Erasing Stigma

AIDS ACTION NOW: FUCK POSITIVE WOMEN – Allyson Mitchell, Jessica Whitbread & Alex McClelland

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:14:16 -0500

AIDS ACTION NOW: FUCK POSITIVE WOMEN – Allyson Mitchell, Jessica Whitbread & Alex McClelland:

FUCK POSITIVE WOMEN poster, made by Allyson Mitchell and Jessica Whitbread of the International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW).

Allyson Mitchell:

“When Jessica and I first met to think about this project, we considered the kinds of representations of positive women that were are very familiar, with HIV-positive women as mothers, as victims, as not from or living here in this place.

We talked about the sentiment of sex negativity that is put upon positive women and decided that we wanted something different. We wanted our poster to ask:

Why aren’t women allowed to be subjects of their sexuality rather than objects?
Why aren’t HIV-positive women allowed to talk about sex as freely as gay men?
Why can’t we express an urgent, horny, powerful, and open message about positive women and sexuality?

When I look around and see the narrow options of chastity, Pussycat Dollery or Toddlers in Tiaras kinds of sexuality for women and girls, it seems like we have nothing to lose. We might as well try for some new kinds of iconography.

So the message of FUCK POSITIVE WOMEN is a directive – a confident and supportive message meant to relocate positive sexual energy around the bodies of HIV-positive women. When I say women, I am of course including trans and gender queer women: ALL self-identified women.

FUCK POSITIVE WOMEN can also be read as a declarative for its double meaning about how HIV-positive women are fucked when it comes to awareness, visibility, options, policy, and support on the large part. Making this kind of a rude point hopefully contributes to some of the ways that HIV-positive women can get un-fucked by healthcare, government policies, and awareness campaigns.

This messaging is part of a community. HIV-positive women were involved with the messaging for this poster. The International Community of Women Living with HIV (ICW) – an international network of positive women – was presented this slogan and they said, “yes, do it; we give you our permission.”

Jessica and I also worked together on thinking through the design of the poster. It was intentional to make the poster an image of a cross stitch – firmly planting the aesthetic within domestic, feminized, working class, grammy craft. John Greyson encouraged us to reveal the process of the craft so that you see the unfinished plastic canvas and the yarn… maintaining the implications of needles and penetration.

In a conversation I had with Jessica around the nervousness expressed by some about the message of our poster and the concern that people may think it was made by haters she said: “If neo-nazis start making their hate literature using plastic cross stitch, then the world may have half a chance to be a better place.”

So FUCK POSITIVE WOMEN. As the International Community of Women living with HIV say, “This is the kind of messaging we wanted to have. Messaging that makes a debate, makes a conversation, elicits a response that isn’t apathetic or complacent.”

Watch the video of Allyson Mitchell’s presentation here.”

Feministe: A Question (about HPV)

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:29:00 -0400

Feministe: A Question (about HPV):

One of the best (and most honest and humble) responses to STI-ism that I’ve seen in a long time.

Keith Haring

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 00:45:16 -0400

Keith Haring

GOOD.is | Public Attitudes about AIDS (Scaling)

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 02:08:40 -0400

GOOD.is | Public Attitudes about AIDS (Scaling):

culturequeer:

Click the link or photo above for interactive media

Just to clarify a few things: A response to a response to the "STI-ism" post

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 02:02:15 -0400

Just to clarify a few things: A response to a response to the "STI-ism" post:

callmebrandy:

If you click the link, you’ll be brought to some responses to my post discussing the stigma associated with STIs. Now, I’m really not one to get into awkward “tumblr arguments” if you will, so I’m not about to reblog and respond, etc. However, I would like to clarify a few things:

1. I’ll admit that it’s not the most well written or most articulate post that has ever existed.

2. I realize that I wasn’t super specific and should have said something like “many STIs are similar to a cold or flu (or other treatable and/or curable illnesses)” instead of over-generalizing.

3. I stand by my statement that expressing how “unwanted” STIs are is hurtful and unkind and definitely shames folks who do have STIs. I’m not saying we should all run around shouting about how much we’d like to get an STI because obviously that’s just silly, but I am saying we should be conscious of the language we are using when discussing things that have the potential to be triggering. Hell, we should always be conscious of our language, regardless of what we’re discussing.

4. The stigma associated with STIs doesn’t just need to be addressed for “public health”, but also for one’s own personal health, emotional health, mental health, etc., etc. It needs to be addressed and challenged because people continue to be shamed and guilted, and that is not okay and needs to stop.

