Blue Ribbon Boys: YouTuber Damian Cervantes Fights Disinformation, Myths and Fear Surrounding HIV
This post is also available in: Español
Damian Cervantes, a very outspoken Mexican YouTuber with more than 31,600 subscribers, isn’t afraid of making outrageous content, but he also cares about relaying a good message to the LGBT community in each of his videos. He invites you to break taboos with him through his challenges, interviews and more. Take a look at his very honest content here, and get social with him on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat @damiandgc.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a YouTube Content Creator, and my main subject is sex. I try to have fun in each video, because I’m a very spontaneous and irreverent person; sometimes I feel that my life is a bit tragic, but I always turn in into comedy. I live in Mexico City, majored in Communications and I just got my college degree. Life took me to YouTube, and that’s what I’ve been doing.
What made you become what you are now?
I was working at a sex-focused TV network, and there I got the chance to meet professionals in the subject who changed my ideology and my life. I think that, just like I was, there are a lot of people who are in the dark or have no information about sexual health, and that’s what leads to social issues like discrimination.
Why is it important for you to be part of #BlueRibbonBoys?
For me, it’s important because a campaign like this will make history, and right now we are the generation that can end AIDS! That is, if we continue promoting sexual education, prevention and treatment.
What do you do to stay informed and current in HIV matters?
I believe the main difficulties in fighting HIV and AIDS are disinformation, myths and fear; in order to talk about this issues, I’ve had to learn a lot about them. I’ve taken different workshops and courses, and of course I’ve gotten tested to know my own HIV status as well. Most importantly, I’ve met people living with HIV and have realized they have the same lives nowadays, which has taken down old beliefs about how I used to conceive HIV.
What kind of actions do you take to promote and inform your followers?
I constantly talk with my followers about HIV and AIDS in a transparent, honest and fun way, but sharing the message with true and helpful information, and I gotta say that many of them have shared their motivation in getting tested and knowing their status.
Will you be doing something special on Dec. 1 for World HIV Day?
I’ll be participating in different events promoting the fight against AIDS, and I’ll probably create a video about it.
You too can become a #BlueRibbonBoy by signing a petition advocating for HIV prevention and treatment. Check out Hornet’s Blue Ribbon Boys page for details.
