''The Gift'' is a 2003

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

by filmmaker Louise Hogarth documenting the phenomenon of deliberate

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

infection; such practices are known colloquially as

bugchasing Bugchasing (alternatively bug chasing) is the rare practice of intentionally seeking human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection through sexual activity. Bugchasers—those who eroticize HIV—constitute a subculture of barebackers, men who ...

, for seeking and providing voluntary HIV infection, respectively. The film follows the stories of two "bug chasers" who are seeking "the gift" of

infection An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...

. Interviews are also conducted with

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

activist and author, Walt Odets, PhD, and HIV positive and negative men. The film explores the normalization and glamorization of HIV/AIDS and discusses the isolation and division caused by HIV status in the gay community.

Synopsis

Doug Hitzel, a young man, reveals that after a year of unsuccessful dating he decided to engage in

unprotected sex Safe sex is sexual activity using methods or contraceptive devices (such as condoms) to reduce the risk of transmitting or acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs), especially HIV. "Safe sex" is also sometimes referred to as safer sex ...

in an attempt to fit in; he is then seen crying. Doug Hitzel died September 26, 2017. Kenboy, another young man, explains he moved to an LA sex house with

sex parties Group sex is sexual behavior involving more than two participants. Participants in group sex can be of any sexual orientation or gender. Any form of sexual activity can be adopted to involve more than two participants, but some forms have their ...

and was relieved to finally catch HIV; the sex parties were known as "Standard

Fuck ''Fuck'' is an English-language expletive. It often refers to the act of sexual intercourse, but is also commonly used as an intensifier or to convey disdain. While its origin is obscure, it is usually considered to be first attested to aro ...

Parties"; the term "fuck" being slang for "sexual activity," typically considered vulgar. Condoms were traditionally barred from use, though at the time of filming the rule had been changed to mere discouragement of condom usage. Anywhere from `00 to 120 men would typically attend these sex parties, and despite this high attendance, seldom more than two or three condoms would be found on the floor in the morning - that was it. The sex party attendants were equipped with numerous sexual paraphernalia for participating in a variety of sexual acts. There were "fuck pews" for bottoms to kneel on while their "top" sexual partners penetrated them, and there was an area reserved for the

fisting Fisting, handballing, fist-fucking, brachiovaginal, or brachioproctic insertion is a sexual activity that involves inserting a hand into the vagina or rectum. Once insertion is complete, the fingers are either clenched into a fist or kept straig ...

men, who tended to aggregate together. In the event of good weather, some of the men who go outside to engage in various sexual acts in the well-maintained courtyard. This in particular was considered to be quite romantic by the sex house residents. From then on, Kenboy would not have to worry about getting AIDS or not, or using a condom (failing to think of the possibility of catching other

STIs The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) is a spectrograph, also with a camera mode, installed on the Hubble Space Telescope. Aerospace engineer Bruce Woodgate of the Goddard Space Flight Center was the principal investigator and crea ...

). According to his Facebook page, Kenboy died August 22, 2017. A group of older men, who did not get HIV on their own volition, explain how they lost many of their friends and lovers to HIV, and how they do not want a relationship because they do not want their boyfriend having to bury them too. They also talk about the medication which they must take, and about its side-effects - particularly cardiac attacks, which seem to have replaced direct death from the virus itself. Advertising for prevention is also exposed for being too positive and showing images of attractive men with AIDS.

Reception

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

'' wrote that "The reaction of the gay

press Press may refer to: Media * Print media or news media, commonly called "the press" * Printing press, commonly called "the press" * Press (newspaper), a list of newspapers * Press TV, an Iranian television network People * Press (surname), a famil ...

in Australia and the United States to ''The Gift'' and the ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' article bout bug-chasinghas largely been to report the controversy, but not to investigate the phenomenon."Queer take on gift of life will shock
" ''

''. March 11, 2003. Retrieved on March 30, 2014.

References

External links

* 2003 films Documentary films about HIV/AIDS American documentary films 2003 documentary films 2003 LGBT-related films 2000s English-language films HIV/AIDS in American films American LGBT-related films 2000s American films {{LGBT-documentary-film-stub