The book includes a startling revelation from a male stripper named Chad, who was invited to Hernandez’s house to perform for a bevy of “beefy” men snorting cocaine and downing booze. Chad claimed Hernandez appeared agitated when he began discussing Lloyd’s knowledge of medications he was taking.
“I overhear them arguing and stuff. And they were talking about, ‘Oh, this guy, Odin, he [stole] my medication. I can’t be having that get out. I can’t even send anyone to go get my meds anymore. He knows. He knows,’” Chad claimed Hernandez said.
At one point, Chad claimed the former pro athlete said he’d rather go to jail “for f**king murder than have that s**t get out.”
“And even though we know that being gay is normal, there are a lot of people who will still view it as something that needs to be put away – closeted away – especially in professional sports,” said Gardere. “Many different people are HIV-positive. But, of course, in the public’s mind, they will tie that much quicker to someone who is gay, because of how we have shown this in the media; our attitudes about it, which are very, very negative. And whether you are gay or straight or bisexual, let’s be real, a lot of people tend to think that being HIV makes you ‘less than.’”