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The Logo network and the Broadway
musical “Avenue Q” have joined together for a six-part series of HIV awareness
and prevention public service announcements (PSA) starring puppets from the
Broadway hit. The first PSA will debut during the fifth-season premiere of
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” on Monday, January 28, at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT). The partners
will then introduce a new “puppet service announcement” every eight weeks
during 2013.
According to Amy Wigler, Logo’s
senior vice president for marketing, the partners’ goal for the national
awareness campaign, which is sponsored by pharmaceutical company Gilead, is to
revive discussion about HIV, especially among gay individuals. Incidence of HIV
among men who have sex with men is still increasing, stated Wigler.
“Avenue Q” puppets Lucy the Slut,
Rod, and Rick will star in the PSAs, written by “Avenue Q” book writer Jeff
Whitty to address topics such as: removing HIV stigmas, speaking frankly with
sex partners, encouraging frequent HIV testing, and adhering to HIV treatment
schedules if infected. Wigler says the PSAs will encourage people to “spread
the word, not the virus.” The PSAs will air first on the Logo network, and then
online at http://www.logotv.com/ and the AfterElton website at
http://www.afterelton.com/.
In “Avenue Q,” a cast of
20-something humans and puppets move to a big-city neighborhood, learn to cope
with adult life, and find their purpose. The popular musical won three Tony
Awards in 2004. The Logo Network, part of Viacom, Inc., reaches 51 million
homes in the United States. Viacom is home to several targeted stations,
including MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, and Spike TV.
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!
