In 2001, when living in New York City, he tested HIV positive, at the age of 22.[5] He didn't start antiretroviral therapy until several years later and struggled with adherence, experiencing several side effects and being hospitalized more than once later in the 2000s.[5] In an interview he has spoken about struggling with AIDS in the American healthcare system and reliance on Ryan White programs as well as having depression and keeping his HIV status secret, including from his family.[5] He has also spoken about HIV stigma and "AIDS phobia" within the gay community.[5]
Project Runway
Guerra was on the eighth season of Project Runway, aired in 2010. After placing in the top, but not winning, on a number of challenges, then placing in the bottom but not being eliminated in the seventh (Resort Wear Challenge) episode, he won the challenges on the eighth (Jacqueline Kennedy Challenge), ninth (L'Oreal Makeup Challenge) and tenth (HP Pattern Challenge) episodes. He also won $20,000 for the ninth challenge, which involved both a "couture" look and a "ready-to-wear" look.
During the tenth challenge, after a question from Nina García and without having expected to do so,[5] he revealed to the judges that his pattern of bright, bold plus signs on a pant was inspired by his HIV+ status,[1][5] and that he had been keeping his HIV status a secret for ten years;[1] in an interview he mentioned that the schedule was particularly difficult for his medication adherence, despite coming shortly after a very low CD4 count.[6] He had not previously disclosed his HIV status to his family and the show's producers and Tim Gunn spoke with him about how he wanted to handle the issue; Guerra has described feeling a sense of relief and self-love at going public with his status.[5] He finally disclosed to his family shortly before the tenth challenge was broadcast.[5]
Project Runway executive producer Heidi Klum — who had pushed for Guerra to win over Jones in a lengthy [9][10] split debate over the winner — appeared in a modified version of one of Guerra's final collection gowns for the Los Angeles premiere of the movie Black Swan[11] a few weeks after the airing of the final episode.
Guerra also was a judge for Project Runway Season 10, episode 9, in which contestants had to make their own print for fabric and design an outfit using the fabric. The episode flashed back to Guerra's win for this challenge during Season 8.[13]
Also in commemoration of World AIDS Day, he designed a limited edition of T-shirts, one with a Day of the Dead sugar skull and one with a tree of life.[7][15] These shirts were sold on Piperlime.com starting at midnight on December 1, 2010.[6] For each shirt sold, $20 was donated to amfAR.[15] In his statement to Fox News Latino for his motivations in doing this, he said, "The Day of the Dead is celebration of our loved ones who have passed. When I was thinking of World Aids day I wanted to create something very true to who I am, and what I know. Who I've known and miss and those people in my life that still fight this disease. It's about love and continuation."[7]
In the season 10 finale episode of the hit reality competition show RuPaul’s Drag Race, contestant Blair St Clair appeared wearing a gown designed by Guerra himself. It was rewarded the “Top Toot of the Week” by the show's official fashion review online series, Fashion Photo RuView.[16]
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