From The New York Daily News…
‘I Love My Boo’ posters in New York subways aim to battle homophobia, increase visibility of gay men
By Michael J. Feeney
Daily News Staff Writer
It’s hard to miss the “I Love My Boo” posters plastered in the subways, but make no mistake: They have nothing to do with Halloween.
The eye-catching signs featuring those words show black and Hispanic gay men cuddling.
And the “boo” in this case is a term of affection many young people, gay and straight, use to refer to their significant other.
It’s all part of a campaign by GMHC, a leading AIDS organization, to battle homophobia, increase visibility of gay men of color, and urge those men to practice safe sex.
“The message is also about protecting ourselves. It’s about responsibility, being responsible, getting tested, knowing your status, talking to your partner,” said Francisco Roque, the director of community health for Gay Mens Health Crisis.
The campaign was launched after just as a series of attacks and tragedies struck the community — the bullying-induced suicide of Tyler Clementi, the gay bashing at The Stonewall, and the vicious gang attack of a gay man and two gay teens in the Bronx.
“It’s timely in the wake of all the suicides and bullying,” Roque acknowledged.
The “I Love My Boo” campaign had been in the works before that, though, in part to address the shocking rate of HIV infection among men of color.
A recent study found 28% of gay black men are infected with HIV, compared with 18% of Hispanics and 16% of white men, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
“Part of what this is supporting is making young men feel good about themselves,” Roque said. “If they feel good about themselves they’re more likely to make healthier choices as related to safer sex.”
One of the models on the posters, Derrick Briggs, who is featured with “his boo” Jaszi Alejandro, said the decision to pose for the campaign wasn’t easy.
“It took a lot of courage to do this. I knew this was going to be huge,” said Briggs, 29, of Bedford-Stuyvesant. “Gay men come in all shapes, forms and colors… . This campaign is showing there are different types of gay people in the world and we exist.”
The posters also include taglines that read, “We’re about trust, respect, and commitment” and “We’re PROUD of who we are and how we LOVE.”
Nikki Wells, a 21-year-old transgender woman from Brooklyn said the ad hit exactly the right note.
“That’s cute!” she gushed as she walked by one of the posters on W. 23rd Street. “You should be proud of who you are.”
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