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Get Equal Now, GLAAD Call On ABC To Retract False Statements Made About HIV/AIDS On The View

07/02/10-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
A recent outing on the View saw host Sherri Shepherd and guest host D.L. Hughley perpetuate dangerous and debunked myths about African-American gay and bisexual men. Hughley stated on the show “When you look at the prevalence of HIV in the African American Community, it’s primarily young women who are getting it from men who are on the down low. That’s the thing.” Actually, that is not the thing. Very few infections are coming from bisexual men apparently. Most of the infections are coming via other methods. Shepherd explained what “on the down low” means. “The down low is black men who’ve been going out. They are having sex with men and they’re not telling their girlfriends or their wives that they’re gay and their husbands, as well. And it’s very prevalent with African American women because they come home and have sex with their wives or their girlfriends. And they’re not telling them that they’re gay. . .It’s so big in the Black community with women because they’re having unprotected sex with men who have been having sex with… with men.”

This is a myth which is dangerous and makes many gay and bisexual African-American men far less likely to come out because of a perpetuated homophobically based stigma.

C.D. Kirven co-founder of Get Equal Now has issued a statement with regards to the GLAAD petition urging View to retract false statements about the Black LGBT community

“As a Black lesbian and a member of the Black community, I’m very hurt by as well as very concerned by the comments made by Ms. Shepard and Mr. Hughgley on the View about a very common but completely false myth about Black men in the LGBT community. As public figures and as part of the Black community, there is a responsibility to try to bridge the divide between our communities and this kind of public announcement of misinformation only henders such progress. You are contributing to discrimination of those who are also a part of the Black community and becoming part of our equality problem instead our liberty solution. This helps hate groups spread falsehoods and helps contribute to barriers that block LGBT people from achieving our civil rights when it comes to insidious restrictions like the blood donor ban. The public report of a case where a VA hospital allegedly infected 1,800 veterns due to neglence is just one example of hundred of ways HIV can be spread.

“I urge View producers, Ms. Shepard and Mr. Hughley to release a public statement for disseminating untrue and hurtful information about the LGBT community. I urge my LGBT community to stand with GLAAD by signing petition because standing together against prejudicial statements of public misrepresentations is not only needed but we all know our perception is our reality. We as Americans should be allowed to live our truth out loud without fear of goverment intrusion or public falsehoods.

“Also add Get Equal Now will lead public protests outside of ABC offices and direct action if required because the miseducation of the public is a very serious problem on television programs that do not take the time to check their facts.”

There are tons of myths regarding how HIV/AIDS can be spread, and they need to be combated at every opportunity.