A Channel 4 programme has had record viewing figures and a profound impact on its audience. It’s a Sin deals with that period in the early 1980s when the Gay community were so vulnerable to the spread of Aids, and little was known about the virus.
The series is well worth watching. Written by Russel T Davies it draws on some of his experiences in the 80s and the shocking homophobia of Thatcher’s Britain. The tragedies are offset by the huge lust for life by a tight knit group of fun-loving friends.
The Terence Higgins Trust founder, Rupert Whitaker, was interviewed recently about the TV series and said that one of the outcomes of the programme was a sharp rise in people getting tested for Aids.
In 1986 Don’t Die of Ignorance was a public awareness campaign launched by the UK government at the height of the pandemic. Its message, backed up by a mass leafleting campaign, shocked viewers into a realisation that Aids could be transmitted by blood transfusion, needle sharing as well as unprotected sex.
This timely reminder of the devastation and heartache caused by a destructive virus should be heeded by those who don’t think they need to alter their behaviour or social interactions during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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