Empire Star Jussie Smollett is the HIV Activist We Need

For its January/February issue, Plus magazine enlisted openly gay comedian Sampson McCormick to sit-down for an intimate discussion with good friend Jussie Smollett.  The 33-year-old Empire star opens up to McCormick and reveals why he’s worried, as a Black gay man, about the issues that he personally advocates for to ensure social justice across the board.  McCormick tells Plus, “That’s one thing I love about him. He’s an artist for sure, but he’s also very connected to real issues, and we need more people like him.”

On President-elect Donald Trump and his supporters:

“I think that these are desperate times, desperate, desperate, desperate people. I’m not saying that every single Donald Trump supporter is a desperate person. No, actually I am. I am, but [he is] playing to people’s fears, fears of being less powerful.”

His thoughts on homophobia:

“[Homophobia] is the brainwashing of society. It’s the poisoning of hate. That’s what it is. One of my biggest mentors, Phill Wilson, after the Charleston shootings, I was so low, and it was right when I was being honored at the Heroes in the Struggle last year. And I was so down, I could not stop. It was one of the first times that I felt just completely defeated. [Phill] said to me and Jeremy, he said it like this: ‘These are extremely, extremely desperate people. They are such desperate people, because hate is so desperate right now, because hate is going to lose.’ When hate is gonna lose, hate starts getting real low, hate starts getting real, trying everything. Well, I’m gonna shoot you; well I’m gonna do this. That’s what hate does. That’s what Donald Trump does.”

On using his voice as an artist to advocate for social issues:
“That, if anything is my message, it’s that it’s not about, ‘Why is it the artist’s responsibility?’ It’s, ‘Why is it the human being’s responsibility?’ If we fucked up this world, we gotta clean it up. It’s a human being’s responsibility. It’s just that the artist, to me—sometimes we are told that we should shy away from what is our civic duty and what is just our rights and our duty as citizens. That somehow … we’re supposed to shut our mouths. So many times I’ve gotten … [asked], ‘Why don’t you shut up and stop talking about race? Don’t you have some acting to do?’ First of all, that’s all you’ve got? That’s a whack-ass shit you’re gonna say. And it’s just really interesting and I’ve heard that before, but that’s just not my point of view, because I don’t approach it as an actor, I approach it as a concerned person who is affected by it because it’s happened to me, it’s happening to my sisters and my brothers and humanity. I just feel like if people are listening to you, you should have something to say.”

On those who oppose LGBT rights:

“You only become a horrible person when you violate my basic human rights. That is when it becomes a problem, when you start being the aggressor in two consenting adults and the life that they live. That is what makes you an asshole. It’s this lack of understanding, it’s this lack of care.”

On a cure for HIV and AIDS:
“Don’t get me started. I truly believe that there is a cure out there. And the moment that we can actually get out there, we can actually get the governments to finally make money off of that cure, maybe we will see it. Let me go call my security detail, because after this I’m gonna need extra security. No, I mean, y’all can print that shit. Honestly. It’s true.”