Dating Nightmares: Nushawn Williams Speaks

By Angela Bronner, BlackVoices.com

In 1999, a sensational story rocked the New York City area.

Twenty-one-year-old Nushawn Williams was accused and later convicted of infecting at least 13 women and girls with HIV.

According to the Washington Post, Williams had identified 48 sexual partners to Chautauqua County health officials. Of those 48, 41 were eventually tested. Thirteen turned up positive, six got pregnant -- and at least one baby was born HIV positive.

The New York press had a field day -- the story hit on the holy triumverate of sensationalism: race, sex and class. Black guy from the "city" (Brooklyn) goes to working class town in upstate New York, has sex with a plethora of white women -- many of them teenagers -- and infects them with HIV, the virus which causes AIDS.

On Friday, the E! channel premieres a THS (True Hollywood Story) on "dating nightmares" and will feature an exclusive interview with Nushawn Williams -- his first ever.

"I was not the type of individual that would go around sleeping with women knowing that I was HIV positive," says Williams on 'THS Investigates Dating Nightmares'. "I didn't know I was HIV positive."

The show also interviews several doctors. Chautaguqua County health official Dr. Richard Berke, the doctor who connected all these young women to this one young man, called Williams a "potent spreader."

Dr. Neil Rzepkowski, an HIV expert says, "I think that Nushawn was in denial. When you're told something, a lot of people hear it and then it goes right out their consciousness."

Sexual, racial, class stuff aside, the most interesting part of this is the legal aspect of this story.

Nushawn Williams did not go to jail for intentionally spreading what was then thought to be a fatal (now classified as chronic) disease. He went to jail for statutory rape -- one of the girls he infected was 13 years old.

We covered this last year in the AIDS blog when a man from Texas was convicted under similar circumstances.

Willie Atkins was not jailed for sleeping with over 300 young boys and men, even though he knew he was HIV positive. He was jailed on statutory rape charges because some of the boys were teenagers.

To date, there is no federal law that says that one cannot be jailed for intentionally spreading HIV. It is not viewed as a crime in most states.

To hear more from Nushawn Williams, tune into 'THS INVESTIGATES: DATING NIGHTMARES'

May 16 @ 8PM EST - premiere

May 17 @ 5PM

May 18 @ 1PM

May 25 @ 5PM

May 27 @ 3PM

June 3 @ 8PM

June 6 @ 9AM

Stars of AIDS

Stars of AIDS
Arthur Ashe 1943-1993 - Tennis Star: Arthur Ashe was a phenomenal tennis player and a thoughtful humanitarian. Ashe received a tennis scholarship to UCLA in 1963, and by 1975 was the No. 1 tennis player in the world. He won three grand slam tournaments andchampioned social causes until his death. Today, the U.S. Open is played at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Greg Gibson, AP
Stars of AIDS
Freddie Mercury 1946-1991 - Queen's Star: Fredie Mercury was a British pop superstar and lead singer of the group, Queen, which was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Mercury, an Indian of Parsi descent, was a brilliant songwriter credited with iconic anthems such as "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Somebody to Love," and "We Are the Champions." Getty
Stars of AIDS
Eazy E 1963-1995 - Rap Star: Eazy-E (born Eric Lynn Wright) was one of the architects of gangsta rap and co-founder of record label Ruthless, which spawned the careers of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Bone Thugs n Harmony. His first rap group, NWA, shot to famewith their raw lyrics and always courted controversy, especially with their hit, "F-k the Police." Retna
Stars of AIDS
Rock Hudson 1925-1985 - Hollywood Star: Rock Hudson was one of the most famous leading men of the 1950's and '60s, appearing in over 70 major motion pictures. He was also one of the first persons of prominence to announce that he had AIDS, bringing attention to what had previously been a little known disease. ZUMA Press
Stars of AIDS
Gene Anthony Ray 1962-2003 - Screen Star: Dancer and actor Gene Anthony Ray is best known as the corn-rowed street dude, Leroy, a dancer in 'Fame,' both the film and the TV series. Although not classically trained before appearing in the show, he did laterattend the real High School of the Performing Arts for a time. Retna Ltd.
Stars of AIDS
Ryan White 1971-1990 - Activist Star: Ryan White, a hemophiliac from Indiana is best known as a young AIDS activist who was expelled from his school because of his HIV status. The ensuing legal battle brought to the fore Ryan's prominence, but also prejudice, ignorance and the fact that AIDS does not discriminate. AP
Stars of AIDS
Willi Smith 1948-1987 - Style Star: Considered the most successful black fashion designer ever, this Philly native exploded on to the fashion scene in the late 1970s. Always an innovator, Smith won awards and was a savvy businessman. His company, WilliWear, was a unique industry fixture. Corbis
Stars of AIDS
Robert Mapplethorpe 1946-1989 - Photo Star: Robert Mapplethorpe was known for his highly stylized, striking black and white photos. He is probably most famous for his Generation X series of photos of mostly nude men, which sparked a debate over decency andgovernment funding of the arts. AP and The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation
Stars of AIDS
Sylvester 1947-1988 - Disco Star: As one of the first acclaimed and openly gay artists of the '70s, Sylvester James set the stage for future performers like RuPaul, the Pointer Sisters and the Weather Girls. Sylvester bridged the gap between cult followingand mass appeal with disco anthems such as 'You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)' and 'Do You Wanna Funk.' Jeff Katz
Stars of AIDS
Liberace 1919-1987 - Candalabrum Star: Even Bugs Bunny knew of Wladziu Valentino Liberace, better known as Liberace, a classically trained pianist who entertained the masses with his ostentatious costumes and wit. He is known for his omnipresent candalabrum and the phrase, 'I wish my brother George were here.' AP

Categories

Contributors

Other BV Blogs