Mykki Blanco releases video addressing HIV stigma, Hideaway

The visual has been shared today (10 April) in commemoration of National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Created in conjunction with W Magazine and amfAR (The Foundation for AIDS Research), Hideaway’s intention is to raise awareness of those living with HIV and AIDS.

The Daisy Zhou-directed clip visualises a couple living in conflict while Mykki Blanco raps to the camera dressed in a full-length gown.

Lyrically, the track tells the story of a couple experiencing problems, with one half being diagnosed as HIV positive and the other as HIV negative.

At the beginning of the video, Blanco makes the statement: “When we choose to stigmatise those living with HIV, we do a disservice to our own humanity. As someone who has lived healthily with the disease for five years now, I know all too well the fear of persecution and shame, and what that can do to one’s character and their life. There are nearly 37 million people living with HIV worldwide; 37 million people deserve to live in a world where they aren’t judged for their status.”

They go on to say, “Love and happiness, compassion are birthrights of the human condition; 37 million people living with HIV deserve that just like anyone else.”

Diagnosed as HIV positive in 2011, the artist concealed his status for years before publicly revealing it via a Facebook post in 2015.

Blanco has been announced for M.I.A.’s Meltdown Festival and will perform on the Crack Magazine stage at Bristol festival Love Saves The Day. Revisit Crack Magazine’s cover feature here.