World AIDS Day Programming
December 1, 2009
Today, on World AIDS Day, GLAAD’s Entertainment Team takes time to celebrate the future and hope for a better tomorrow while raising awareness about the very real disease that is HIV and AIDS.
Sundance Channel features four cinematic salutes to this cause, beginning with the television premiere of the amazing documentary, Where the Water Meets the Sky. Morgan Freeman narrates this clever film about 23 women from the small East African nation of Zambia who, with the help of two teachers, use filmmaking as a tool to speak about their lives, the effect AIDS has had on each of them and their communities and ultimately, to challenge the silence of the local traditions. Where the Water Meets the Sky touches upon the human and courageous nature of these young women who took the risk to share the truth about AIDS in their community and share their stories with the world.
Where the Water Meets the Sky
From writer-producer Madonna comes the premiere of I Am Because We Are, a call to action about Africa’s Malawi orphans. Also on Sundance, French filmmaker Andre Techine’s drama The Witness followed by writer-director Thom Fitzgerald’s The Event, starring Parker Posey as an assistant D.A. investigating the deaths of AIDS patients in NY.
Showtime’s programming starts with the Emily Abt documentary, All of Us, about the Ethiopian-American HIV/AIDS activist Dr. Mehret Mandefro and his work educating at-risk patients in the Bronx about health, relationships, and the human spirit. Love in a Time of HIV depicts HIV positive people in all walks of life, from a 27 year old in Cape Town, South Africa to a mother and daughter in New York City to a young straight couple in London.
BET has joined with Alicia Keys to present a special episode of their signature show, 106 & Park. Keys and special guests will encourage teens to get tested and discuss why knowing your status is so important. Keys’ organization Keep a Child Alive is dedicated to giving treatment, care and financial support to children and families affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India. Her live sold out Nokia show will be available on You Tube at 8pm, for free, also in support of World Aids Day.
In an interesting local news story, Cambridge Community Television will darken its Channel 10 and display a continuous scroll of the names of Cambridge, MA community members lost to HIV/AIDS. The names have been collected over the years and community members are urged to call or email names of loved ones and friends lost to the disease. A few times every hour commemorative pieces performed by local artists will be shown as well.
Held every year on December 1, World AIDS Day reminds our global community that this epidemic is real, still relevant, and people need to aware of it. For more information on how to get involved with this event check out www.worldaidsday.org.
Related Posts:December 1st is World AIDS Day!
December 1, 2009
It’s almost been thirty years since the first case of HIV was diagnosed in the early 80s―and a lot has changed since those early days. Once unfairly labeled the “white gay man’s disease,” the face of AIDS in America has morphed into a predominately African-American disease, straight and gay.
And yes, the stats are daunting: African Americans, who make up only 12 percent of the U.S. population, now make up more than 49 percent of new infections and nearly 40 percent of all HIV/AIDS deaths in the U.S. Also, if African Americans in the United States constituted their own country, that country would rank 21 in the world among those with the highest number of individuals living with HIV.
But that doesn’t mean to give up hope.
To commemorate this day, black media is raising awareness around the pandemic. Here’s a look at some of those stories:
Original Dreamgirl Sheryl Lee Ralph opens up to AOL Black Voices about seeing many of her friends die in the early 80s when she was on Broadway:
And in the middle of those good times came the worst. The worst was when men, gay men up and down Broadway just started dropping dead of a mystery disease. They died one right after the other. Friends and cast members just got sick and died. They were sick today and dead tomorrow. They got sick, some of them developed those strange purple marks and they died. There was no dying process like the one we have become accustomed to nowadays. No “cocktail” mixture of pills to ward off one infectious disease or the other. They just got sick and they died.
Then the deadly silence would set in because nobody wanted to talk about it, much less do anything about that disease — that shhhhh — gay disease. The silence was deafening! Death and silence seemed to go hand in hand and silently that mysterious disease, AIDS, blew out the flame of life on Broadway like candles on a birthday cake, funeral after funeral, memorial after memorial. It got to the point where I couldn’t cross one more name out of my address book.
Ralph wants people to understand that this disease affects everyone and it angers her that many people still remain unaware about the virus:
After all these years I am shocked as to how little people know or want to know about HIV/AIDS. How people don’t know that HIV/AIDS killed more than 3,000,000 last year, and every year, it kills more people than it did the year before. People still want to believe that AIDS a “gay” disease absolutely refusing to acknowledge the fact that the new number one way to transmit HIV is unprotected heterosexual sex. That’s right, male to female sex. And I could go on with facts that would make you say “What the ?!”
The Grio published an opinion piece written by HIV-positive writer, Willis Edwards. Edwards writes about the importance of getting tested and the community getting over their myths about HIV.
