Watch Sex Positive

Sex Positive, released in 2008, is a documentary film that gives an intimate look into the life of Richard Berkowitz, a former sex worker and activist during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. Along with Berkowitz, the film also features interviews with many notable figures in the gay rights and HIV/AIDS activism communities. Don Adler directs the film, and Susan Brown serves as the film's producer.

The film opens with Berkowitz explaining how he became involved in sex work and the gay community, and how he began to realize the seriousness of the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s. He describes how his own diagnosis with HIV led him to become an activist, working to educate the gay community about safer sex practices and to fight for better treatment and care for those with HIV/AIDS.

Throughout the film, Berkowitz shares his experiences working as a hustler, his early activism efforts, and the challenges he faced in his personal life and in the larger LGBTQ+ community. He also discusses his unique approach to HIV prevention, which included promoting what he called "healthy promiscuity" – the idea that sexual liberation and pleasure were just as important as safer sex practices.

The film also features interviews with other key figures in the LGBTQ+ and HIV/AIDS movements, including filmmaker and activist Jim Hubbard, activist Michael Callen, and writer and activist Jayne County. These interviews provide additional perspective on the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community during the AIDS crisis, as well as the ways in which Berkowitz and his peers fought back against government inaction and societal stigma.

The film is not just a history lesson, however. It also explores the current state of HIV/AIDS prevention and care, as well as the ongoing challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community today. Berkowitz himself explains how his views on HIV prevention have evolved over time, and how he now sees the importance of combining safer sex practices with monogamy and relationship building.

Overall, Sex Positive provides a moving and informative look at one man's journey through the AIDS crisis and the LGBTQ+ movement, as well as the ongoing efforts to combat HIV/AIDS and promote sexual health in the modern world. The film is both engaging and emotionally stirring, providing a powerful reminder of the importance of activism and community building in the face of adversity.

Sex Positive is a 2009 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 16 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.6 and a MetaScore of 65.