By Jeremy Wilkinson, Open Justice multimedia journalist
A controversial advertisement aimed at raising awareness about safe sex for gay men has been removed following numerous complaints about children viewing it outside a dairy.
The ad featured two posters displayed side-by-side on billboards and online. The first poster depicted a cartoon image of a man’s naked bottom with the text “First timers, enter here”.
The second poster read, “Ins and Outs – Sex education for gay and bi guys – insandouts.org.nz”. The letters “I” and “O” were creatively designed to symbolize body parts.
Funded by the Burnett Foundation (formerly the New Zealand AIDS Foundation), the posters aimed to educate gay and bisexual men about safe sex practices. However, they received 86 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority.
‘A disgusting advert’
One complaint described the posters as promoting anal sex in an inappropriate location for children. Concerns were raised about directing children to explicit content on the foundation’s website.
The foundation’s CEO, Joe Rich, defended the ads, stating they targeted specific communities with higher risks of acquiring sexually transmitted infections. He believed the complaints stemmed from homophobia.
Family First, a Christian lobby group, criticized the ads as “perverted” and unsuitable for public display. Destiny Church founder Bishop Brian Tamaki also condemned the ads as “pure filth”.
Were they offensive?
The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that the ads were likely to cause serious offense due to their sexual references. The majority of the board found the ads socially irresponsible and in breach of the Advertising Code.
Despite the controversy, the foundation’s efforts to promote safe sex among at-risk groups continue. Earlier campaigns urging discreet HIV testing faced similar backlash but were not ordered to be removed.
