Tonight, we turn to a painful reality resurfacing across LGBTQ+ dating spaces: HIV-phobia. A recent Yahoo News article by Sam Donndelinger shows how stigma still shapes gay dating culture in 2026, despite decades of medical progress. The article centers on 19-year-old Cody Nester from nearby Hollywood, Florida. When Cody discloses his HIV status on dating apps, he’s often met with cruelty.
Some of the messages he received read, You’re disgusting. I don’t know why you’re on here or why you die? Or You’ll never get anything in your life. He’s then blocked. He then informs that 95% of people respond that way. Cody says, “People could at least be more aware, ask questions, and understand the reality [of living with HIV] instead of attacking us.” Experts say this fear isn’t scientific. Xavier A.
Erguera of UCSF explains, “The fear comes from antiquated ideas around HIV… people haven’t caught up.” The science is clear: undetectable equals untransmittable — a message long championed by Broward County organizations. Yet stigma persists. As Cody puts it, “It’s like you’re a white fish in a school of black fish. You’re immediately the odd one out.”
For Broward County, this story is a call to ensure dating culture finally catches up to science.
