Here Media Empowers Gay Community to be 'Greater Than AIDS'

World's Largest Gay Media Company Partners on Cross-Cutting HIV/AIDS Campaign, Launches New Informational Resources

MENLO PARK, Calif., March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Here Media, the world's largest gay media company, has joined with Greater Than AIDS -- a new national movement to respond to AIDS in America -- to inform and engage the LGBT community about HIV/AIDS.  The multimedia partnership includes public service announcements (PSAs) and expanded HIV/AIDS news and editorial across Here Media's iconic brands -- including Gay.com, OUT, The Advocate, HIV Plus, and MPOWRPlus.com.  A dedicated new web portal, http://www.gay.com/greaterthan, provides targeted information and resources for gay and bisexual men.

Gay and bisexual men account for about half of all Americans living with HIV/AIDS today and are the only risk group among which new infections are on the rise. According to a recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five (19%) men who have sex with men (MSM) in major U.S. cities today are HIV-positive -- and as many as half of those who are infected don't know it.

The Here Media-Greater Than AIDS partnership includes:

• Targeted PSAs in Here Media print publications, with the debut PSAs appeared in OUT and HIV Plus in February;
• Online banner ads across Here Media's multiple websites, including Gay.com (the world's leading gay social networking site); Out.com; Advocate.com; and HIVPlusMag.com;
• Expanded news and editorial content on HIV/AIDS and related issues among gay and bisexual men in Here Media publications and online platforms;
• New Web portal (http://www.gay.com/greaterthan) that provides comprehensive HIV-related information for gay and bisexual men. The site also includes an HIV testing center locator and links to local LGBT and HIV/AIDS service organizations;
• Special events and community outreach will leverage the popular appeal of Here Media's brands, including OUT and The Advocate, to provide information about HIV/AIDS.

"Homophobia and other social stigmas, low self-esteem, and high rates of substance use contribute to rising rates of HIV infections among our community," said Joe Valentino, Vice President and Associate Publisher, Here Media.  "We are proud to partner with Greater Than AIDS to educate and empower our audience. This partnership refocuses our community's attention on the important need to reduce the spread of HIV."  

"As one of the communities hardest hit by the disease, gay and bisexual men have been at the center of the AIDS crisis since the early days of the epidemic," said Stephen Massey, Associate Director of Entertainment Media Partnerships at the non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation, a founding partner of Greater Than AIDS.  "In joining with Greater Than AIDS, Here Media is providing a powerful platform to reach the gay community with action-oriented and empowering messages and helping to mobilize a new generation in response to HIV/AIDS."

June 2011 will mark 30 years since the first case of AIDS was diagnosed. More than 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV today, and at least half a million more have died of AIDS complications. Men who have sex with men (MSM) have been at the center of the epidemic since its earliest days and today account for more than half of new infections in this country. According to a recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in five (19%) gay and bisexual men in some the largest U.S. cities are living with HIV -- and half of those who are positive don't know it. MSM are the only risk group among which new infections are on the rise.  

About Here Media

Here Media Inc. produces and distributes niche content across all platforms worldwide. Here Media's iconic brands distribute gay media and world cinema programming with universal, humanistic appeal. Its distribution platforms include television, VOD, broadband, online, print, and mobile. It earns subscription, advertising, and licensing revenue from its award-winning content.  

Here Media owns and operates a variety of media assets, including: here! TV, a premium television network featuring programming that appeals to a gay and lesbian audience airing in 96 of the top 100 U.S. markets, including every top 10 market; Iconic brands including Out, The Advocate, and HIV Plus as well as Alyson Books; The Advocate/Out group of online sites, including Gay.com, Advocate.com, Out.com, and SheWired.com.

Paul Colichman is Chief Executive Officer of Here Media and Stephen P. Jarchow is Chairman. Together, they have produced and/or distributed over 200 motion pictures, including Academy Award® winners Gods and Monsters and Departures.

About Greater Than AIDS

Greater Than AIDS is an unprecedented collaboration among a broad coalition of public and private-sector partners united in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United States, in particular among Black Americans and other disproportionately affected groups.  Through a national media campaign and targeted community outreach, Greater Than AIDS aims to increase knowledge and understanding about HIV/AIDS and confront the stigma surrounding the disease.

The Kaiser Family Foundation -- a leader in health policy and communications -- provides strategic direction and day-to-day management, as well as oversees the production of the media campaign.  The Black AIDS Institute -- a think tank exclusively focused on AIDS in Black America -- provides leadership and expert guidance and directs community engagement. Greater Than AIDS is developed in support of Act Against AIDS, an effort by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to refocus attention on the domestic epidemic. Additional, financial and substantive support is provided by the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Ford Foundation, and MAC AIDS Fund, among others.

SOURCE Henry J. Kaiser Foundation