Stephen Hart: Section 28, Survival and the Stage

HIV: The Morning After · Oct 22, 2026 · 54m

Content note: this episode includes a detailed account of drug-facilitated sexual assault, rape, and suicidal thoughts.

In October 2006, Stephen Hart's drink was spiked and he was raped. Months later he learned his attacker was HIV positive, and so was he. This episode traces how a boy raised under Section 28 in 1980s Glasgow became one of the UK's most visible HIV advocates.

Summary

Stephen Hart grew up in 1980s Glasgow under Section 28, watching famous gay men die of AIDS on television with no one in the classroom explaining why.

In October 2006, his drink was spiked in a Covent Garden bar…