Posts
Scott McPherson and Chris Richey of
the Stigma Project created an Internet meme in response to a celebrity’s nasty
and uninformed comments. The pair had created the Stigma Project in February to
break down HIV prejudices through art and education, but the meme quickly went
viral, receiving more than 5.000 Facebook comments and nearly 2,000 shares on
the social media site.
One goal of the Stigma Project is to
create an HIV-neutral world, which its mission statement describes “as a state
of mind regardless of your status, in which you are informed and aware of the
constantly evolving state of HIV/AIDS. . . . It is putting emphasis on the
humanity of all people and not casting judgment because of their status,
positive or negative.” McPherson and Richey see the Stigma Project, as not only
aimed at reducing the number of new infections, but making life better for
persons living with HIV. Richey explains that to become HIV-neutral, people
must begin shifting toward a new way of thinking about HIV/AIDS, including by
moving away from thoughts of death and sadness and toward thoughts of life and
hope for the future.
Supporters state that the messages
of the Stigma Project are appealing as they are witty and humorous and “not
heavy-handed or preachy.” McPherson and Richey plan to have ads on bus benches
and billboards, but at present they are focusing on getting their memes on
Facebook and Twitter, where young people pay attention and spread information
to friends. McPherson explains that around 84 percent of the world’s 18–34-year
olds can be reached through social media, and this is the age range with the
highest rate of new HIV infections. He and Richey recognized an opportunity to
do something new to educate the public about HIV and use the popularity of
Internet memes and social media activism to reduce the harmful stigma
associated with it.
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!