And still I rise, morning after morning to the blaring bedside alarm, only to find myself desiring a few more minutes of peace. Some days I hit snooze. I pull the comforter over my head because I am not done with sleep just yet. Usually I get up, thankful to God for the first moment of a new day and eager to go out and change the world. The truth is that my morning rituals have changed little since I was diagnosed with HIV in the 1990s. I still prefer less work, more money, good company and exciting weekends. I still love the life that I have, the friends who have been with me through thick and thin, and the family that has loved me no matter who I was or what I did. The truth is that I still rise to live a life that is pleasing to God and fulfilling for myself. Oddly enough, I sometimes forget that this virus has changed my life.
At times I ignore my mortality (the same mortality we all face as human beings) and live life in an unassuming way. However, there are those days when getting out of bed is physically impossible and I know it is not just because I am tired or went to bed too late. It is in those moments that I find myself at a place of understanding about the choices I made in life and the choices that could end my life prematurely. In spite of this, I am happy to be in the land of the living; I am happy that I got tested. More than anything, I am relieved that I know my status.
He adds:
For all the misconceptions about getting tested, one common area of confusion must be cleared up. Getting tested for HIV is not inviting your own death. Despite all we have learned over 25 years of living with and dying from this disease, many people still equate having HIV with images of frail, emaciated, and sickly people. Yet an HIV test does not determine whether or not a person has AIDS. When someone gets tested for HIV, he or she is not being tested for the AIDS virus at all, but instead for the presence of antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Antibodies mean that your body is fighting for you. Since the test detects these antibodies, which are produced by the immune system to defend itself against HIV, the test is called the HIV antibody test, instead of the AIDS test. A positive HIV result is not a diagnosis of AIDS. It does identify the presence of an HIV infection, and that the infected person should seek medical evaluation and treatment immediately. Early treatment can help ensure a better and prolonged health. African-Americans often get diagnosed with HIV when the virus has advanced to an AIDS diagnosis.
While many people in our community or either living with HIV or have and/or lost a loved one to the disease, too many remain silent about it. Kai Wright, senior writer at The Root is asking people to be brave and share their stories of how HIV has impacted their lives:
We’ve heard it time and again. Silence equals death. It was true in the 1980s, and it’s true now. The shame and stigma surrounding this disease not only facilitates its spread, it keeps people from taking control , getting into treatment and living the sort of physically and emotionally healthy lives that make HIV infection manageable rather than deadly. Stigma is one part of a complicated epidemic for which the solution is simple: Those who aren’t afraid to talk about HIV in a personal way should lead by example.
This is not a chance to sound off; save the judgments and declamations for another article. Instead, testify about your own experience. Tell a story about how HIV has affected you. Any story. Maybe it’s about a time you were tested, regardless of the outcome. Maybe it’s about someone you have lost. Maybe it’s about how you have lived and thrived with an HIV diagnosis. It can be about anything, just keep it about you.
Read more World AIDS Day stories at Essence, BET, Black America Web, The Daily Voice and NewsOne
To find out what WAD events are happening in your area, go to wordaidsday.org.
Learn more about HIV/AIDS at poz.com and thebody.com.
Related Posts:New PSA Speaks to API Transgender Women
December 3, 2008
In what media reports are calling a “seminal” event, a new public service announcement for the 20th observance of World AIDS Day was revealed yesterday. What makes this PSA stand out is that it’s the first one developed by and aimed at the wellness of the Asian Pacific Islander transgender community.
Medical News Today reports that the PSA is:
“The first of its kind to specifically address transgender women-particularly in the A&PI community-who are at higher risk for HIV infection and face discrimination for being transgender, of color, or both.”
The spot, produced by the non-profit organization The Banyan Project, will air nationally and online. The Banyan Tree Project is a national campaign dedicated to reducing HIV-related stigma in Asian Pacific Islander communities.
HIV is a prevalent issue in transgender communities. Just this year the Chicago-based publication Positively Aware, a bi-monthly magazine that reports on aspects of HIV/AIDS, dedicated the July/August edition to transgender issues. According to the article in Medical news Today, national studies suggest that 27.7% of transgender women have HIV. Two different 2004 studies conducted in San Francisco estimated that up to 27% of Asian Pacific Islander transgender women have HIV.
The PSA focuses on reducing stigma and shame related to discussing HIV and AIDS in the Asian Pacific Islander community. From the article:
“This community is often overlooked, and many of the outreach and prevention programs servicing transgender women are in danger of dissolution due to state and local funding cuts. This PSA is one way to continue the dialogue with an underserved, high-risk community in this historically unprecedented economic environment.”
The PSA features Tita Aida, Asia Vitale, and Erica Raney. Tita Aida is a long-time AIDS activst who was recently appointed to be the first transgender woman to sit on the Commission of Status of Women in San Francisco. Asia Vitale is well known for work in the 2006 documentary Beautiful Daughters, and Erica Raney currently serves as the peer leader for the Asian & Pacific Islander Transgender Empowerment program. Read the script below, or watch the PSA:
“I am in control of who I am and how I live my life. As Asian & Pacific Islander transgender women, we are at risk of getting infected with HIV. But we can change that. We can call the shots. Be in control of your health and life. Talk to your partner about using protection every time you have sex.”
