Edinburgh Fringe - Positive

HIV and AIDS is never far from the front as fundamental issues go in terms of either Equality and Human Rights.  

The need for education around potential sources of transmission, the needs to support people who are HIV positive and perhaps most importantly the need for both societal and self acceptable are also very important.  

Positive, by the West Avenue Theatre Company, takes on the lot.

Here we meet Benji, diagnosed with HIV a year ago and still unable to develop self acceptance.  He is depressed, doesn't sleep well and has little by way of a social life.  He is young, single, gay man but scared of rejection in love.   

We also meet Benji's flatmate.  She is straight and unlike Benji, has a loving partner who fully embraces her and her HIV positive status.  She later tries to push him away; not wishing to burden him with her HIV "problem".   

The show uses the contrast between the two to great effect.

At first glance, it would be easy to conclude that the subject matter would make the show heavy.

However, this could not be further from the truth.  The show uses humour and situation comedy to really develop the issues involved.  Witty and wicked one liners never fail to make you laugh out loud; even when exploring the topic of sex with someone who is HIV positive as Benji is told by someone who lacked understanding:

"...you want to dip my perfectly healthy carrot into your houmous of death..." 

It's not always directly about the HIV though, Benji's complex relationship with his mother and her preconceptions are also explored.  She is genuinely trying to reach out into a world that she knows little about and dearly loves her son.

Can HIV be transmitted from sharing a glass of wine?  What about touching, kissing or the passionate embrace?  This creates some awkward moments, highlighting the struggle that HIV positive people face when telling people - particularly potential lovers - about their HIV positive status.

It is not until the end, that the show covers the most difficult aspect of living with HIV - the diagnosis.  The humour works here as well as not everyone could get away with calling the clinic information as a "bit too primary school" handing out " the leaflets of death..." 

If anyone did not know anything about HIV, about the transmission of the virus, or how it affects the day to day lives of people living as HIV positive you would have learned something from the content.

Positive, is first class; an excellent, educational comedy.

To book tickets to see the show, or to find out more information, please visit the Edinburgh Fringe Online Booking site.  

To find out more about the show directly from West Avenue Theatre, you can visit there site:
http://westavenuetheatre.com/2013/05/17/positive-heading-to-edinburgh-festival-fringe-2013-cast-crew-confirmed/ 

***Stop Press***

You can now listen to an exclusive interview with Rob Ellis, the Director, Will Marsh, who plays "Benji" and Nathalie Barclay who plays "Nikki" in the show.   

"AIDS comes from unhealthy relationships..." - BBC response

As you may recall, one of my earlier posts, concerned the media portrayal of HIV and AIDS.

In my previous post, I referenced a comment made on the BBC The Big Questions programme.

I was angry that the comments made went unchallenged.

Here is what the BBC had to say, in reply to my complaint:

"Thank you for contacting us regarding 'The Big Questions', broadcast on 17 March on BBC One.
We understand you were offended by a remark made by an audience member during the programme in relation to AIDS, which you felt went unchallenged by the presenter, Nicky Campbell.
Whilst we fully appreciate your concern, having reviewed the programme, we feel Nicky did challenge the audience member about his statement. I've transcribed the relevant part of the conversation below:
Audience Member: “When God laid down the Ten Commandments, 'thou shalt not', all the time he didn’t do it to try and oppress us, he did it for good reason, like AIDS, for things like that. Now it says in the Bible.....”
Nicky Campbell: "Like what?"
Audience Member: "Like getting AIDS, AIDS culture from unhealthy relationships and things."
Nicky Campbell: "Heterosexual people get AIDS too."
Audience Member: "Well yes..."
Nicky Campbell: "But what?"
Audience Member: "The thing about it, what I am trying to say, a man should be with a woman, okay? What I see there are gay people and lesbian people..."
Nicky Campbell: "But Syphilis and Gonorrhoea and all that...."
Therefore, as you have rightly pointed out, Nicky was making the same point to the audience member in question by clarifying that it isn't only gay or lesbian people who can get AIDS (i.e. HIV which can progress into AIDS).
However, we appreciate how strongly you feel on this matter and we're guided by our audience feedback, so we’d like to assure you that your complaint has been registered on our audience log. This is an internal report of audience feedback that we compile on a daily basis and it’s made available to 'The Big Questions', channel executives and senior management.
The audience logs are seen as important documents that can help shape decisions about future programming and content.
Thanks once again for taking the time to contact us."

