Max is a gay nurse. This gut-wrenching story describes his experiences of being prescribed an almost lethal mixture of bullying, bigotry and rejection from the very nursing community he represents today. Sadly, being a nurse does not come with an invisible shield. This story is a personal account of the good, the bad, and the dam right ugly of NHS staff. There is truthfulness, humour, and lessons for us all. And yet the underbelly of stigma is not watered down; it is there without sentimentality.
This story parallels the social, political, and personal impact of 'coming out' within the early 1990s. It describes Max's experiences of working within the health service following the aftermath of Section 28 and the HIV/Aids era. The story shows that everyone in their way can overcome the badness that life throws at them. Where there is adversity, there can be hope. Where there is desperation, there can be strength. Where there is pain, there can be healing.
Max's thirty-year story hopes to give a voice to the silenced. In his mission to 'walk the walk' of inclusion, he offers a taste of his husband and his experiences of adopting two children.