5. Of course STIs are not necessarily an inevitable part of having sex. Some people go their whole lives without getting an STI. True statement, folks.

6. I wouldn’t necessarily say that my post is a bad post, but I do agree that critical responses are lovely and necessary (although I have really yet to see a particularly well thought out critical response).

7. Oh, and near the bottom someone tries to point out that some STIs are not treatable. I am fairly positive that this is not true. There are some STIs that are incurable, but I don’t think (and hey, maybe I’m incorrect) that there are any STIs that are untreatable.

8. Finally, I still don’t think that if someone has an STI that that should be the deciding factor for having or not having sex with them. I also think boundaries are incredibly important and need to be respected and I’m simply stating that if the existence of an STI is what causes you to not have sex with someone, then perhaps you should educate yourself on safer sex practices and STIs because I think it’s kind of a dick move to be all like “Oh I think you’re so great and lovely and sexy… oh, shit, you have an STI? Gross, I’m not going to have sex with you now”, because believe me, that type of ignorant shit happens and I don’t think it should.

I feel tired and frustrated and wish people would put a little more critical thought into life.

[EDIT]!: I ABSOLUTELY DO think that medical issues (of any kind) should be taken seriously. It is not my intention to downplay or trivialize individuals’ experiences with STIs, but rather to articulate my thoughts, which are that people tend to be really, really negative about STIs and people with STIs because this is what society and our current form of sex education teaches us to do.

[Trigger Warning: Clicking through the link will lead you to people being super negative and hurtful and saying really shitty things about how STIs are “repulsive”]

The Pain of Social Stigma

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 01:30:34 -0400

The Pain of Social Stigma:

callmebrandy:

This is a submission I received from a good friend of mine regarding the blogging I’ve done about STIs and the stigma associated with them, as well as the responses I’ve received. I really appreciate this person’s willingness to share and hope that my readers enjoy it as well.

“Hi Brandy. Reading your blog recently, I noticed you got a not-so–positive response to your post regarding STIs. I realize the response was probably written by an intelligent, feminist individual (who else would read your blog?), so I will give them the benefit of the doubt, and assume they have good intentions.

I will ignore their claims that we don’t live in a sex-negative society (ha!), and address only their main point, which is “ if you make responsible choices with your body (ie: using protection, talking to partners about their history before sex, frequent tests for STIs) you won’t have to deal with this stigma in the first place.”

Well, for someone who agrees we shouldn’t shame a person with an STI, that point sure contained a whole lot of shame. In fact, if you read between the lines, the point is “if you didn’t have an STI, you wouldn’t have to be so ashamed!” That is an extremely unprogressive viewpoint. It’s days like this I want to throw up my hands, sigh, and give up. Instead, let me tell you a family secret:

My mother has had genital herpes since 1982. That’s 6 years before she met my father, and 8 years before I was born. She’s been living with herpes for 29 years, but I doubt that the physical sores and flair ups have caused her even a fraction of the pain that the social stigma has. I doubt it was the herpes sores that made her keep her two children in the dark about it until two months ago, when we were 20 and 18 years old.

So, tell me my mother deserves to be ashamed, I dare you. Tell me why she deserves to be embarrassed, not meeting the pharmacist’s eye at the counter while she picks up her Valtrex prescription. Yes, it’s true that if she’d been more careful she wouldn’t have gotten an STI. But making a single mistake at the age of 19 shouldn’t mean you suffer a lifetime of stigma. Herpes medications have made progress in the last 29 years, and she told me her outbreaks are rare now. It’s just too bad sexual education hasn’t come as far as that.”

On Missing The Point...

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 01:22:10 -0400

On Missing The Point...:

callmebrandy:

A post of mine discussing the stigma associated with STIs has quite recently received a lot of attention, thanks to tangledupinlace. Most of the attention has been positive, with folks really digging and supporting the message. Of course, however, there are going to be a few people who disagree and I just wanted to open up some dialogue about one response in particular:

“I can’t really agree with this. Obviously, joking about any illness/disability is NOT okay, and I am not here to say otherwise. I just want to address my concern on the writer’s attitude of STIs not being a big deal.

It’s true that sex-education is not nearly what it needs to be (in terms of sex for pleasure, and a realistic approach to premarital sex), an STI is not the worst outcome of sex (that varies depending on your priorities, really) and no, we shouldn’t shame people for making a mistake and getting an STI, but that’s exactly it: an STI is a mistake. Infection is right there in the name. It is something unwanted. The writer of this article repeatedly likens STIs to common colds and non-sex related diseases, but HIV and herpes are permanent, not cleared up by a little Robitussin. And in what the author sex negative society, you would think we wouldn’t have such ready access to condoms and dental dams. -_- My point is, if you make responsible choices with your body (ie: using protection, talking to partners about their history before sex, frequent tests for STIs) you won’t have to deal with this stigma in the first place.”

