Jonathan Van Ness is endorsing presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren for an important reason
Jonathan Van Ness (left) and Elizabeth Warren. (Robin Marchant/Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images for GLAAD)
Queer Eye grooming expert Jonathan Van Ness has endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren.
Van Ness, who publicly revealed he is living with HIV over the weekend, has backed the 70-year-old politician in her bid to become America’s first female president.
The hair stylist said he decided to support Warren after losing his HIV medication last month, meaning that he was forced to pay a steep $3,500 bill to replace them – even though he has health insurance.
“The moment I knew I was endorsing @ewarren was last month when I misplaced my HIV meds,” he wrote on Twitter.
“It cost $3500 to replace them out of pocket with ‘amazing’ plantinum [sic] level insurance. Healthcare shouldn’t be for profit ever, it’s a human right.”
Queer Eye star backs presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren.
Jonathan Van Ness revealed that he is a “member of the beautiful HIV-positive community.” Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for Clusterfest)
Warren has endorsed Bernie Sanders’ ‘Medicare for All’ single-payer legislation proposal, and has said in a recent debate: “Health care is a basic human right, and I will fight for basic human rights.”
However, critics have accused her of being too vague about her healthcare plans.
She is hoping to become president in the 2020 election.
The hopeful has seen a surge in popularity over the past few weeks, overtaking former US vice president Joe Biden in California in one recent poll as she vies to become the Democratic presidential candidate.
Jonathan Van Ness opens up about living with HIV.
The Queer Eye star’s support for Warren comes after he recently revealed his HIV status to the public in an interview with The New York Times on Saturday, September 21.
He also writes about his experience of living with HIV in his new memoir, Over the Top, which was published on September 24.
Healthcare shouldn’t be for profit ever, it’s a human right.
In the book, Van Ness also reveals that he was sexually abused as a child.
He said he found out that he had HIV at the age of 25 after getting a check-up when he fainted while working in a hair salon.
“That day was just as devastating as you would think it would be,” he writes.
Van Ness is the second high-profile figure to reveal he has HIV in recent weeks, with rugby star Gareth Thomas revealing that he is living with the virus after a tabloid threatened to publicly disclose his status earlier this month.
