World Health Clinicians is launching HIV=, a new HIV/AIDS awareness and anti-stigma campaign featuring many celebrities. All the participants of this multimedia campaign were also tested for HIV before having their photo taken, but we will not be told about the result of their test: they are just HIV=. It's fundamental to be aware of our HIV status, so that we can protect others and get treatment ourselves. Since it should be just our responsibility, the other's status shouldn't be our business.

The project is pretty similar in the outcomes to the NOH8 project started in 2009 by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska as a protest to the ban of gay marriages in California.

These two projects seem to speak the same language and the creators of the two campaigns too. This is the reason why I ask myself the same questions when I see both these projects. I don't think all this fierceness, make up and obsessive Photoshop is necessary, since the concept and the overall campaign is already pretty impressive. The message they're trying to spread is worthy of attention, so what's the need for all this ‘glitter & glamour'?

Nonetheless, this is just my personal opinion. We love the HIV= project, anybody taking action against the HIV stigma and promoting HIV testing deserves respect and appreciation. Furthermore, since we're all equal, everybody has the right of being as fierce as he/she wants to be. Over the top is also good.