The “Rock the Red Pump” campaign is our annual initiative to commemorate National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. It has become our biggest initiative, and is what started The Red Pump Project. Since 2009, when we had over 100 bloggers “Rock the Red Pump,” we have started the “Rock the Red Pump – 500 in 50” to get 500 blogs to participate in the 50 days leading up to NWGHAAD.

The blog network we have is unique in that they are women who acknowledge the severity of the issue and understand the importance of conversation. The power and influence of these bloggers has driven The Red Pump Project to where it is today.

– The Red Pump Project

Hey now, I thought. Why isn’t this more well-known? Why didn’t I know about this day? I only know about World AIDS Day. Maybe it is more widely known, but only in the US? I hear about lots of other US-y things with a tedious regularity from Black Friday¹ to the Superb Owl². Either way, even though the Red Pump Project isn’t UK-based, I thought it was way cool.

If you’re US-based (and maybe even if you’re not; does it matter?) you can sign your blog up and download a Red Pump badge. There are excellent reasons to get involved here. One reason I would add: I believe, with a strength that leads me to shout unbecomingly in pubs, that HIV awareness campaigns should always be designed and conducted in a way that is inclusive and above all non-stigmatising of people living with HIV. The Hitler campaign? The Scorpion campaign? Ugh. It doesn’t help if you raise awareness of HIV transmission risks by presenting HIV positive people as dangerous monsters. It leads to more concealment, less disclosure, less openness generally about HIV, and people being actively ostracised and in many cases places in actual physical danger. It’s disgusting. I could rant a while about stigma and the vicious circle of ignorance and erasure it feeds. Or, y’know, go read The Body. Actually, that’s a better idea. Do that instead. Preferable campaigns in my book: examples such as Act Aware, which actually engages with the concept of stigma, or THT’s Stand Up, Stand Out.

So, yeah: I get very excited when I see a well-designed awareness project. On a broader political level I think there are limits to the efficacy of consumerism-inspired charity initiatives in the West – (RED), for example, relies not solely on donations but on people shopping for expensive products and in some cases wearing their awareness as a fashion item, which only goes so far. (RED)’s ‘use global capitalism for good’ approach was groundbreaking to a point, but the level to which large sections of its site will simply redirect you to the Converse store can be quite grating. Its campaigning focus is primarily on funding initiatives in subsaharan Africa, which is great – but not the whole story.

However, the Red Pump Project, unlike (RED), is a grassroots initiative that has taken off in the US, with an emphasis on women and women of colour which I can only applaud. I like that the project takes elements of the (RED) approach and focuses less on the idea that “luxury goods over here will generate aid over there” and more on, say, testing a thousand people in an inner city community. I like that the graphic – which has trainers on it too! – places non-white wearers of the pumps front and centre and in the majority. It makes a nice change. Rae Lewis-Thornton, who speaks eloquently about stigma here, has also endorsed it. While fighting stigma is an implicit rather than explicit aim in the approach the project has taken, they are talking about the issues, and via their blog badge campaign, helping make sure anyone can get involved, rather than those who shop for luxury goods. Most of all, they’re effectively marketing a breakout in HIV activism from simply focussing on World AIDS Day in December, instead broadening the approach to include dedicated action throughout the year on behalf of women and girls (March 10), Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (February 7) and so on.

Good stuff.

• @RockTheRedPump
• @RedPumpProj
• The Red Pump Project site
• Our World AIDS Day Mythbusting rampage last December – featuring Markgraf in the reddest boots he could find
• More on HIV and feminism from us

1. in my world this is not about shopping but about suffragettes being murdered. Look it up.
2. I refuse to spell this twitterfeed-nuking parade of strange noises any other way.