Paddy Chew (; 29 March 1960 – 21 August 1999) was the first Singaporean person with HIV/AIDS to come out to the general public. Early life He attended St. Stephen's School and St. Patrick's School before becoming a flight steward. He worked for Singapore Airlines for thirteen years, after which he joined the Boom Boom Room, Singapore's first drag cabaret. Early decline Chew was not aware of :AIDS or HIV during the first half of his career as a flight attendant, and never used a condom. He began practising safe sex after hearing of the disease in 1986 or '87, but fell ill in 1995, two years after leaving Singapore Airlines. His hospital caretakers were inexperienced with his condition, failing to recognise his oral thrush until he made the diagnosis. He was put through a series of standard medical tests before being administered an HIV test at his request, to the reluctance of his doctors. After his diagnosis he was relieved to know what was wrong. He travelled to Brussels to begin receiving treatment unavailable in Singapore at the time, but by 1996 he had lost 45% of his weight and his health was failing rapidly. Out of an inability to function and a desire to prevent scandalising his workplace should his condition be discovered, he left the Boom Boom Room. Coming out On 12 December 1998, during the First National AIDS Conference in Singapore, Chew became the first Singaporean AIDS patient to publicly declare his disease, but he was not the first AIDS patient in Singapore. Publicity He became a public figure overnight, giving many interviews and inviting attention everywhere he went. His likeness and words on AIDS in Singapore were printed in local and foreign publications. His public position drew controversy. A columnist in the Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao criticised him for being a promiscuous bisexual while others considered him a publicity-seeker. Responding to the allegations, Chew retorted, "I do not mind being famous for winning the Miss Universe crown, or as a singer, or a beautiful face, you know? Who wants to be famous for having AIDS? For goodness sake!...I have seen too many AIDS patients die. Most die alone. There is no warmth, no care for them. They are not ready to die- you can see it in their eyes. I told myself I had to do something worthwhile for myself and for the cause- to