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The nonprofit LGBT organization
Healthy Communities said it has relaunched its “Rip & Roll” safe-sex
advertising campaign. The ads show a condom and feature three fully clothed gay
men posed in a non-sexual, friendly manner. The ad is up on 35 bus shelters in
inner Brisbane as well as billboards in other locations throughout the state.
Last year’s ad for “Rip & Roll”
was the most complained about in Australia, with the Advertising Standards
board logging 222 negative comments. It featured a gay couple hugging in a
friendly way, with one holding a condom. Advertising firm Adshel pulled the
posters down but then decided to put them back up days later, noting the
Australian Christian Lobby had “orchestrated” the ad-removal push.
Paul Martin, executive director of
Healthy Communities, said his group designed this year’s ad “to be as subtle as
possible.” However, “Safe sex is something that constantly needs to be
reinforced, and it’s also important that we do show that we haven’t been scared
off,” he added.
In May, the new conservative state
government pulled $2.5 million (US $2.6 million) in grants from the 28-year-old
organization. Citing HIV rates that had doubled in the past decade, Health
Minister Lawrence Springborg redirected the HIV prevention funds into a new
Ministerial Advisory Committee.
Martin said he hopes the governing
Liberal National Party will avoid scare tactics. “Shame, fear or blame doesn’t
work,” he said. “What the Australian and international research shows is that
the most effective way to do HIV prevention is to do work with affected
communities and do peer education.”
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
