On Friday I released two very special prints, inspired by the TV series, It's A Sin. For each print sold, I will be donating £5 to the Terrence Higgins Trust, who provide support for people living with and affected by HIV, and to campaign for change.
The TV series, written by Russell T Davies, is a glimpse into life of five people, who live together, in the 80s, at the start of the HIV/AIDS crisis. The parallels between the way they discuss denial of the virus, in a very similar to the way most people first reacted when coronavirus first came into our consciences, is remarkable.
I shared my thoughts on Instagram (visit my profile and look for the "It's A Sin" highlight). Quite a few people messaged me to say they were touched by the TV series and did I know of anything else they could watch on the subject.
There are a few other films/TV shows, but none that do it in quite the way It's A Sin does. Don't get me wrong, IAS isn't a perfect show, for example, it only shows the male experience. There isn't any details about women's experience and getting HIV/AIDS. It also doesn't explore the virus contraction to hetrosexual either. So, if your appetite has been whetted to learn more, here some other shows and films, that I would recommend, that depict characters from the LGBTQIA community, living with HIV/AIDS:
Set in 80s/90s New York City, it shines a light on ball culture and the gay and trans community living in the AIDS crisis. It is brilliant. It's glorious and celebratory in the face of tragedy.
Early 90s New York City, following a year in the lives of group of friends, coping with life. Threads and multiple storylines, with the straight and LGBT characters, as the face the realities of what it means to have AIDS. This show has a special place in my heart - one of the first musicals "that spoke to me", and was the first professional West End show that I worked on.
Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tony Kushner, also turned into a HBO miniseries, features historic figures and biblical allegory to show the human response of living with the virus.
Set in the early AIDS epidemic. Real and raw, it's a powerful piece about those who felt the weight the crisis in the 1980s and fought for equality and political justice.
Probably the first mainstream movie, to talk about AIDS at a time when politically, not enough was being done by the Reagan/Bush administrations. Arguably, not the "best" portrayal of the crisis, as in parts, people say the subject matter is too sanitised, but thanks to Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, it started a conversation that the mainstream needed to have.
There are a lot more out there... and as February is LGBT History month, I'd recommend taking a look at this wiki page, if you want to find more...
Before you go, take a mo to check out my two charity prints, inspired by It's A Sin.
Take care and keep safe,
Marc xx