A new photo campaign called “HIV Equal” wants to end HIV stigma by encouraging everyone to get HIV tested, and they’re using NOH8-style photography to do it. The man in the photo above, Nick Gruber, is a former gay porn star whose tumultuous relationship with Calvin Klein, arrest for cocaine possession, and self-proclaimed heterosexuality all made the tabloids. Clearly, when you think Nick Gruber, you think HIV test.
HIV Equal is also using bareback porn producer Michael Lucas in their ads, because who better to get the word out about HIV than a man who makes his living off people having sex without condoms. Getting an HIV test is scary enough as it is, but here, let Michael Lucas’s face help!
Associating Nick Gruber and Michael Lucas with HIV might actually be a pretty good way to make people not want to ever get HIV (never mind taking the test for it), but that’s not really HIV Equal’s intent. Their stated intent is to end “HIV stigma“.
“HIV Equal is a national multimedia campaign that aims to end HIV stigma and promote HIV testing by creating a social art movement that changes the way people think about HIV and which reopens the national dialogue about HIV.”
So, don’t judge people with HIV? That’s a no-brainer, and something most of us have been taught by most media and political figures for the past 20+ years. Living with the virus doesn’t make someone any less valuable, and of course every human being is equal (except for maybe Michael Lucas), but that doesn’t mean we don’t get to be afraid—scared shitless, even—of a deadly and incurable virus. Unfortunately, the new wave of HIV political correctness dictates that we shouldn’t be afraid of HIV because it might hurt the feelings of those living with HIV, but everyone (negative and positive) should reject that idea. Fearing HIV doesn’t mean you fear the people who have it, just like fearing cancer doesn’t mean you’re afraid of the people battling that disease. Fear of getting lung cancer caused me to quit smoking cigarettes three years ago. Fear of getting HIV causes me to use condoms. Fear, when used in moderation, is good.
But HIV Equal wants you to not be afraid. Why? So you’ll get tested. Why get tested? Because if you turn up positive, you can then take steps to not transmit the disease to others, presumably. But there’s no mention of prevention (i.e., condoms) anywhere in HIV Equal’s campaign. Instead, there’s a picture of the campaign’s creator, Dr. Gary Blick, standing in front of a wall of pharmaceutical drugs.
Now, I’m not saying that pharmaceutical companies and the doctors with whom they work have a very important financial stake in as many people as possible being made aware that they’re going to need their drugs to live, but, well… Maybe the picture of the doctor who created the HIV testing campaign standing in front of all the drugs speaks for itself.
Drug companies and doctors making people feel “good” about having to go on medication for the rest of their lives isn’t necessarily wrong, but don’t mistake HIV Equal for being about anything else. If they were about HIV prevention, they’d encourage condom use. If they were about prevention and equality, they wouldn’t be using an anti-Muslim bareback porn producer to get attention. And if they wanted to “smash stigma”, they’d respect their audience enough to not use a troubled gay-for-pay porn star turned “model” whose only interest is self-interest in their campaign.
HIV Equal is like NOH8 on steroids (NOH8 on Truvada?), glamorizing its so-called cause (HIV) to an extent that the potential repercussions (being on expensive drugs for the rest of your life) are barely an afterthought. Don’t worry, we’re all equal!
At least they included a few hot guys who aren’t Lucas or Gruber to distract us.
– Zach
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What the fucking hell?? Michael Lucas the bareback advocate STILL does HIV awareness stuff…Some people have no shame.
Thank god he “came out as HIV negative” a few weeks ago…Takes some strength
I’m all for anything that seeks to reduce the stigma that still attaches to being HIV positive–both within the gay community and in the larger culture. But to assert that we are HIV equal is the most ridiculous, insulting, dangerous, unhelpful thing ever. To say we all have an HIV status is like saying we all have a race, or a gender, or a sexuality, or a religion without recognizing the way that our social institutions are designed to support, respect, empower, reward and protect the interests of white, male, straight, Christians. I mean, Jesus fuck, did anyone involved with this campaign ever take a course in history, politics, critical theory? Or, y’know, live a day of their life as a member of a community outside the norm?
I’m all for anything that seeks to reduce the stigma that still attaches to being HIV positive–both within the gay community and in the larger culture. But to assert that we are HIV equal is the most ridiculous, insulting, dangerous, unhelpful thing ever. To say we all have an HIV status is like saying we all have a race, or a gender, or a sexuality, or a religion without recognizing the way that our social institutions are designed to support, respect, empower, reward and protect the interests of white, male, straight, Christians. I mean, Jesus fuck, did anyone involved with this campaign ever take a course in history, politics, critical theory? Or, y’know, live a day of their life as a member of a community outside the norm?
I’m all for anything that seeks to reduce the stigma that still attaches to being HIV positive–both within the gay community and in the larger culture. But to assert that we are HIV equal is the most ridiculous, insulting, dangerous, unhelpful thing ever. To say we all have an HIV status is like saying we all have a race, or a gender, or a sexuality, or a religion without recognizing the way that our social institutions are designed to support, respect, empower, reward and protect the interests of white, male, straight, Christians. I mean, Jesus fuck, did anyone involved with this campaign ever take a course in history, politics, critical theory? Or, y’know, live a day of their life as a member of a community outside the norm?
