Victor I. Cazares, a queer and HIV-positive playwright, is refusing to take his antiviral medication until the New York Theatre Workshop declares its support for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war that continues to rage in Gaza. He says he hopes his physical decline and suffering will move the small theater to action. The ‘drama’ around the queer Mexican playwright’s protest has played out in a series of Instagram posts.
“Maybe they don’t feel much for Palestinians. They can’t imagine,” Cazares said in a recent interview, adding: “But they’ve spoken to me. They can visualize my life. They’ve seen me be among them. What I’m hoping is that my life means something.” Cazares has not taken a dose of Dovato — an antiviral medication that has had an over 90 percent success rate in reducing HIV to undetectable levels in patients — since December 1, 2023. After 41 days of foregoing the antiviral medication, the playwright’s HIV levels were no longer undetectable — meaning the virus had established itself in his body.
Friends and family of Cazares have objected to his protest — ostensibly in support of the Hamas terrorist group that governs the Palestinian Gaza territory. His sister-in-law objected to his actions, telling him, “No one’s asking you to do this, Victor. We need you here.” Friends have tried to reason with him, asking: “Why are you risking your life for a white institution that is never going to care about your life?” In response, Cazares claims he’s given his life to theater and is willing to take his protest to a hospital bed if necessary. He believes the New York Theater Workshop will eventually fold to his medication-strike.
When untreated, HIV eventually will develop into the immunodeficiency condition called AIDS. At this point, there is no effective treatment for the patient, with AIDS always being fatal.
