the cover up
by
Douglas Messerli
Two
young men of different races, black and white, sit at a small dinner table with
what appears to be the black man’s father. Suddenly the young black boy stands,
reaches across the table, and pulls up the white boy by the collar, leaning
over the kiss him on the lips. The music in the background is Richard Strauss’ Also
sprach Zarathustra.
Suddenly on the scree the words appear: “We’re
brave enough to come out.”
As the black man stares down his astonished
father, the white boy pulls out a small pack of “Health Men” condoms. Another
banner appears across the screen: So we’re definitely brave enough to cover up.”
The
South African ad from 2016, from wethebrace.co.za, was part of a gay men sexual
health campaign initiated by the Anova Health Institute and the Elton John AIDS
Foundation. As the Anova Health Institute described their ad, titled Kiss.
“"The aim of the advertisement is not to shock, but to attract our market
through creating scenarios to which they relate. With 4.9 million South
Africans – 10 percent of the population – identifying as homosexual, this is a
matter of public interest and urgency, and we do not have the luxury of
tiptoeing around the issues."
The ad, which is believed to be the first
representation of a gay kiss on South African television, received a great deal
of negative reaction with numerous letters complaining that it was “inappropriate”
and “offensive and disgusting.”
A second ad by the group, taking things a
bit further by showing naked buttocks, a leather-clad “sugar daddy,” and
simulated sexual acts was banned. It’s hard to believe that such a simple ad as
Kiss would be received so negatively in a country that still has a very
high rate of AIDS infection. But obviously, the open racial attitudes of the ad
still threatens those who not so long ago supported apartheid.
Los
Angeles, January 1, 2026
Reprinted
from My Queer Cinema blog (January 2026).
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