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Video: 20 Years Ago Today, Magic Johnson Announced He Has HIV and Is Retiring
It was November 7, 1991 when Earvin "Magic" Johnson announced to sports fans worldwide that he had been diagnosed with HIV and was retiring immediately from the Los Angeles Lakers.
In the two decades since, Johnson has reshaped the face of HIV, working in the African American community to encourage HIV testing, awareness, and prevention. Back in 1991, though, contracting HIV through heterosexual sex as Johnson says he did, was thought to be rare, and the Lakers star battled questions about his sexuality. Shortly after his announcement, Johnson created the Magic Johnson Foundation.
Johnson has been on a drug "cocktail" combo since 1991, and remains living proof that an HIV diagnosis is not a death sentence.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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