Sex Positive documents the life of Richard Berkowitz, a gay hustler-turned-AIDS activist. While other 1980s AIDS activists pushed for medical research and government support, Berkowitz sent shock waves through the New York gay community with his claim that the promiscuous gay lifestyle was to blame and that gay men had to take personal responsibility for their actions. Despite numerous public appearances and the publication of a groundbreaking book on safe sex, his stance was considered too controversial, leading the community to dismiss him as a self-hating gay man. Nearly 30 years later, director Daryl Wein uses archival footage (much of it from Berkowitz’s own collection) and interviews to capture the untold story of the history of safe sex.
WINNER Jury Prize - Best Documentary, 2008 Outfest
A local Aboriginal trans woman tells her story of harm reduction and transformation.
Total time: 81 min
DISCUSSION TO FOLLOW
Join Matthew Taylor, Director of Hustle: Men on the Move, Richard O’Donnell, Boys R Us Coordinator and filmmaker Lulu Gurney for an up-to-date discussion on harm reduction.