Thread: Episode 2 of It’s a Sin by the phenomenal @russelldavies63 on @Channel4 this evening and you may have spotted yours truly making a little cameo!

The show is a triumph, directed by the genius that is @PeterHoar8. To have made a small appearance is a huge honour.

It’s a Sin follows Ritchie, Jill, Roscoe, Colin + Ash as they navigate the height of the AIDS crisis in London. The scene I appear in features Ritchie - the incredible @alexander_olly - speaking of (at that point) a mystery virus + the rumours of its origins.

During the sequence I pop up as a representation of the fabled “Patient Zero” rumour. It hasn’t escaped me that I’m portraying a real person for who that label was incorrectly thrust upon, who has since been exonerated, but I want to reflect on him and why the myth is redundant.

Gaëtan Dugas (1952-1984) was a flight attendant from Quebec City who had helped researchers in a study of cases in California. Interviewed in New York, Dugas was incredibly cooperative in providing researchers with vast amounts of personal information.

Named in the study “Patient O” as in “Out-of-California”, this was later mistakenly misinterpreted as 0 (zero) instead of the alphabetical O. A typo caused the confusion.

In 1987, 3 years after Dugas’ death, despite no evidence, he was publicly named in a book as “Patient Zero”.

Propagated in a publicity campaign to push book sales the media ran with this sensationalist headline, deeming him a monster and responsible for the AIDS epidemic in North America, further spreading the falsity.

Richard McKay, a University of Cambridge historian has said, “Gaëtan Dugas is one of the most demonised patients in history, one of a long line of individuals and groups vilified in the belief they somehow fuelled epidemics with malicious intent”.

It’s a Sin allows us to reflect on the heartbreaking tragedy of lives lost + queer elders we’re missing. The shame, fear, trauma + lack of eduction. And to remember progress made: Undetectable = Untransmittable. People living with HIV and on effective treatment cannot pass it on.

It’s a Sin is heartbreaking, beautiful and a masterpiece. Huge congrats to the astonishingly talented cast and crew. It deserves all of the plaudits and praise and is an absolute must watch.

P.S. While I'm here, a huge shoutout to @THTorguk for the amazing work they do.