Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival 2008

In late 1970s, the sexual revolution was at its peak: gay men lived and loved with wild abandon. Young Richard Berkowitz arrived in New York City and discovered lucrative work hustling as an S&M top— until he developed AIDS. He transformed himself from sex worker to revolutionary AIDS activist, enlisting performer Michael Callen and virologist Dr. Joseph Sonnabend to investigate and bring attention to the illness. Berkowitz also helped author the first safe-sex manual. But instead of being lauded for their efforts, their assertion that a hedonistic lifestyle was contributing to the transmission of AIDS was denounced as self-hating and sex-negative, as few people were ready to face the reality that their choices were endangering their health.

While most people now acknowledge the wisdom of practicing safe sex, Berkowitz’s influence on early safe sex awareness has been all but forgotten. SEX POSITIVE weaves an absorbing story of an activist hero from the early days of AIDS, making for a poignant reminder of volatile times in our not-so-distant history.

co-presented by Lifelong AIDS Alliance