Synopsis

SEX POSITIVE explores the life of Richard Berkowitz, a revolutionary gay S&M- hustler-turned-AIDS activist in the 1980s, whose incomparable contribution to the invention of safe sex has never been aptly credited. Berkowitz emerged from the epicenter of the epidemic as a community leader, demanding a solution to the problem before anyone else would pay attention. However, it was not Berkowitz' voice alone that sparked contention.

Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, a controversial virologist and AIDS doctor, postulated that AIDS was more complicated than just a new virus. With Sonnabend's theory in tow, Berkowitz fought, alongside beloved activist and musician Michael Callen, for safer sex practices without giving up on sex altogether.

SEX POSITIVE explores the explicit bravery of this unrecognized triumvirate, and their dire quest to save lives in the midst of unwavering dissent. Now destitute and alone, Mr. Berkowitz tells his story to a world who never wanted to listen.

Through the eyes of Mr. Berkowitz, the audience is made witness to a graphic testimony of sex, death, and betrayal, while placing the invention of ‘safe sex’ in a fresh and compelling context.

Director’s Statement- Daryl Wein

When I began making this movie, I knew next to nothing about the history of safe sex. My high school sex education class in 2001 consisted of condom on banana antics generally followed by chuckles of discomfort. However, it wasn't solely discomfort that led to our teenage detachment in the realm of safe sex practices. It was also a sense of invincibility. Of course I knew to wear a condom before having sex, but I also knew if I didn't, it wasn't a big deal. Sadly for my generation, the naivety of my teenage years persists far into our adult lives. Much like our complacency in all things global, we were not born of the era in which crisis forced behavioral change. I am lucky to have not contracted any STDs in my early years of sexual activity, but there is a new generation whose naivety has not spared them.

It was Richard Berkowitz's book, Stayin' Alive: The Invention of Safe Sex, that forced me to face my own ignorance. Like most of my friends, I had always thought of safe sex as a government invented advocacy program, but I was enlightened to find out it was not the government at all but the tireless efforts of so many fervent activists who paved the way for change.

Both in the government and the gay community, the widespread silence during the early years of AIDS is absolutely shocking. What Richard taught me, among many other things, was that the most promiscuous gay men were the pioneers of the safe sex movement. It was only after years of their fight to be heard, that the government could appropriate their lessons into the bland, formulaic musings of my adolescence.

With HIV rates again on the rise, there couldn't be a more essential time to tell this story. I feel my duty as a 24 year-old is to challenge the complacency of my generation by instilling the values of those forgotten heroes, some of whom died in the fight, one of whom is still standing.

Subject’s Statement- Richard Berkowitz:

I always hoped that my book Stayin' Alive: The Invention of Safe Sex would spark interest in a new generation--I just never expected it would come from a young guy who happens to be straight.

The Bush years have been a trying time for many Americans, but for those concerned with HIV prevention, it has been a disaster. Ever since George W. Bush took office in 2001 and replaced safe sex education with abstinence programs, HIV infection rates have climbed as reported by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Unfortunately, the past two years, 2005 and 2006 have been the worst. If anything good can come out of this tragedy, it would be that we now have ample evidence that abstinence programs do not work.

The media has barely taken notice, and I'm hoping that SEX POSITIVE will sound the alarm. If the media needs a hook, here's a great one: May 2008 marks the 25th anniversary of the invention of safe sex.

Unfortunately, these aren’t good times for those involved in safe sex education. It doesn’t bode well that even though everyone has heard of safe sex, hardly anyone knows where it came from. Safe sex came from activists, porn stars, sex workers and their community driven efforts. That's what we've lost over the years and that's why I'm hoping people will learn from this very timely film.