Here To Inspire
CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Being in the public eye is nothing new for Devin Robinson, a passionate 26-year-old Florida activist better known by the monikers "Egypt" and "Devin T. Robinson X." Robinson regularly takes the stage in front of hundreds of young people to perform his one-man confessional narrative "God Did Not Give Me HIV" to help spread HIV awareness among at-risk African-Americans. He's performed all or parts of the show more than 1,000 times in 26 U.S. states and as far away as Barbados, Trinidad, Tobago, and South Africa.
But for World AIDS Day, on December 1, Robinson will step up to a whole new level-the silver screen. He will premiere a film version of his one-man show that he has redubbed God, Me...HIV? at the Cinema Paradiso movie theater in Broward County, the region of South Florida with the second highest number of HIV cases per capita.
"I want to reach as many people as I can with these powerful stories and messages," says Robinson, who also founded the group AIDS Awareness Poets and publishes his original poetry on HIVPLUSmag.com. "I can do that live in only so many places; I'm just one man. But a movie? That's going to reach such a bigger audience."
To encourage attendance at the film's four World AIDS Day screenings, cable TV giant Comcast helped Robinson tape several ad spots and donated local commercial air time on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, BET, MTV, Spike TV, and many other channels. All told, the ads will air more than 5,000 times in the weeks leading up to December 1.
Filmgoers at the Florida screenings will be offered free HIV testing at each theater as well as free condoms provided by LifeStyles and information about safer sex and HIV prevention from the state health department and other area AIDS service organizations.
"This is the first movie ever screened in the United States where HIV tests will be available on site," Robinson notes. "I usually have local organizations offer tests outside my stage performances and get as many as 100 to be inspired enough to get tested on the spot. The movie is taking it to the next step; hopefully, we'll get more than a thousand people to learn their HIV status that day."
A video crew also will be on hand to tape the reaction of audience members during the screenings. That new footage will be added to the film, which Robinson hopes to take to theaters nationwide for World AIDS Day, 2010, and to make available for purchase online and through movie-rental services.
"It's going to be huge!" Robinson says enthusiastically. "This is just the beginning. I'm not going to stop until every single person at risk for HIV sees this, gets tested, and becomes a soldier in the fight against AIDS. We can do it! We have the power to end it!"
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
Meet all 37 of the queer women in this season's WNBA
April 17 2024 11:24 AM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Trans man Tee Arnold shot to death in Florida
April 17 2024 4:41 PM
Can scientific research on the causes of homosexuality be used against LGBTQ+ people?
April 17 2024 4:02 PM
George Takei releases kids' book about his childhood in internment camp
April 17 2024 3:18 PM
PLUS
ExclusivesTodrick Hall on surviving the rumors and remembering where he came from
April 17 2024 2:33 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedHow The Pride Store celebrates National Tea Day: A tale of two brews
April 17 2024 2:14 PM
'Parents' Rights' movements forget families have the right to read LGBTQ+ books
April 17 2024 10:15 AM
This gay man had to flee Ghana after a violent attack. He’s finally been granted asylum
April 17 2024 9:17 AM