Jim Bozyk[1] (1954–1990), known professionally as Jim St. James, was a Canadian actor and HIV/AIDS activist.[2] He was best known as the star of a series of public service announcements on AIDS awareness which aired on Canadian television in the 1980s,[3] and as the subject of June Callwood's 1988 book Jim: A Life with AIDS.[4]

Background

He was raised in rural Southern Ontario in a Jehovah's Witness family,[4] and was briefly married to a woman.[4] He struggled with his sexuality, and undertook at least one suicide attempt before coming out as gay.[4] Many of his family disowned him when he came out,[4] although he remained in occasional contact with his father.[4] He was also excommunicated from the Jehovah's Witnesses, although he remained devoutly religious in his personal life.[4]

He worked as a stage actor in Toronto for several years, winning an award from Theatre Ontario as best actor in a musical for his performance in a production of Man of La Mancha in 1984.[5] Just two days after winning that award, he was first diagnosed HIV-positive.[6]

Activism

Following his diagnosis, he battled clinical depression for about a year[7] before deciding in 1985 to get on with life, and renewed his commitment to both acting and HIV activism.[7] He was one of the founding members of Toronto's People With AIDS Foundation,[7] appeared in the AIDS-themed documentary film No Sad Songs in 1985 and a production of Robert E. Sherwood's play Idiot's Delight in 1987,[7] and began appearing as a public speaker on HIV and AIDS issues.[8] During this era, he was commonly credited as Canada's longest-living survivor of the disease,[9] and as the country's most prominent HIV/AIDS activist.[6]

In 1987, he appeared in an HIV education segment on CBC Television's youth public affairs program What's New,[8] and in 1988 he starred in several HIV/AIDS awareness commercials, funded by CJOH-TV and the Canadian Public Health Association, which aired on television stations across Canada.[3] During this era, he was also meeting regularly with Callwood in preparation for the book Jim: A Life with AIDS, which was published in fall 1988.[4] By this time, he had developed Kaposi's sarcoma.[4] In both 1988 and 1989, he invited the media to cover his birthday party as a news story, to highlight his continued survival and to promote further awareness of the disease.[10] At the time of his 1989 party, however, he was making plans to move into Casey House, Toronto's AIDS hospice, due to his declining health.[11]

He died on March 24, 1990, at Casey House, just a few weeks short of his 36th birthday.[10]

References

  1. ^ Ann Silversides, AIDS Activist: Michael Lynch and the Politics of Community. Between the Lines Books, 2003. ISBN 9781896357737. p. 256.
  2. ^ "AIDS activist dies". Montreal Gazette, March 28, 1990.
  3. ^ a b "Actor performs deadly serious role in new AIDS ads". Ottawa Citizen, February 4, 1988.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Hope alive and well in AIDS patient: Book profiles Canada's longest- living survivor of the disease". Toronto Star, November 1, 1988.
  5. ^ "AIDS victim's story of religious agony". Ottawa Citizen, January 21, 1989.
  6. ^ a b "Jim St. James: AIDS advocate helped found group to support research". The Globe and Mail, March 28, 1990.
  7. ^ a b c d "Acting allows AIDS victim to take his mind off disease". Toronto Star, January 25, 1987.
  8. ^ a b "Frank talk on AIDS is essential". Toronto Star, March 11, 1987.
  9. ^ "Friends to toast AIDS' longest survivor". Toronto Star, April 7, 1988.
  10. ^ a b "AIDS crusador Jim St. James". Toronto Star, March 28, 1990.
  11. ^ "Time -- and hope -- running out as AIDS patient passes milestone". Toronto Star, April 7, 1989.
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