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This gay ‘kiss’ commercial has homophobes frothing at the mouth

This gay ‘kiss’ commercial has homophobes frothing at the mouth

It’s simply titled “Kiss,” and it’s already gotten a number of South Africans quite irate.

Produced for We The Brave, a campaign that aims to increase awareness of men’s health issues, the ad features a same-sex couple locked in a kiss at the dinner table. Meanwhile, an older gentleman — we’re assuming he’s the dad of one of these fellows — looks on, most scandalized.

Cut to a close-up of a condom being unwrapped and the caption, “We’re brave enough to come out. So we’re definitely brave enough to cover up.”

A collaborative effort between the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Anova Health Institute, the ad began airing on South African TV in February. Apparently, it took awhile for the inevitable backlash to arrive, but here it is.

Channel 24 News reports that the clip has garnered all the boilerplate negative reactions you might expect:

It has since triggered a litany of complaints, ranging from “this is offensive and disgusting” to “a step too far”, “explain this to my daughter” and “family time” to “inappropriate” and “such an inappropriate ad”.

Several TV channels declined to broadcast the commercial and others in the series that’s been deemed too risque.”

Nina Morris-Lee, Anova Health Institute’s head of marketing, released a statement that clarified the ad was “not meant to shock,” but to “attract our market through creating scenarios to which they relate.”

Her statement, which first appeared on Mamba Online, continued:

With 4.9 million South Africans – 10 percent of the population – identifying as homosexual, this is a matter of public interest and urgency. We do not have the luxury of tiptoeing around the issues.”

Watch the ad below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

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