It remains important that where there is a negative portrayal of HIV or AIDS in the media that this is challenged.

I do not agree that the BBC, on this occasion, made that challenge.

It looked as though the presenter of the programme wanted to encourage further comment from this particular audience member.

Unfortunately, the link to HIV and AIDS in relation to sexual orientation, be it straight, gay or bisexual, was never properly challenged.

HIV transmission

• HIV can be transmitted through body fluid - blood, semen and vaginal fluid

• It can also be transmitted through the shared use of intravenous needles or the use of contaminated needles

• It can also be transmitted through breast milk.

It is time to separate sexual orientation from HIV,

There are several ways of transmitting HIV; sexual orientation is not a source of transmission of HIV

Greater awareness is required

What is important, is that everyone is aware of how HIV infection can be transmitted and the steps that can be taken to prevent transmission.

If there was a greater understanding of how HIV can be transmitted, then the old stereotypical assumptions, equating sexual orientation to the spreading of disease, would begin to fade away.

"Getting AIDS comes from unhealthy relationships"

On BBC The Big Questions, aired on Sunday 17 March 2013, a religious audience member stated live on BBC TV that "getting AIDS comes from unhealthy relationships".  He went on to reference Gay men and Lesbians.  

The Presenter of the the programme did not robustly challenge him concerning this contribution.  

It can be difficult on a live television discussion programme to ensure that audience participants in the show avoid making derogatory  offensive or prejudicial remarks.

However, the BBC must set some standards for its television presenters and audience participants, even if the show is the topic of Christianity and Modernity.

My primary objection to this particular contribution, is that it was allowed to go unchallenged.

The Presenter moved quickly onto the next contribution and encouraged the audience member to elaborate on his contribution.

Because of the show's religious element, the BBC permitted this particular contribution to be broadcast and also to go unchallenged.

The BBC knew, or ought to have known, that this contribution was both stigmatising and inaccurate.

Two resounding questions for the BBC

Why is it that linking someone's sexual orientation to the spread of AIDS makes acceptable Sunday morning television?

Why is sexual orientation always viewed as a moral issue, inevitably linked to sex and then promiscuity?

History repeating itself?

The comment referencing AIDS to being Gay reminded me of the ill-informed, offensive and "hate" campaigns that featured throughout the 1980s.

At this time, a series of national adverts were being run by the UK Government to make the public aware of HIV / AIDS.  However, the reactionary media, were more focused on linking AIDS to being Gay and being Gay to spreading disease - this is where AIDS got its first name - The Gay Plague.

Call to be vigilant

Has nothing changed?  Or is this just a one off example, of an ill-conceived, off the cuff comment, made to promote the virtues of a religious celibate life?

I would like to think that this is the case.

However, it does go to show that we must all be vigilant.  Public opinion and with it, government and legislative policy can be easily swayed by both positive and negative media portrayal.

"Stories in the media can have a positive effect in increasing people's awareness of HIV and what it means to live with HIV. However media reports about HIV are often stigmatising or inaccurate. Many stories contribute to a culture of blame about HIV transmission, focusing on so-called irresponsible sexual activity, use judgemental language and stereotype people living with HIV."

People who are either HIV positive or who have AIDS already face discrimination and stigma.

We must do all that we can to address this problem and to challenge those, particularly in the media, who would like to see us revisit recent history.

 The episode of The Big Questions is available on iPlayer by clicking here.  It is available for the next 7 days from today.  The Contribution in question was made approximately 28 minutes into the programme.  

I have made a complaint to the BBC.

If you wish to complain too, you can do so by following this link:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/