I just saw a commercial that was supposed to be helpful, but somehow I found it disturbing. In the commercial, person after person got on a microphone and said “You are not alone.” The commercial was to advocate the help that exists for those that are HIV positive and it ended with a Web site, www.healthywithHIV.com, and a phone number urging those who are HIV positive to call a 1-800 number for support.
The commercial was shown on Logo, a channel dedicated to programming for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered people. This is important to consider before you read my issue with this commercial.
Every person that was featured in this commercial was a homosexual man. All, but one of the men, were White. Though this commercial was aired on a channel catering to their demographic, I was appalled at the lack of sensitivity the organization showed towards the homosexual community.
Once HIV/AIDS was officially given a name and symptoms were discovered, the world dubbed it the Gay, White man’s disease because many of the people diagnosed fell into that category. Homosexual men, whether infected or not, were looked down upon and seen as solely responsible for bringing this epidemic to the United States. The stereotype lingered until straight men and woman starting turning up with the disease.
But commercials like these further perpetuate the previous myth. Having several homosexual men lend their face to HIV support, ostracizes a greater part of the United States afflicted with the virus. In 2009, the United States was ranked sixth in the world for HIV/AIDS cases at 1.2 million, tied with Uganda and Zimbabwe. This number included adults, men and women, and children.
There are reports all the time about the growing number of HIV/AIDS cases amongst heterosexual Black women. And too often we forget about the children that have been diagnosed with this disease as well. I am all for showing support to those who need it, but Logo should be more responsible with what they allow on their airwaves.
YPAqua, Young Professionals Guest Writer
More About YPAqua: YPAqua aka B. Nakia is the Editor-in-Chief of DMVSpectrum.com and you can follow her on twitter via @LadyAqua4
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I think the message is still there. Perhaps, network tv stations should run a commercial similar with a better mixture. I’m not really too concerned about the stereotype just the message. HIV/AIDS is huge, period.
I think B. Nakia makes a very good point and brings up an overarching issue of race and class, and how that penetrates through all groups. When we think of HIV/AIDS in America we associate it with consensual sex. When we think of HIV/AIDS in Africa, or other countries with high infection rates we think of war, rape, poverty, lack of education, etc… If you want to give the cause a “responsible face”, you’re going to do your best to not remind them of the negative connotations which, sadly, people equate to a person of color. Black and Latina women as well as the elderly make up a the majority of new cases in the US yet when it come to commercials, ad campaigns, etc… these faces are nowhere to be found. What you see is a young, white male face. It touches on deeper issues than just HIV/AIDS, it speaks to the convenient, “accidental”, elimination of a vast majority of people. Race and Class still and will always be an issue in America, no matter your orientation.