Negative attitudes towards gay and lesbians are typically stronger among males, including young males ( Horn, 2006), ethnic minorities, and those individuals with low education, high religiosity, and among those who endorse traditional gender roles ( Hicks & Lee, 2006). ( Herek, Capitanio, & Widaman, 2002 Loftus, 2001 Treas, 2002), GBT people still report discrimination ( Herek, 1999 Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006 Loftus, 2001 Harper & Schneider, 2003 Herek, 1999 Kaiser Family Foundation, 2001 Rankin, 2003). The stigma towards GBT and PLWHA may put individuals at risk for HIV through a negative impact on the self, or self-esteem, social support, and access to prevention and treatment ( Diaz & Ayala, 2001 Diaz et al., 2001 Link & Phelan, 2001 Ramirez-Valles et al., 2005 Cochran & Mays, 2000 Huebner et al., 2002 Mays & Cochran, 2001 Paul et al., 2002 Williamson, 2000).Īlthough negative attitudes have declined in the last three decades in the U.S. It involves labeling and separation, attribution of unfavorable qualities, and overt discrimination ( Link & Phelan, 2001 Link et al., 1997 Fife and Wright, 2000). Stigma refers to a process by which individuals are devalued and treated as less than others ( Goffman, 1963).
Stigma towards Gay and Bisexual Men, Transgender Women, and Persons Living with HIV/AIDS The intervention and the film, Tal Como Somos/Just as We Are, were created based on the idea that efficient measures to address stigma towards GBT and PLWHA must be directed to the potential sources of stigma, be based on sound research, and must take into account the cultural context of the target audience. In this paper we describe the development and dissemination of a film-based educational intervention to reduce negative attitudes towards GBT and PLWHA in Latinos, with a focus on youth. Regrettably, most efforts to tackle such stigmata target the stigmatized individual, rather than the source of stigmatization, and overlook Latino and Spanish-speaking communities ( Sengupta et al., 2011). This is especially pertinent in Latino communities, which are disproportionally affected by HIV/AIDS ( Blair et al., 2002 CDC, 2007, 2008 Harawa et al., 2004 Agronick et al 2004 Diaz, Heckert, & Sanchez, 2005 Fernandez et al., 2005 Wolitski et al., 2001) and which struggle with negative attitudes towards GBT and PLWHA ( Herek and Gonzalez-Rivera, 2006). It hampers prevention efforts and places undue stress on families, friends, and caregivers ( NIH, 2002 Link & Phelan, 2001). Stigma towards gay and bisexual men, transgender women (GBT), and persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) contribute to the enduring high incidence of HIV and increase the risk of poor health among PLWHA ( NIH, 2002 Link & Phelan, 2001 Ramirez-Valles et al., 2005 Ramirez-Valles, 2011).