Michael Shugert loves music. As a baby, he discovered to play piano by ear. “I do piano remedy and hospitals,” Shugert stated as he sat behind the 88 keys performing a lilting rendition of “Your Music” by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.”And through COVID I had a collection of piano live shows in my driveway for the neighbors. 5 o’clock on a Sunday to get individuals away from the nationwide information,” he stated.Music helped the Sacramento man all by his life; the robust instances, the ache and the trauma.”I used to be a tormented child as a teen,” Shugert stated. “As a result of individuals have been choosing on me and I did not know why I all the time knew I used to be completely different, however I did not have a label for it.”Shugert grew up in an period when being a homosexual man had every kind of labels, a lot of them derogatory. Even tougher was being a homosexual man within the U.S. Air Pressure. Working as a medic within the Vietnam Warfare would have been robust for anybody. Serving as a homosexual man, lengthy earlier than “do not ask, do not inform” was a navy coverage was even tougher.”I am not saying a constructive perspective is gonna pull all people by,” Shugert stated. “But it surely, I believe may also help. And it is all the time been simpler for me to go down that street than to be unfavorable about adversities which have been put in entrance of me.”These adversities weren’t from serving within the navy. The toughest battles for him have been but to come back. Within the early Eighties, Shugert fell ailing, and the illness was new.”The unhealthy information is you’ve got examined constructive for gay-related immune completely different deficiency, which was a precursor to HIV and AIDS,” Shugert stated recounting the title docs rolled off for his illness. “And you can be useless in a yr … I shared it with three or 4 of my greatest buddies. I held out for just a few months earlier than telling my household as a result of I knew they’d be devastated.”But removed from giving up, Shugert fought. He fought for his group, speaking to youngsters in colleges all all through San Francisco about being homosexual; about having HIV. He appeared within the Wall Avenue Journal in 1990 speaking about instructing about homosexuality in colleges.Shugert subtle violence by breaking down the stereotypes. He recounted his expertise speaking with faculty youngsters, including, “I by no means thought how that — how bullying — would possibly have an effect on them. However now I do.” He did all this whereas nonetheless preventing the illness. He would take handfuls of treatment a day, some so new and experimental he stated the treatment itself practically killed him. But even then, he refused to offer in, saying, “I’ll show you incorrect, sir. I am not going to offer into this illness. And I by no means did. I all the time had a constructive perspective and took actually excellent care of myself.”As he fought, Shugert discovered love, ultimately assembly his husband. He stated they met at a bar in San Francisco, a person who was 19 years youthful than himself, describing him as a “very fascinating man.””Why would he need to love any individual so flawed? And he stated, ‘Honey, we’re on this collectively. We’ll struggle this,'” Shugert stated.Battle he did.Transferring to Sacramento, Shugert grew to become a caterer, taking his constructive perspective to a different medium — meals — with the help of his associate. Nevertheless, his husband died from most cancers of the tongue and lungs. “I miss him like loopy. His spirit is ever-present round right here, ever-present,” Shugert stated.The struggles did not finish there. Shugert is a two-time most cancers survivor himself, however his spirit stays vibrant. He discovered love once more, looking for solace working together with his associate within the yard and discovering pleasure within the freedom of using bikes collectively.Trying again, he is aware of he spent his life as an brazenly homosexual man breaking down stereotypes, educating and altering the lives of the youngsters who heard him converse, touching the lives of everybody round him.”I’ve come this far,” Shugert stated. “I nonetheless have just a few years forward of me. Hopefully at the least 20 or so. I am 70 now. And I have been by loads. I’ve completed loads, however I’ve extra to do.”Extra to do at the same time as he has left others behind. From 1985 to 1995 Shugert misplaced 38 buddies to AIDS, together with a associate. He’s one in all solely two survivors from a help group of 18.
Michael Shugert loves music. As a baby, he discovered to play piano by ear.
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“I do piano remedy and hospitals,” Shugert stated as he sat behind the 88 keys performing a lilting rendition of “Your Music” by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.
“And through COVID I had a collection of piano live shows in my driveway for the neighbors. 5 o’clock on a Sunday to get individuals away from the nationwide information,” he stated.
Music helped the Sacramento man all by his life; the robust instances, the ache and the trauma.
“I used to be a tormented child as a teen,” Shugert stated. “As a result of individuals have been choosing on me and I did not know why I all the time knew I used to be completely different, however I did not have a label for it.”
Shugert grew up in an period when being a homosexual man had every kind of labels, a lot of them derogatory. Even tougher was being a homosexual man within the U.S. Air Pressure. Working as a medic within the Vietnam Warfare would have been robust for anybody. Serving as a homosexual man, lengthy earlier than “do not ask, do not inform” was a navy coverage was even tougher.
“I am not saying a constructive perspective is gonna pull all people by,” Shugert stated. “But it surely, I believe may also help. And it is all the time been simpler for me to go down that street than to be unfavorable about adversities which have been put in entrance of me.”
These adversities weren’t from serving within the navy. The toughest battles for him have been but to come back. Within the early Eighties, Shugert fell ailing, and the illness was new.
“The unhealthy information is you’ve got examined constructive for gay-related immune completely different deficiency, which was a precursor to HIV and AIDS,” Shugert stated recounting the title docs rolled off for his illness. “And you can be useless in a yr … I shared it with three or 4 of my greatest buddies. I held out for just a few months earlier than telling my household as a result of I knew they’d be devastated.”
But removed from giving up, Shugert fought. He fought for his group, speaking to youngsters in colleges all all through San Francisco about being homosexual; about having HIV. He appeared within the Wall Avenue Journal in 1990 speaking about instructing about homosexuality in colleges.
Shugert subtle violence by breaking down the stereotypes. He recounted his expertise speaking with faculty youngsters, including, “I by no means thought how that — how bullying — would possibly have an effect on them. However now I do.”
He did all this whereas nonetheless preventing the illness. He would take handfuls of treatment a day, some so new and experimental he stated the treatment itself practically killed him. But even then, he refused to offer in, saying, “I’ll show you incorrect, sir. I am not going to offer into this illness. And I by no means did. I all the time had a constructive perspective and took actually excellent care of myself.”
As he fought, Shugert discovered love, ultimately assembly his husband. He stated they met at a bar in San Francisco, a person who was 19 years youthful than himself, describing him as a “very fascinating man.”
“Why would he need to love any individual so flawed? And he stated, ‘Honey, we’re on this collectively. We’ll struggle this,'” Shugert stated.
Battle he did.
Transferring to Sacramento, Shugert grew to become a caterer, taking his constructive perspective to a different medium — meals — with the help of his associate.
Nevertheless, his husband died from most cancers of the tongue and lungs.
“I miss him like loopy. His spirit is ever-present round right here, ever-present,” Shugert stated.
The struggles did not finish there. Shugert is a two-time most cancers survivor himself, however his spirit stays vibrant. He discovered love once more, looking for solace working together with his associate within the yard and discovering pleasure within the freedom of using bikes collectively.
Trying again, he is aware of he spent his life as an brazenly homosexual man breaking down stereotypes, educating and altering the lives of the youngsters who heard him converse, touching the lives of everybody round him.
“I’ve come this far,” Shugert stated. “I nonetheless have just a few years forward of me. Hopefully at the least 20 or so. I am 70 now. And I have been by loads. I’ve completed loads, however I’ve extra to do.”
Extra to do at the same time as he has left others behind. From 1985 to 1995 Shugert misplaced 38 buddies to AIDS, together with a associate. He’s one in all solely two survivors from a help group of 18.
