Lee Thompson, known as "Uncle Poodle" on the TLC hit reality show “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” revealed that he’s HIV positive.

The openly homosexual brother of Honey Boo Boo’s father Sugar Bear made the courageous statement about his health status in the most recent issue of an Atlanta based gay magazine called Fenuxe. In an interview that revolved around advocating safe sex, Boo Boo’s uncle talked about how he found out he’d contracted the virus.

“I was adamant about getting my HIV status checked on a regular basis. On March 16, 2012, I tested negative," he said. "Then in May of 2012 my test results came back positive. I knew it had been my boyfriend who infected me."

“I later learned he had been HIV positive and was not taking medication and had not bothered to tell me about it. I was advised that I should press charges and hesitantly, I did. It was the right thing to do,” he added.

Thompson also stressed the severity of the situation in regards to the consequences of not using protection.

“They are damn fools! They are playing Russian roulette; they are playing with their lives and that of their sexual partners,” he said.

Thompson is no stranger to unfortunate circumstances, as he recently suffered broken ribs and a dislocated jaw at the hands of some thugs while partaking in GLAAD’s Spirit Day in October. He also revealed his injuries in a GLAAD video in order to assist in the fight against violence.

“Being gay in the South… people don’t like it. Growing up as a kid, I was bullied day in and day out … broke ribs, dislocated jaw, cars vandalized … I’ve had cars vandalized to this day,” he said.

While the seemingly frequent hardships have been tough to swallow, "Poodle" stated that he’s able to persevere through it because of the support of his family and friends.

“I have family that stands by me, supports me. I’m wearing purple today to let every youngster and every teen know it is okay to be who you are. Don’t let anybody change that.”

Tags
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Television