I’m all for anything that seeks to reduce the stigma that still attaches to being HIV positive–both within the gay community and in the larger culture. But to assert that we are HIV equal is the most ridiculous, insulting, dangerous, unhelpful thing ever. To say we all have an HIV status is like saying we all have a race, or a gender, or a sexuality, or a religion without recognizing the way that our social institutions are designed to support, respect, empower, reward and protect the interests of white, male, straight, Christians. I mean, Jesus fuck, did anyone involved with this campaign ever take a course in history, politics, critical theory? Or, y’know, live a day of their life as a member of a community outside the norm?
I’m all for anything that seeks to reduce the stigma that still attaches to being HIV positive–both within the gay community and in the larger culture. But to assert that we are HIV equal is the most ridiculous, insulting, dangerous, unhelpful thing ever. To say we all have an HIV status is like saying we all have a race, or a gender, or a sexuality, or a religion without recognizing the way that our social institutions are designed to support, respect, empower, reward and protect the interests of white, male, straight, Christians. I mean, Jesus fuck, did anyone involved with this campaign ever take a course in history, politics, critical theory? Or, y’know, live a day of their life as a member of a community outside the norm?
Where to start?
I’m glad that the traditional messaging has worked for you Zach and that consistent condom use has kept you and your partners safe. But after 25 years it’s pretty clear that the one size fits all message hasn’t worked. The sero conversion rate is still the same. And as they say, it’s insanity to keep on doing the same thing and expect a different result.
If you take a step back and say how do we prevent hiv transmission some interesting things pop out. Like PrEP to help prevent guys from contracting HIV. Like HIV undetectable guys are a negligible risk for HIV transmission. Like HIV is a virus and like all viruses, your viral load sky rockets and you are most infectious right after you are infected and before you know it. And the simple fact that HIV stigma and all this histrionics are probably keeping people from getting tested and are making bad choices. And the fact that there are a lot of guys who Could be well managed and undetectable, but aren’t. Speak to any case manager and you will get an earful. Part of the problem is the constant negative messages they receive about HIV and their status
I’m not going to debate the choices of models they are using in their campaign, but it Did get a conversation started here. HIV stigma is a huge problem. There are plenty of guys who are not getting tested, and also a huge portion of Poz guys who aren’t consistent in their treatment – and it’s due to the stigma. Things like “clean, ub2” just contribute to the daily onslaught of messages we receive.
IMHO, anything that turns down the noise and gets people to test frequently and encourages Poz guys to take care of themselves is a good thing.
Obviously, I understand where you’re coming from. However, I think it’s possible to help raise HIV awareness and encourage people to get tested while also producing bareback porn. Sex without a condom is not the only way HIV is transmitted, it isn’t a sure way of transmitting HIV. Bareback sex isn’t what we are battling, it is the virus. Bareback sex just happens to be one of the ways it spreads.
Thank you. I had the same thoughts. Anything that gets the message out there and helps to battle the stigma (which despite what Zach thinks is rampant in our country) is good. And the constant use of the term “clean” to mean free of disease is so disgusting. Being HIV positive does not make a person dirty!
These ads make it look like they’re promoting contracting HIV.
Interesting that the blogger comes down so heavily on the campaign’s use of Michael Lucas, saying he’s a bareback porn producer and thus questioning his involvement as one of many models in the campaign . . . . yet the ManHunt Daily blog is pretty consistent in it’s use of bareback porn and bareback porn-producing companies in much of it’s sex blogging . . . hmmmmm, Pot, have you met Kettle yet?
Nonetheless, I think there’s merit in a campaign such as this one or others — one that gets gay men talking about HIV, the effect it has on the community, and that can encourage more men to take that step to get tested and KNOW their status — and the campaign can have a productive place in HIV education and awareness. Having looked at their website and materials, I don’t see them saying “don’t be afraid of the virus” . . . but rather “get tested; know your status”. If it gets a conversation going and causes guys to go and get tested, I don’t see any issues with that.
am i the only one who looked at all these pics n reading n am still very huh? i dont get it?
Bareback sex certainly is the primary way gay men get HIV and putting your face on HIV awareness-raising campaigns while profiting off porn which glorifies bareback sex certainly is a hypocritical thing for a public figure to do.
No, aussie, you’re not alone. Whatever the message they’re trying to convey, it doesn’t fit on a bumper sticker.
I’m sorry, but I can’t stomach your righteous indignation about how Michael Lucas being a part of this campaign is so morally wrong because he produces bareback porn… when Manhunt Daily ACTIVELY PROMOTES and encourages bareback porn like Maverick Men (and Sean Cody, though they seem less skeezy).
How the hell are you going to sit there and be so upset about this, when you’re doing something that’s exactly the same?? You encourage safe(r) sex and regular testing, and non-discrimination against HIV+ people, and then encourage people to go see the latest scene from Cole and Hunter or some other bareback studio or scene. How is that ANY different? You know who else does what you’re doing? Oh yeah….MICHAEL FUCKING LUCAS.
What a fucking hypocrite.