After 10 years of working for ABC’s Los Angeles affiliate, correspondent Karl Schmid revealed on Facebook Friday that he is HIV positive. The 37-year-old admitted that after living with the disease for a decade he came forward despite industry peers telling him to remain silent.
“I work in television. And on the side of the camera where, for better or worse it’s considered ‘taboo’ for people ‘like me’ to be ‘like me,’” Schmid wrote. “But here’s the thing. I’m me. I’m just like you. I have a big heart and I want to be loved and accepted.
I may be on TV from time to time, but at the end of the day I’m just an average guy who wants want we all want. To be accepted and loved by our friends and family and to be encouraged by our peers.”
He continued, “So here’s what I say, stand tall, and stand proud, you can’t make everybody happy but you can make you happy. And so long as you tell the truth, you will never have to remember anything. Labels are things that come and go but your dignity and who you are is what defines you. I know who I am, I know what I stand for and while in the past I may not have always had clarity, I do now”
Source: aol.com
Dee Beasley is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of FreshAsFrankie.com. After starting out as a musician-producer he went on to study the music business and work in Urban Promotions, followed by artist management. Mr. Beasley entrepreneurial spirit has led him to launch numerous businesses in music and fashion marketing. He’s a huge fan of the ’80s and ’90s Hip Hop and R&B, and he’s a firm believer that Hip Hop Music will never die.