Is laughter the best medicine? In this episode we explore the power of stand-up comedy in fighting HIV stigma and explore its potential benefits as a therapeutic tool. Host James Watson first chats with James Tison, a queer, HIV-positive, gender nonbinary stand-up comic and actor from New York City, and then reaches out across sectors to speak with David Granirer. David is a stand-up comic, counsellor, author and founder of Stand Up For Mental Health (SMH), a program that teaches stand-up comedy to people experiencing mental health issues.

With a TikTok following of over 20,000 people, James Tison has found a large audience and a great way to share jokes during the pandemic. With the tag line, “such nice skin…” their website is a great spot for a number of acting and stand-up videos, and for insights into what is meant by “gender non-binary.”

On the later part of the show, David tells us more about the Stand Up For Mental Health program and how it’s been used to ease internalized stigma around mental health issues. David wraps up the episode by adding, “The ability to make people laugh is a huge confidence builder.” 

For full episode details visit the episode page on The Positive Effect website. Subscribe to pozcast on your favourite podcast streaming service to be sure to never miss an episode!