Gay men have long resisted the characterization of HIV/AIDS as a "gay disease." Now however, one of Southern California's most influential gay organizations has launched an ad campaign that declares: "HIV is a gay disease. Own It. End It."

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center said the campaign specifically targets area gay men who have become complacent about HIV/AIDS. "A very alarming silence has descended over our community with regard to HIV and AIDS," said Lorri L. Jean, LAGLC's executive director. "We believe that most people in our community do not understand the degree to which this epidemic continues to be in Los Angeles largely an epidemic among gay and bisexual men."

According to public health officials, the majority of HIV transmissions on the West Coast continue to be among men who have sex with men (MSM). In Los Angeles County, around 75 percent of HIV cases are MSM. Nationally MSM account for 45-50 percent of recent HIV transmissions, CDC says.

Critics of the campaign, however, worry that it will further stigmatize the disease and will confuse women and heterosexual men about their risk.

"This [campaign] is sort of harkening back to the gay community, which is associated with being white and middle-class ... and it excludes, frankly, men who may be at very high risk but don't identify as being gay," said Craig Thompson, executive director of AIDS Project Los Angeles.

Cynthia Davis, who has long fought against HIV stigma in the African-American community, said the campaign could erase years of progress in a community that struggles with homosexuality and is at high risk for the disease. "[The campaign] is going backward," she said.

"I think it's fine for [LAGLC] to do this to try to wake up their community," said Dr. Myles Spar, director of a free HIV program whose clients include women, children, gay men and men who identify as straight, "but then similar messages need to be catered to the minority communities that it's also our disease."

Back to other news for October 2, 2006

Search the Newsroom archive