Mark S. King created a 10 minute video of four HIV negative gay men and their personal feelings and views and feelings when it comes to HIV and “create a short film about their lives and attitudes.“ King emphasizes that these men do not speak for the gay community and it gives no opinion. He wanted an open and candid conversation. The video touches on a many issues and concerns when it comes to HIV/AIDS, including fear, stigma and understanding.
They held back nothing, sharing details of their sex lives, their fears of becoming infected, and, perhaps most surprising, what they really think of HIV positive guys. I couldn’t believe their candor, and have worked to distill two days of explicit conversations into ten minutes of brutal honesty (the language is sometimes NSFW). They don’t speak for every gay man, only for themselves, and the differences of opinion between them is really striking. It really is a snapshot of what it means to be a negative and sexually active gay man these days. No matter which of these men you might relate to the most, there’s no doubt they are all just trying to carve out a satisfying sexual existence during a pretty confusing time
If there is anything to be learned from this video, it is that there is no monolithic “HIV negative perspective.” Gay men are far too diverse for that. That’s a lesson our community seems to have to learn over and over again.