Rev. Steve Pieters

Rev. Steve Pieters (1952–2023) was a long-term survivor of AIDS. Diagnosed with "Gay-Related Immune Deficiency" in 1982, and AIDS/Kaposi's Sarcoma and stage four lymphoma in 1984, he was told he would not survive to see 1985. His remarkable story of recovery serves as an inspiring example of healing and hope. Best known for his 1985 interview with Tammy Faye Bakker on Tammy's House Party, he is featured in the 2000 documentary The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and he is portrayed in the 2021 feature film The Eyes of Tammy Faye, for which Jessica Chastain won the 2022 Oscar for Best Actress. The grandson of two of the first missionaries to Korea, Rev. Pieters was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts, where his father chaired the mathematics department at nearby Phillips Academy. Ordained by the Metropolitan Community Churches, a primarily LGBT denomination, he served as their field director of AIDS ministry during the worst years of the AIDS crisis. His work in AIDS ministry is part of the LGBT collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Rev. Pieters's final manuscript was approved by the publisher on the very day he fell ill and went back into the hospital, unknowingly, for the last time. He was passionate about sharing this memoir to inspire others to find hope and strength in the face of great challenges. His mantra through it all was "I keep on dancing."