MMG Founder Tony Morrison Pens GLAAD Op-ed on the Power of Being Seen by Honoring All Your Identities and Experiences
In a moving essay for GLAAD, Emmy-winning journalist and cultural strategist Tony Morrison shares how his Filipino heritage and HIV diagnosis shaped his journey from silence to self-acceptance.
New York, New York — October 30, 2025 — To mark the end of Filipino American History Month, which is observed in October, Emmy Award-winning journalist and Morrison Media Group (MMG) founder Tony Morrison authored a new powerful op-ed published by GLAAD, titled “My Filipina Mother Taught Me to Blend In. My HIV Diagnosis Taught Me to Be Seen.”
In the deeply personal essay, Tony reflects on how his upbringing as a Filipino-American and his experience living with HIV transformed his understanding of visibility, identity, and courage.
The piece traces Tony's evolution from blending in to stand out, a journey that mirrors the values behind MMG’s mission to build stories that move people. Tony writes about the quiet lessons inherited from his mother’s resilience, the pressure to assimilate, and the liberating power of self-disclosure.
"Being Filipino, queer, and living with HIV undetectably today are not separate truths – they are a representation of the same story: one of survival, visibility, and joy too."
Published by GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization where Tony served as senior director of communications for the last three years, the personal essay underscores the continued importance of visibility for queer people living with HIV, and the role of storytelling in breaking stigma.
Read the full here op-ed at GLAAD.org.
