GLAAD recently published its findings from the annual State of HIV Stigma Report.
The 5th annual report, created and produced by GLAAD’s Communities of Color department in partnership with the Gilead COMPASS Initiative®, is the only one of its kind and aims to track Americans’ knowledge, attitudes and sentiment around HIV and HIV stigma.
While this year’s report found that HIV stigma has declined over last year, HIV stigma is still far from solved and very much prevalent in every day life in a way that still creates significant barriers in HIV care, innovation, education and awareness.
GLAAD research suggests that seeing stories of people living with HIV increases comfortability with people living with HIV in various scenarios in life by up to +15%.
This is why visibility and representation is so critical in media, because people are less likely to judge, damn and hate that which they are more familiar with or have knowledge of. But the picture being painted in Hollywood right now when it comes to portraying people living with HIV in a way that drives acceptance is quite bleak.
GLAAD’s most recent Where We Are on TV Report found only one LGBTQ character living with HIV in its last TV season, this is a significant decrease from the 8 characters in 2023.
Further, GLAAD’s latest Studio Responsibility Report showed no LGBTQ characters portrayed as living with HIV last year in film.
When we lose this driver for acceptance, stigma and fear increases and we risk losing the accomplishments we’ve made when it comes to education and awareness around HIV and people living with HIV.
While there has been a decrease of HIV stories told in television, there has been somewhat of a renaissance in the literary world. Ted Kerr, co-author of We Are Having This Conversation Now, realized that many other books were delving into the topic of HIV and AIDS and worked with a team to compile a list of books written since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. They found at least 75 books, ranging from academic fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and from a range of presses, including mainstream and independent presses and self-published work. “It shows me that people are still invested and have a compulsion to create AIDS media,” Kerr said. “And that we need it.”
He continues, “Misinformation and disinformation is rampant when it comes to AIDS. This results in people not getting tested, not trusting the effectiveness of their life saving medication,” he says. “Responsible media helps pushback against lies, stigma and ignorance. It normalizes the complexity and beauty of LGBTQIA existence, including the role HIV plays in our lives.”
GLAAD’s work with Gilead Sciences used our Where We Are on TV study to call on networks and streamers to introduce 3 new characters living with HIV each year on broadcast, cable, and streaming primetime scripted programming. Check out GLAAD’s 12th Annual Studio Responsibility Index to learn more about how GLAAD continues to hold Hollywood accountable for a lack of stories about HIV and diverse LGBTQ people.
GLAAD’s 2024 State of HIV Stigma Report was created and produced by GLAAD’s Communities of Color department, part of GLAAD Media Institute, GLAAD’s training, research and consulting division. Learn more at GLAAD.org/Institute and support GLAAD’s work here.