12 years ago. In September 1993, we had a commitment ceremony that was attended by 100 of our friends and family (my partner’s family), including our priest, who came without his collar and blessed our union. Since then, we have found out that he is gay.
Why should we pay more for insurance?
Terry Earls, 29, and Troy Kaser, 27, have been together going on five years. In mid 2000, Troy and Terry each left their jobs in the software industry to join a small start-up company. For a while, things were going well. However, it became evident in late 2001 that the future of the company was precarious. The small company originally offered health care benefits, but with the market conditions souring, the benefits were no longer being offered.
When a Partner Becomes Disabled
My now-deceased partner, Rodney, went on disability in 1995 and stopped working. He was able to retain his health insurance through COBRA (at the employer’s full cost) for 33 months after going on disability. From that point on, the race had begun.
Retired Early to Take Care of Partner
My partner, Leon, and I have been together for 40 years. We consider ourselves married, in our hearts. We have built a beautiful life together.