GROUNDBREAKING MSM BILLBOARD ERECTED
Health4Men, a project run by the Anova Health Institute, has erected a groundbreaking billboard in Khayelitsha, promoting responsible sexual behaviour among men who have sex with men (MSM).
The 6×3 meter advert depicts a man with his arm around his male partner looking into the distance.
It urges: “Respect yourself. Respect your partner. You are worth it.”
While Mr. Gay World recently boasted the first-ever gay billboard in South Africa, to promote the event on a Johannesburg highway, the Health4Men billboard is a first in that it is message-based and is located in a township.
Health4Men Programme Manager Glenn de Swardt told Mambaonline that the billboard has been placed at the Site C taxi rank to specifically target township-dwelling MSM.
“We paid much attention to the concept, the design, the models and styling plus the copy in an attempt to avoid any potential backlash against MSM in the township,” explained de Swardt.
“This included a detailed discussion, in the form of a focus group, with township-dwelling MSM who approved the final design. The billboard is therefore quite ‘subtle’.”
The billboard is part of Health4Men’s Ukwazana (Xhosa: “getting to know each other”) MSM empowerment campaign which is popular among gay and bi men in township areas, and links to the distribution of condoms and water-based lubrication in shebeens.
Health4Men offers free sexual health services to MSM and has clinics in Woodstock, Khayelitsha, Johannesburg and Soweto.
Nice one guys! Keep up the good work!
WOW! I don’t know what to say! This is just SO BEAUTIFUL – how it looks, what it says, where it is, who will see it, it makes me feel so proud to be gay in KHAYELTISHA, it is a very special day, two gay PROUD GAY MEN from my community for THE WHOLE WORLD TO SEE – we are here AFRICA we are here, WE ARE SO PROUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All of us must be proud of this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU for making us so beautiful and proud, my heart is so big when I see this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A very welcome and brave step so well done and bravo to Health4Men for taking your message to where it is most needed and thank you for not being sleazy or over-the-top like so many previous attempts, Glenn I think the word ‘subtle’ is totally appropriate and you took steps to avoid offending anyone. I love your creative work so please keep it pumping.
I love it 🙂
So cool!
Beautiful billboard with an x-cellent message!
Next time maybe less mountain and more body??
lol
Cheers
I disagree, you know how crazy conservative people are??? More body means more trouble for gays!!!! The mountain makes this very Cape Town, its says gays are here in our city, not just in America!!!! This billboard gives black gay guys a place – we are right here, in Khayeltisha, walking down the road, at the taxi rank, we are not hiding away in the city somewhere. And ja I agree, the message is x-cellent, keep it up.
WTF??????
Just 3 words for this, FAB-YOU-LOUS !!!!!
Rock on guys. you are doing well in educating mjita in the kasi to accept it