Frank Ocean clarifies ‘PrEP+’ event name, funding
PrEP+ logo by Nejc Prah.
In a Tumblr post, Frank Ocean has clarified his intentions and inspirations for his club night series PrEP+, which debuted on October 17 at the BASEMENT at Knockdown Center in New York City. The open letter addresses some controversy about the event’s title and speculation about its funding.
The club night series takes its name from the HIV-prevention strategy PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis), which Gilead Sciences introduced with its medication Truvada in 2012. Two weeks ago, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved a second PrEP tablet by Gilead, under the brand name Descovy. The timing and title of Ocean’s event led some critics to label it as a “PR stunt” for the pharmaceutical company. He dispelled these rumors in his letter, stating the project is fully funded by his independent record label, Blonded, and not affiliated with Gilead or any other sponsor.
Ocean writes that he was inspired by NYC’s nightlife culture in the late-1970s and ‘80s—an era remembered for its glamorous club scene, as well as the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. He decided to name his series PrEP+ to evoke what that period might have looked like had a PrEP medication existed, which could have saved countless lives—and to save lives today by raising awareness of the prevention strategy for individuals at risk of exposure to the virus. Read his full missive below.
Re: Last night
Not funded by Gilead Sciences. Funded by Blonded, independently. Let’s just get that out of the way.
Club culture around late 70s and 80s nightlife in NYC was a special, much-talked-about and written-about thing. From the star-studded midtown clubs like Studio 54 and the first danceteria to the downtown clubs like Mudd + Paradise Garage. The figures, the music, the looks, the lack of regulation haha. I recognize NY wasn’t all lasers and disco lighting, and that simultaneously, there was a lot of crime and poverty, and that a huge part of club culture, the gay community, at that time were being wiped out by HIV + AIDS. Now in 2019, there’s a pill you can take every day that will, at a better than 90% chance, prevent you from contracting HIV. This pill was approved by the FDA in 2012. The pricing strategy behind it is malicious, in my opinion, and so its public perception is marred and rightfully so. But the fact remains that, despite price being a very real barrier to this potentially life-saving drug for some, the other very real barrier is awareness. I decided to name what was otherwise going to be a night of lights and music inspired by an era of clubbing that I loved “PrEP+” because while designing the club—which is inside of an old glass factory basement in Queens (shoutout to the BASEMENT that runs a very awesome techno night on Fridays after us)—I started to imagine in an era where so many lives were lost and so much promise was lost forever along with them, what would it have been like if something, anything had existed that in all probability would’ve saved thousands and thousands of lives. I’m an artist, it’s core to my job to imagine realities that don’t necessarily exist, and it’s a joy to. A couple days before we threw the party, I was discussing this subject with my team, and one of the architects I work with thought that PrEP as a drug had reached “100% saturation” so far as awareness. I thought he was dead wrong, so I asked a friend (who I won’t name haha) if he knew what PrEP was, and his response was “isn’t that some type of viagra or something?” My ex who I was with for several years didn’t know about it when we first met at a gay club in LA. Awareness isn’t always what we’d hope it would be. But anyway, I’m ranting. I’m happy that folks are talking about the subject in the first place. Thank you to everyone who came out and danced with us last night. Y’all were beautiful, and the energy was right! Thank you, Bouffant Bouffant, Sango, Justice, and Sherelle, for your sets last night. They were so good, man. Oh, one more thing, I saw someone say that this was a PR stunt, etc., etc., pshhh bitch pls come get a drink next time, and I’ll put several barstools out so you can have as many seats as you need. All my love, everybody, really. Stay safe.
For more information about PrEP, or to find a healthcare provider near you, go to HIV.gov or CDC.gov.
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