I could say so many things about this response, but I’m exhausted and don’t know if I have the fiery articulation in me right now. What I will say though is that the fact that some privileged folks in this world have ready access to different forms of contraception does not mean that we aren’t still living in a sex negative society. Furthermore, my point was, and still is that even when we do make “responsible” choices (which holds a different meaning for every individual), we still may have to face the stigma associated with STIs because shit happens. Also, I firmly believe that it is mindsets like the one laced through the response above that really perpetuate the notion that STIs are ‘bad’. People living with STIs wouldn’t have to deal with the stigma if we lived in a more sex positive society. As long as you are blaming individuals with STIs for being so ‘careless’ and ‘irresponsible’, your feeding into the fucked up notion that STIs are horrible, dirty things that inevitably taint a person.

My deepest and most sincere apologies for legitimately failing at responding to the above response in a more eloquent and articulate way, maybe you all could give me a hand?

"After all, if sex-negativity is the idea that sex is bad (generally, unless it’s redeemed by..."

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:42:56 -0400

“After all, if sex-negativity is the idea that sex is bad (generally, unless it’s redeemed by heterosexual, monogamous relationships/marriage, usually with the possibility/intention of having children), then a lot of people jump to the conclusion that sex-positivity is the idea that sex is good. But sex is neither good or bad - it’s all in how each person experiences any particular sexual practice or event. The meaning of sex resides in the individuals, rather than in the act itself.”

- Sex-Positivity and Asexuality: Bringing Them Together | Charlie Glickman (via sexisnottheenemy)

Something to keep in mind while we talk about sex positivity in relation to ending the stigmatization of STIs/folks affected by STIs.

At the end of July we went to Toronto for the Canadian...

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:33:33 -0400

At the end of July we went to Toronto for the Canadian Universities Queer Services Conference. Toronto was lovely and the conference was problematic as hell, but still enjoyable.

On our way to one of the workshops, we spotted this giant billboard/sign that advertises the website that we provided the link to in our previous post. Brandy awkwardly pointed at the sign for the photo because they’re awkward, and Shantelle just did her thing and looks great (le sigh).

The sign reads: “HIVstigma.com - If you were rejected everytime you disclosed, would you?”; powerful words. It’s something that we really need to think about and just another reason why it’s so important to challenge STI-ism. In order to move towards a sex-positive society, we need to be working towards creating honest, open, and compassionate dialogue around sex. We need to really work on the sex education that is available to children, youth, young adults, and adults from Kindergarten to university, really. Without constant discussion about safer sex, we will continue to live in a sex-negative society where people who are affected by STIs will continue to face discrimination, hatred, and shame.

Together, we can put an end to the stigmatization of folks living with STIs! Let’s start now.

HIV Stigma.

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:15:25 -0400

HIV Stigma. :

While this site mainly focuses on HIV stigma and it’s affect on gay/queer men, we would argue that it is a very educational and useful resource for folks looking for ways to combat the stigma associated with HIV, regardless of the sexuality of the individuals experiencing “HIV-related shame, fear, prejudice, discrimination and guilt.”

The site creators offer up information on what HIV stigma is and looks like to them, how they feel stigma can be stopped, information pertaining to law and disclosure, community support, and much more.

Brandy argues that the site could certainly use a little expanding and work, but we both agree that it’s a really lovely place to start.

Mad respect,

Brandy and Shantelle

Free Public Support Community for Folks Affected by Herpes

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 16:39:24 -0400

Free Public Support Community for Folks Affected by Herpes:

Hi folks,

Sorry that it’s been months since our last update! We are going to get the ball rolling again for this summer.

Here is a site that we discovered a while ago after a good friend of Brandy’s told us that this might be beneficial or educational for the folks following this blog. Many of the home remedies available on this site seem to be relatively inexpensive and ‘easy-to-do’.

We hope that all of you are well and that each of you continue to challenge the stigma associated with STIs!

Much love,

Brandy and Shantelle

Dear Followers

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 03:00:20 -0500

We promise that we haven’t abandoned this project ! We both just got super busy with exams and then with family holiday times. We promise to be awesome bloggers in about a weeks time.

