Full Page Variety Magazine Advertisement Calls on ABC and The View to Take Responsibility
for Spreading Inaccurate Information about HIV/AIDS
Weeks after Perpetuating Falsehoods About African American Gay and Bisexual Men ABC and The View Still Refuse to Share the Facts
New York, NY, July 12, 2010-- In a full page ad running in today's Variety Magazine, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation ( GLAAD ) the Black AIDS Institute and the National Black Justice Coalition ( NBJC ) call on the ABC Television Network and its popular morning program The View, to correct misinformation put forth on the June 22 edition of the show.
The ad reads in part, "On June 22, ABC's The View aired inaccurate information about HIV, blaming African American gay and bisexual men for increased HIV rates among straight African American women. The Centers for Disease Control ( CDC ) has publicly disproven this myth. And since June 22, thousands of people have written to ABC, asking that The View Provide correct information to viewers. Unfortunately, those requests have been greeted with silence from both ABC and The View."
The Variety ad placement comes nearly three weeks after inaccurate comments during The View's "Hot Topics" segment. That day's discussion centered on the FDA's ban that prevents gay and bisexual men from donating blood.
"ABC now knows that it put out dangerous and false information about HIV/AIDS on its airwaves, yet the network still refuses to take responsibility," said Rashad Robinson, GLAAD's Senior Director of Programs. "ABC and The View's refusal to correct these inaccurate remarks comes at the expense of African American gay and bisexual men, straight African American women and millions of audience members who need facts about HIV/AIDS, not myths. It's extremely disheartening to see a program that usually covers our community with respect, unwilling to correct this serious lapse in editorial judgment."
See the segment, view transcript excerpts and read about GLAAD's Call to Action on this issue. Over three-thousand people have sent letters to ABC urging an apology and correction.
See more information on The View's fact checking double standard at GLAAD Blog.
The Variety Magazine ad concludes by saying:
"When The View talks about these kinds of issues, people listen. And there's a responsibility that comes with that. We want The View to do what it does at its best: Talk about the tough issues with a commitment to honesty, accuracy and fairness. We ask ABC and The View to keep the conversation going by correcting the record and elevating voices that can provide accurate information about HIV/AIDS for African American gay and bisexual men, African American women, and all viewers."
See the full ad here: www.glaad.org/theview
The kind of misinformation espoused on The View fuels stigma and undermines efforts to end the
AIDS epidemic in our communities. AIDS is too important an issue to allow myths and misinformation to go unaddressed. According the Black AIDS Institute, every nine and a half minutes someone in this country is infected with HIV. Nearly 50 percent of the new HIV/AIDS cases, 50 percent of people living with HIV, and 50 percent of the annual AIDS related deaths in the U.S. are Black. AIDS is the third leading cause of death for Black men and women aged 35-44 in the U.S.
For more facts and information on HIV/AIDS please visit: http://blackaids.org/
See more information on this issue from the CDC here:
http://www.blackpressusa.com/news/Article.asp?SID=3&Title=National+News&NewsID=19908
About GLAAD:
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation ( GLAAD ) amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org .
About the Black AIDS Institute:
Founded in May of 1999, the Black AIDS Institute is the only national HIV/AIDS think tank focused exclusively on Black people. The Institute's Mission is to stop the AIDS pandemic in Black communities by engaging and mobilizing Black institutions and individuals in efforts to confront HIV. The Institute interprets public and private sector HIV policies, conducts trainings, offers technical assistance, disseminates information and provides advocacy mobilization from a uniquely and unapologetically Black point of view. Our motto describes a commitment to self-preservation: "Our People, Our Problem, Our Solution." For more information, please visit http://blackaids.org/
About NBJC:
Since 2003, The National Black Justice Coalition ( NBJC ) is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender ( LGBT ) people. NBJC has provided leadership at the intersection of mainstream national civil rights groups and mainstream LGBT organizations, advocating for the unique challenges and needs of the African-American LGBT community that are often relegated to the sidelines. NBJC's mission is to eradicate racism and homophobia. For more information, please visit www.nbjc.org .
