item details
Russ Flatt; photographer; 2020
Overview
This poster is part of New Zealand AIDS Foundation’s Ending HIV Posters in Population project which addressed lack of representation in its health messaging, particularly in promoting safe and healthy sex. The message of this poster is about testing for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
The Posters in Population project ‘came about after listening to the voices of our diverse LGBTQIA+ community in Aotearoa New Zealand and hearing that there was a lack of representation in our work. We are passionately committed to working hand in hand with our partners, learning with and from them and moving forward together – toward an Aotearoa without HIV transmission. But we can’t do that together if we’re only speaking with one voice and perspective’ (NZAF, 2020).
The Posters in Population project manifested in striking portraits of individuals by photographer Russ Flatt (Ngāti Kahungunu), with messaging in their respective languages, including Te Reo Māori, Samoan, Tongan, Fijian, Hindi, Spanish, Khmer, Chinese and Dhivehi. Their personal stories and messages are online (link below).
This poster features Nicholas Francis (He/Him, Samoan, Chinese, Spanish, German). He says:
'I was born in Auckland, New Zealand. At the age of 3, my family decided to move to Samoa to raise my brother and I. Whilst living in the islands I spent a few years in American Samoa, commonly known as Pago Pago and then moved to Apia the capital of Western Samoa where I lived in a small riverside house in Lelata. It was important to my mother that her children experience life with our extended family and be immersed in the culture. It was a humbling upbringing that I am very thankful for, as it taught me the fundamentals of respect, putting family first and to appreciate the smaller things in life. I was surrounded by cultural protocol and religion, which in turn has grounded me throughout my life as a cis Samoan man.
My reasons for being a part of this project was to show a familiar face for our pacific peoples, especially for the cis men. To show that we can be accepted and live a happy life being openly gay in New Zealand, while also setting a trend, hopefully, for our brothers and sisters in the islands. To help change these prejudices there needs to be greater awareness and education of LGBTQIA+ people in the Pacific and wider communities, so that there can be informed discussions, and we can ensure people get access to the right services and information.
My preferred prevention method when it comes to sex would be condoms and PrEP. Protecting myself as well as my sexual partners is a priority. Also, having open dialogue with each other is so important' (NZAF 2020).
References: NZAF (2020). Posters in Population Posters in Population (endinghiv.org.nz)