HIV/AIDS testing will also be held by PowerGamma in Baker 235 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
Many typically associate December with the holidays and gift-giving, but instead, some at Ohio University are raising awareness for the health of those with HIV/AIDS.
The LGBT Center will host a screening and discussion of the film Rent on Tuesday. The 2005 musical highlights a group of young adults who struggle with the effects of AIDS and how they deal with it through personal stories.
The screening and discussion is timely for the recognition of World AIDS Day on Tuesday.
The discussion portion after Rent stresses how HIV/AIDS is not just limited to the LGBT community.
Camry Carey, special coordinator for the LGBT Center, said the center’s increased social media following has played a strong role in reaching audiences outside of those who identify as LGBT.
“We’re on everything from Facebook, Twitter and posters,” Carey said. “We even use Vine to get people to know about recent events like Rent and Paris is Burning.”
The Day With(out) Art Project's will also show its digital slideshow, “Radiant Presence.” The piece is made by a collaboration of nine artists, activists and curators with contemporary arts organization VISUAL AIDS’ Artist + Registry.
“Radiant Presence” features work from deceased artists who had HIV/AIDS. By showing that work, the film aims to highlight treatment issues, HIV criminalization, demographics and the disproportionate number of trans women and minorities living with the disease.
Emma Holman-Smith, community coordinator in the LGBT Center, said she hopes Rent will respect the memories of those who died from AIDS.
“Having events that are in support of people who are still struggling with this or knew people who died during the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s is nice because it shows support when larger society’s ideas stigmatize AIDS,” Holman-Smith said.
Holman-Smith also said unprotected sex and an unwillingness to talk about the epidemic are factors as to why people are not receiving the education and treatment needed.
“The stigma of HIV coupled with the stigma of being gay pushed people to not talk about it very much,” Holman-Smith said.
Even though medicines have made HIV/AIDS more treatable, there are still about 36 million people who live with the disease, according to visualaids.org.
Austin Greene, a freshman studying business, said he believes events like that are needed to reaffirm the significance of the topic in the medically advancing society.
“It's a serious subject for many people. Those who have (AIDS) still have to live through it and fight since its incurable,” Greene said.
Even though media attention around AIDS may not be as vibrant as it was in the past, Holman-Smith said social media will bring the conversation back to the forefront.
“One of the benefits of social media is that it allows a more national and global support system to continue a conversation such as this,” she said.
Greene said OU is a great place to stimulate more conversation, so those affected or unaffected by HIV/AIDS can hear about it an equal amount.
In addition, there will be HIV/AIDS testing held by PowerGamma in Baker 235 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
@jcooke1996