We hope that everyone out there is having a lovely December and is continuing to challenge and deconstruct the stigma associated with STI’s.

In Solidarity,

Brandy and Shantelle

For all of our new followers, we wanted to share with you a...

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 14:42:59 -0500

For all of our new followers, we wanted to share with you a little bit about who we are and what we do.

Also, here is the link to our friend Erin’s fabulous blog, as promised.

Sorry for the rambling (mostly done by Brandy) and also for Brandy’s weird mouth moves.

heathermck: “Once again Logan’s is graciously hosting our...

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:48:26 -0500

heathermck:

“Once again Logan’s is graciously hosting our annual fundraiser for Women’s Programming at AIDS Vancouver Island, in honour of World AIDS Day. This year we have As The Crow Flies, David P. Smith with Scott Henderson, Hearse, and Lonesome Larry’s One Man String Band lined up, with MC extraordinnaire J McLaughlin keeping us in line and on time. Sexy Burlesque Divas will be handing out free goodies, and selling raffle tickets for prizes that include art, sex toys, and gift certificates for tattoos/piercing. Absolute Underground will be on site filming a special episode about HIV. AVI’s notorious “Fuck Safe, Shoot Clean, Dance Proud” t-shirts will be on sale. Please come out and support us! Doors are at 8pm, $10. For more info or to donate/volunteer please call Hermione at 250-384-2366.”

- AIDS Vancouver Island

Come out and help support funding for Women’s Programming!

If you’re from the south Vancouver Island area, try to make it out to this fabulous event!

When reading this postsecret found here, we discussed how many...

Sun, 28 Nov 2010 14:07:00 -0500

When reading this postsecret found here, we discussed how many people are temporarily able-bodied and temporarily “healthy”. For example, there are so many things that can happen to a person in their life that would leave them both differently-abled and/or labeled unhealthy or sick, like a car accident, or developing a form of cancer, or a sports injury etc, etc.

We read this postsecret to mean that this individual was saying “fuck you stigma, I’m going to marry who I love regardless of how others might perceive me, my relationship, or my partner”. The concept of having to keep the fact that their partner is HIV+ a “secret” is problematic, however it is also not the individual’s right to share another individual’s medical information publicly.

There are many people all over the world who continue to commit to their partners regardless of whether or not they are considered “healthy” or not. People marry their partners who have cancer, or who are differently-abled, etc., so how is this really any different ? While there is the possibility of catching an STI from your partner (or anyone else who you are sexually active with), there exists so many resources and safer sex practices that can greatly reduce this possibility.

We invite you to respectfully share your thoughts around this issue because we’d love to know what you think.

questions, thoughts, concerns ?

Native Youth Sexual Health Network

Sat, 27 Nov 2010 01:49:07 -0500

Native Youth Sexual Health Network:

This is an awesome North American organization which focuses on sexuality and reproductive health education for and by Indigenous youth.

Founding organizer Jessica Yee is an Indigenous feminist reproductive freedom fighter who we (well, only Shantelle) has had the privilege of meeting in person on several occasions.

This is an essential sex-positive resource that should be utilized when discussing sexual health and the eradication of stigma around STI’s.

Transcription: “At you age, you’re gunna be having a...

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 20:39:14 -0500

Transcription: “At you age, you’re gunna be having a lot of urges. You’re gunna want to take off your clothes and touch each other. But if you do touch each other, you will get chlamydia…and die”

This is a clip from Mean Girls (2004), where the P.E teacher is teaching sex education. The purpose was likely to draw attention to/make fun of abstinence only sex education, which promotes abstaining from sex until marriage and also emphasizes that sex before marriage or sex at a ‘young’ age will result in dire consequences aka pregnancy and STI’s.

However, what abstinence only education actually does is prohibits children and youth from adequately acquiring knowledge about their bodies and about sex. This does not deter youth from engaging in sexual acts with one another, but instead perpetuates the moralistic idea that sex is bad and therefore fails to prepare students for real world, real life sexual experiences. Without the knowledge or resources available regarding safer sexual practices, children, youth, and young adults are at a higher risk of experiencing an unplanned pregnancy, or catching an STI (which is not to suggest that catching an STI is the end of the world by any means, but simply that it is, of course, a possible outcome).

It is never too early to become media literate and discuss the influence that the media has over our perceptions of sex and sex-related topics. Although this particular part of the film was intended to be funny and poke fun at abstinence-only education, it still perpetuates the notion that STI’s are “dirty” “dangerous” and “disgusting”, thus creating more societal disapproval of those individuals who do have STI’s and further silences and shames these individuals.

