Two of our favorite orgs, Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC), thenation's oldest HIV/AIDS prevention, care & advocacy provider
& the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the
nation's leading lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender (LGBT)
media advocacy & anti-defamation organization have joined to
demand that the New York City Department of Health & Mental
Hygiene pull a sensationalistic & stigmatizing television public
service announcement aimed at gay & bisexual men.
The PSA which is intended to encourage condom usage among
gay & bisexual men, claims that those with HIV face a higher risk
of bone loss, dementia & anal cancer. While older adults living
with HIV may be at greater risk of these conditions, the PSA
creates a grim picture of what it is like to live with HIV that could
further stigmatize HIV/AIDS, as well as gay & bisexual men.
Updates to Come....
The Conclusion: Exclusive Audio Interview withGay Ally Rev. Makokha about Christian Leaders
from America transporting homophobia to Africa
@ OUTTAKE VOICES™
Hear Audio Interviews w/ LGBT Leaders @OUTTAKE VOICES™
We know from our longstanding HIV prevention work that portraying gay and bisexual men as dispensing diseases is counterproductive. Studies have shown that using scare tactics is not effective. Including gay men's input, while recognizing their strength and resiliency, in the creation of HIV prevention education is effective. Gay men are part of the prevention solution, not the problem.
ReplyDeleteMarjorie Hill, PhD, GMHC's Chief Executive Officer
While it's extremely important that we continue to educate New Yorkers about HIV/AIDS prevention, the sensationalized nature of the commercial, including its tabloid-like fear tactics, misses the mark in fairly and accurately representing what it's like to live with HIV/AIDS. It's our hope that the department will work with us to create a PSA that promotes safety and solutions, rather than stigma and stereotype.
ReplyDeleteJarrett Barrios, GLAAD President