Filmmaker Explores “Normal” Life as HIV-Positive Man from the Midwest
December 1, 2008
This summer, a documentary filmmaker from Normal, Illinois, got in touch with GLAAD to help with media relations around the World AIDS Day premiere of his documentary, “Electric City-Far from Normal.”
The filmmaker, Dennis Neal Vaughn, tells his story in the autobiographical short film. The film follows Vaughn as he journeys from a small-town boy from the rural Midwest, to a gay man coming to terms with his own HIV diagnosis and moving across the country to San Francisco.
Dennis and “Electric City-Far from Normal” have been receiving media attention back in Normal, and beyond. Today an interview with Dennis will run three times on the local Central Illinois NPR affiliate.
The movie’s premiere tonight will be followed by a candlelight vigil to commemorate Worlds AIDS Day. All proceeds from the film will go to local HIV/AIDS service organizations, the majority of which are located in central Illinois.
Media Observe 20th World AIDS Day
December 1, 2008
Twenty years ago, the World Health Organization declared the first World AIDS Day. Each year since, December 1st has marked the observance of World AIDS Day, an international event dedicated to strengthening the fight against HIV and AIDS and remembering those we have lost.
1988 was a pivotal time for the AIDS awareness movement. Only seven years prior, the Center for Disease Control released a report on the discovery of AIDS. The media responded at large with sensationalized and deceptive coverage. Our organization began its work during this tumultuous time. Gay activist and author Vito Russo co-founded GLAAD in 1985 in response to the New York Post’s coverage of HIV and AIDS.
Today’s media environment has changed greatly, as international awareness has grown over the years. While there is still much work to be done, we have seen a diverse range of voices come out in observance of the 20th World AIDS Day, encouraging dialogue and informing the public. Below is a sample:
Baltimore Sun- December 1, 2008
AIDS fight is worth it
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.aids01dec01,0,7897817.story
BET.com- December 1, 2008
World AIDS Day
http://www.bet.com/Lifestyle/bodysoul/WAD08_WorldAIDSDay08_Lifestyle_BAS_main.htm??Referrer={F2038F42-FD70-4929-AF1C-981596CBCB21
Boston Globe- December 1, 2008
AIDS and the unknown
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2008/12/01/aids_and_the_unknown/
Chicago Tribune- November 30, 2008
AIDS fight requires resources, even in tough times, by Desmond Tuti
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-perspec1130tutunov30,0,350954.story
CNN- December 1, 2008
World AIDS Day 2008: Much accomplished, much to do
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/12/01/fauci.world.aids.day/
NBA.com- December 1, 2008
Magic Johnson Reflects on World AIDS Day
http://www.nba.com/2008/news/12/01/magicworldaidsday/
The New York Times- December 1, 2008
A Killer and a Cure This World AIDS Day
http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/01/a-killer-and-a-cure-this-world-aids-day/?scp=1&sq=world%20aids%20day&st=cse
San Francisco Chronicle- December 1, 2008
AIDS: A stigma endures
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/30/EDHN14BA6N.DTL
USA Today- November 28, 2008
Take AIDS fight into black communities
http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/11/take-aids-fight.html
Washington Post- December 1, 2008
AIDS: This is no time for complacency
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/11/30/EDHN14BA6V.DTL
Washington Post- December 1, 2008
Our Country is Failing the AIDS Test
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/30/AR2008113001691.html
“Nuke” Fans in the Holiday Spirit on World AIDS Day
December 1, 2008
Fans of As the World Turns‘ Luke and Noah are launching the second annual Project Holiday Spirit today, in honor of World AIDS Day. 
The fundraising campaign, which raised over $6000 last year, has once again been organized to support Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. More information can be found at the Project Holiday Spirit website, or by emailing ProjectHolidaySpirit@vanhansis.net.
Special TV Programming in Honor of World AIDS Day
December 1, 2008
Today is World AIDS Day, the international event designed to strengthen global efforts in the fight against HIV and AIDS. In honor of this endeavor, many broadcast and cable networks will air special programming to further educate the public about the ongoing health crisis that affects us all.
Freddie Mercury
Logo is leading the pack with a full slate of programming that addresses HIV and AIDS, beginning with a Greg Louganis biopic at 6 am and closing with Angels in America at 10 pm. Peppered throughout the day is the landmark docu-series The Ride: Seven Days to End AIDS, the charming romantic comedy Jeffrey, and the powerful documentary Freddie Mercury: Magic Remixed.
Don’t get Logo? Forgot to set your DVR? Most of these titles are available at your local video store, or you could check out GLAAD’s HIV & AIDS Media Resource Guide, which includes thorough lists of films, documentaries, scripted television and alternative programming that have addressed AIDS.
Movie suggestions include Parting Glances (1986), Poison (1991), It’s My Party (1996) or A Year Without Love (2006). For a complete list of films, please click here. Films inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) characters are in bold.
Here’s a scene from Parting Glances.
Documentaries more your thing? Check out the Academy Award-winnning doc Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989), Absolutely Positive (1991), Fast Trip, Long Drop (1994) or Gay Sex in the ’70s (2005). The trailer is below…