Monday Magazine: A Positive Outlook

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:56:15 -0500

Monday Magazine: A Positive Outlook:

This article addresses stigma and fear (fear driven stigma) around HIV/AIDS.

“Katrina Jansen, AVI executive director, says that despite all the work AVI has done in the past 25 years, stigma is still the biggest problem the community faces—that, and the fact that resources are still needed.”

msjohn: “A Positive Outlook” My amazing friend Glenn did an...

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:45:53 -0500

msjohn:

“A Positive Outlook”

My amazing friend Glenn did an interview with Monday magazine, check it out! There are some individuals in this world that make it a better place and he is one of them. You’re a ray of light and I love you.

xo

pray for rain.: STI-ism (STIsm) - How checking your shit can create a more sex-positive community.

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:40:00 -0500

pray for rain.: STI-ism (STIsm) - How checking your shit can create a more sex-positive community.:

callmebrandy:

Today I would like to address the stigma that exists around Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s).

I feel like everyday I hear a new STI-ist phrase that states how “repulsive”, “disgusting”, or “unwanted” STI’s are or how “dirty” or “disgusting” individuals with STI’s are. But here, let me tell you the facts:

one in every five people has genital herpes (but 80% of these people don’t know they have it).
Approximately 80% of American adults have oral herpes (so, cold sores).
At least 1 in 4 people will catch an STI at some point in their life.
Approximately two-thirds of the individuals with an STI are under the age of 25.

And there are loads more statistics and facts. But the point here is that STI’s are common. In fact, they are clearly extremely common. And this whole notion that STI’s are “gross” I feel stems from the very sex-negative stance that society holds.

Think about it: people have sex. And people should have sex if they want to, as much of it as they’d like and with as many people as they’d like, as long as it’s consensual. And sometimes one of the outcomes of sex (besides great orgasms, and beautiful forearm muscles) is an STI. and it’s not gross, nor is it the end of one’s sex life.

Now, why are these two statements often the first things that come to our minds when thinking about or discussing STI’s ? Well, I’ll tell you what I think: 1) people are douche-bags 2) people are uneducated 3) we live in a sex-negative society 4) The kind of sex-education we do receive tells us that getting an STI is one of the worst things that could happen to us when engaging in sexual activity. In fact, that and the possibility of pregnancy are really the only two things that are covered in good sex-education. It’s not pleasure based at all, but instead just informs us of the potential dangers or harms of sex.

But this is what needs to be pointed out, again: STI’s are not, I repeat, are not the worst things that could happen to you during sexual activity. They really aren’t even that bad. At most I would call them a nuisance, similar to that of a cold. They are something we can catch when we are particularly close to other people. Also, in case everyone has forgotten (which it seems they have) STI’s are treatable. There is medication that exists for every STI to either remedy the STI, or at the very least manage the symptoms of an STI.

Furthermore, individuals who have STI’s obviously still have sex, and great sex at that. I believe that with every sexual partner it’s very important to be open and honest about your sexual history, what you want out of this particular sexual engagement, and your sexual health (which is not to imply that having an STI makes one unhealthy, because it doesn’t). After this it is up to each individual involved if and how they would like to have sex with one another. There are obviously safe-sex practices that can be employed and should be considered regardless of one’s sexual health status. Like I said, an STI is not the end of one’s sex life and I believe that they also shouldn’t be the deciding factor for whether or not you should have sex with someone because that, my friends, is a frame of mind that is buying into the fear mongering mind set of sex negativity.

STI’s do not make a person. They do not change a person, nor do they affect how great (or not so great) someone is in bed. They are a normal part of life. And SO MANY PEOPLE have them. So next time you go to make an STI-ist remark, consider this: you may have an STI and not know about it (or you may unknowingly get one in the future), the people around you may have an STI, your sibling may have an STI, your parents may have an STI, your friends or partner may have an STI (and likely some of them do). The comments you make hurt people.

This shouldn’t be such a taboo subject, especially when so many people have first hand experience with STI’s. There needs to exist acceptance and recognition that individuals who have STI’s have sexual validity and there also needs to exist positive dialogue around the subject of STI’s where it is repeatedly stated that a high percentage of individuals will get an STI at some point in their life, and in no way does this make them “dirty” or less sexually desirable.

To all of you out there who are now conscious of the STI-ist remarks that you may be saying, check your shit and get educated. And while you’re at it, educate the people around you, so that slowly we can create a more accepting, inclusive, and sex-positive community.