POZ Awards 2023

[Jim Allen]

Details: https://www.poz.com/magazine/poz-awards-2023

POZ Awards 2023

Welcome to the 8th Annual POZ Awards, which spotlight the best representations of HIV and AIDS in media and culture.

POZ Awards 2023 / Best Celebrity Advocate
POZ Awards 2023 / Best in Film or Television
POZ Awards 2023 / Best in Literature
POZ Awards 2023 / Best in Visual Arts
POZ Awards 2023 / Best Reason to Keep Acting Up

[Jim Allen]

Does anyone care to share any thoughts?

[leatherman]

thoughts? I always have thoughts about stuff. LOL

hmmm. interesting choices.

Red, White and Royal blue has a great scene about PrEP; though no U=U. However it was nice to see a parent so supportive of a child coming out....even if that kind of reaction is still incredibly rare. I loved the book and was glad the movie was a close representation. (Ok. Hot Alex sure helped me enjoy the movie a lot. LOL) But was it good enough for a POZ award? If that's all the representation of HIV needed in a movie, then representation of today's HIV issues needs re-thought.

Reason to keep acting up. Long COVID, Trans Rights, Drag Bans? Those sound like activism for health care access and LGBTQ+ rights. Even though Education in Fl doesn't sound like an HIV issue per se, I still opted for it. Hell! I'll always opt for education of any kind anywhere. You can't go wrong with trying to increase education for what seems like our ever more ignorant populace in America. Ten years ago I was advocating for a change in sexual health education in SC. The basic law was actually quite comprehensive but there was no mechanism to enforce sex ed to be comprehensive or even taught at all. Having just come off of ADAP funding activism activities, our SC HIV groups connected with women's rights and other sexual health care advocates to make SC sex ed better. This kind of sex ed advocacy will never be finished but things are improving in my state. Hopefully sex ed and education in general can be improved across the Southern states as these states are the worst hit by HIV/AIDS.

Adam Lambert on the big screen. A gay man playing a gay man in a movie about HIV? Sounds like representation to me. Although, a "heart-breaking film"? While I hated pre-HIV movies representing gay men as the character that always dies, isn't that exactly what's going to happen in a movie set during the worst of the AIDS epidemic? Ugh. I don't watch that kind of movie anymore. I lived through that crap with 2 dead partners and too many memories of how I almost died. I know it may make an impact on other people, but those movies just rub salt into my wounded heart and brain. I guess living through all that and coming out the other side, like a lot of my LTS peers, with an HEA (happily ever after) isn't a movie worthy story compared to the ones set 40 years ago when the gay guys die. ugh.

[numbersguy82]

POZ Awards 2023 / Best Celebrity Advocate: Oh for sure Adam Lambert
POZ Awards 2023 / Best in Film or Television: the Rock Hudson doc was incredible. Also very cringe-worthy at times. Rock phone call detailing him “interviewing” studio boys was disturbing.
POZ Awards 2023 / Best Reason to Keep Acting Up: Educate Florida… all them heathens!!!!