I selected the following image from the AIDS Poster Collection because I found it to have an intense shock value. The message that this poster sends is essentially that by not wearing a condom because you are so eager to have sex with a cute boy, you will die of HIV/AIDS. This message is incredibly crazy, which is why I chose it. To me, it is unbelievable that this message would be publically broadcasted. This relates to the idea of heteronormativity that we have talked about in class. Given that heterosexual sex and relationships are the norm, it is probably never stated that you can die from having straight sex. This poster is saying that you will die from having unprotected gay sex, which shows gayness as being far form the norm.
AIDS poster response (Blog post)
The above poster is titled “Famous Last Words,” produced by People of Color Against AIDS. The overall message to viewers is that anyone can get AIDS, regardless of race; it’s a huge mistake to assume that only white people can get AIDS. I find the poster interesting because it challenges the idea that the only people getting AIDS are white gay men; the disease doesn’t care what race you are—it affects anyone infected in an equally horrible way. In our class, we have had several class discussions about intersectionality between different groups, and this poster continues this idea—queer issues (including, but not limited to, AIDS) affect people regardless of race, gender, sex, and other characteristics.