Check out this straight-forward and compelling campaign for the International Red Cross that was posted on Behance by art directors Pier Madonia and Canadian Stuart Macmillan. Besides the high quality of the work itself, there is something so stark and thought-provoking about the commodification of a human emotion. What a different world we’d live in if we really could bottle awareness…
Thanks to my friend James for reminding me of the hypocrisy that’s hiding inside these ads. These ads are for the International Red Cross, but the Canadian Red Cross, despite the blood bag filled with “compassion”, doesn’t accept blood donations from gay males. Apparently it’s 1981. I half expect them to say something like “Due to the rise in gay cancer, we’ve decided that…”. It’s ludicrous.
You’d think that by 2008 any supposedly humanist and forward-thinking organization would realize that supporting this kind of homophobia is dangerous. We all know that AIDS is not a gay disease. We all know that AIDS doesn’t discriminate based on gender, sexual orientation, class, or race.
AIDS can be contracted by everyone. Everyone (except gay males) can donate blood. Therefore, anyone with AIDS can donate blood. To maintain this kind of discrimination against gay men is pointless, offensive, and does nothing to protect the blood supply. All it does is prevent sick people from getting blood they could use…
How compassionate, tolerant, or aware is that?
Via Josh Spear
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