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St. Louis Scrambles to Take Down Billboards Mayor Deems InappropriateSeptember 19, 2001 A billboard a few blocks south of Busch Stadium in St. Louis shows two shirtless black men embracing. The caption reads: "Brothers Loving Brothers Safely." It includes a number to call for information on getting tested for HIV/AIDS. That is one of at least four billboards that was deemed inappropriate Tuesday by Mayor Francis Slay. The city has ordered the billboards to be taken down immediately, said Slay's Chief of Staff Jeff Rainford. The billboards are part of a St. Louis-area campaign to increase HIV/AIDS awareness. Rainford said there are 11 or 12 billboards in the campaign, but only those four are coming down -- including one that shows a rolled-up condom. "That may be appropriate for a magazine, that may be appropriate for a newspaper, but that's not appropriate for a residential neighborhood," Rainford said. The city has spent $68,000 on the campaign. "If this wasn't taxpayer money, we wouldn't be getting into all of this," Rainford said "It wouldn't be any of our business." A snafu in city government decision-making was blamed for the billboards. Two "low-level" city health department employees signed off on the billboard designs without the knowledge of department Director Mike Thomas, Rainford said. The mayor agrees with the message of the billboards, but the way that message was communicated is what is inappropriate, Rainford said, adding that in the billboard with the two men embracing, it's unclear whether they are engaging in sexual acts. The director of one group in the campaign, Blacks Assisting Blacks Against AIDS in St. Louis, questioned the city's interference in the matter. "They called it sexually explicit because two men are shirtless and embracing?" asked Erise Williams. "If you're going to really support HIV . . . prevention, don't succumb to the complaints or political pressure of a few people." Rainford mentioned that he didn't personally find the signs offensive, "but I think the little old ladies in our neighborhoods find them very offensive." Back to other CDC news for September 19, 2001 Associated Press 09.19.01; Joe Stange  This article was provided by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is a part of the publication CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update. Visit the CDC's website to find out more about their activities, publications and services.
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