Mykki Blanco reveals HIV positive diagnosis

The musician took to Facebook to tell fans he'd had the virus for 'my entire career'

Mykki Blanco has shared with fans the news that he is HIV positive.

The rapper, performance artist and poet, whose real name is Michael Quattlebaum Jr, posted on Facebook in the early hours of the morning (June 13).

SEE ALSO: Mykki Blanco claims Portuguese police arrested him for ‘being gay’

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In the post, he wrote: “I’ve been HIV Positive since 2011, my entire career. Fuck stigma and hiding in the dark, this is my real life. I’m healthy, I’ve toured the world 3 times but I’ve been living in the dark, it’s time to actually be as punk as I say I am.”

Ive been HIV Positive since 2011, my entire career. fuck stigma and hiding in the dark, this is my real life. I’m…

Posted by Mykki Blanco on Friday, 12 June 2015

The Fader reports that he then interacted with fans in the comments section, writing: “Mykki Blanco no more living a lie. HAPPY PRIDE…being afraid of stigma is exhausting…the music industry ain’t gonna like I admitted this so if a curator could help me move more into the art world that would be awesome.”

Last year, Blanco claimed he had been arrested by police in Portugal for being gay. He was in Europe for an appearance at a gallery show residency and began posting updates on Facebook from the police station after he was taken in on May 19.

Blanco’s first comment read: “I’m being arrested in Portugal for being gay.” This was then followed by a number of pictures taken from inside his cell. Noisey reports that he was later freed and given a €600 fine.

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