This poster struck me as relevant and interesting with respect to the stigma of AIDS. This is clearly reflected in the paragraph entirely dedicated to conveying that the confidentiality and anonymity of anyone who calls will be maintained. Even the headline of the poster, implying that it wouldn’t be right for a child to learn about AIDS from anyone but their parent, perpetuates this stigma. I believe this relates to the idea that sex—especially LGBTQ+ sex, more strongly associated with AIDS—is something to be kept fully separated from the public domain, as discussed by Berlant and Warner and resonated throughout U.S. history.
Sources:
- Pennsylvania Department of Health. If Anybody Tells My Kid About AIDS, It’s Going To Be Me! 1989. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA. http://aep.lib.rochester.edu/node/40852
- Lauren Berlant and Michael Warner, “Sex in Public,” Critical Inquiry 24, No. 2 (Winter, 1998): 547-566.