"Picture: Positivity" Exhibit: Lino Azevedo

Written by Katelyn Ott

(Picture: Positivity, an exhibition of photographs, biographies and artist statements can be seen at the Santa Clara County Government Center, 70 W. Hedding, San Jose, now until June 20. The photographs are taken by Santa Clara University students. Here is background information about one of the subjects, and a statement from the student about their photograph on exhibit.)

Lino Azevedo

44

San Jose/San Francisco  

Lino Azevedo’s smile lights up the room as he cuddles his dog Nigel and talks about his life. Born in 1969 to a family with six siblings, his large religious family has been his support system, he says. But life hasn’t always been the easiest.

At 15, after his junior year of high school, Lino decided he would leave behind life as he knew it to venture into the exciting lifestyle of San Francisco. Drawn to the mystery and awe of city life, he finally found himself surrounded by people comfortable with their sexual orientation. But it didn’t take long before Lino became involved with the sex industry on the streets because he needed a place to live.

Even so, Lino found time to attend nursing school and got his certified nursing assistant license at the age of 20. He decided to move back to San Jose and begin work at a convalescent home. There, work overtook his life and the hours were draining. He looked for release from the stress. “I was bar-hopping like a bunny rabbit,” he says now.

He met Billy, someone whom he could just have fun with and that he loved to be around. But a year later, Billy began to show signs of wasting syndrome, the loss of muscle mass associated with HIV, and become noticeably sick. In very little time, he died. Lino was the only person present to sign the paperwork.

Lino realized he needed to get tested and learned he was positive for HIV. A whirlwind of addictions soon arose, he says, in the shock and unhappiness he felt. Eventually Lino joined a treatment program, recovered from addiction and served on the Santa Clara County HIV Planning Council. He wound up the courage to talk to his grandmother about his health, who in turn told his parents. His father was at ease, he says, while his mother repeated, “You must go to church!”

Lino’s life now is full of fun hobbies like papier-mâché, Día de los Muertos events, and volunteer work at Good Samaritan hospital. He met Dennis, his current partner, ten years ago and they have been happily together since. He bashfully tells the story that he spent a week at Dennis’ house before he even knew Dennis was a professional musician.

Lino loves dogs, decorating Easter eggs, and the color cobalt blue. He especially loves spending time with Dennis and they are looking forward to moving to New York together in the coming months. Lino’s family has been his biggest support, he says, and he “couldn’t ask for anything better.”

One look at the smile on his face, and it is easy to feel the happiness that Lino radiates. Someday, Lino says, “I would love to write a book, that way I can share my story with everyone.”

Photographer’s Statement

Katelyn Ott

The portrait I took of Lino Azevedo was taken at San Francisco’s Dolores Park, which overlooks the city and is a beautiful place to have a picnic. My classmate, Holly, and I paired up to photograph Lino and his partner Dennis. We spent the afternoon munching on sandwiches while enjoying the weather and taking photographs.

This project was an eye opener for me because before beginning it, I was not aware of the amount of people affected by HIV/AIDS in Santa Clara County, where I have lived my entire life. According to the HIV Planning Council, there were over 3,700 people living with HIV/AIDS in our county in 2010, and yet there is still a lack of education about the disease and the stigma that follows.

I learned that even though some people may not be infected themselves, they are still affected by HIV/AIDS. This is definitely true for me because after becoming friends with Dennis and Lino, I have learned that being infected does not necessarily change the person. People with HIV are real people who have stories to share like everyone else.This project truly allowed me to grow not only as a photographer, but as a perso