Carlton Jordan’s ‘Poz Roz’ Breaks the Stigma on HIV

Carlton Jordan is a writer and producer who likes to tell stories that are related and not often talked about.

In his 13-episode, digital YouTube series Poz Roz, viewers follow spunky and fiery Rozzlyn Mayweather, a young woman in her 20s who discovers she is HIV-positive after a night out celebrating Black Gay Pride with her best male pal, Stacey. Struggling to adjust to her new reality, this dark comedy follows her journey as she deals with the diagnosis but also continues to live her best life.

Poz Roz gives us a glimpse inside the world of HIV that is often dismissed and shines a spotlight on conversations within the Black LGBTQ community. Since the first cases of AIDS in the mid-’80s disproportionately affected Black Americans, Hollywood has only recently begun to pull back the layers of the negative stigma and stereotypes associated with LGBTQ communities and individuals living with HIV. Carlton hopes Poz Roz will be the beginning of several conversations.

OUT FRONT had the opportunity to talk more with Jordan about the show, how the conversation of HIV and AIDS is changing, and his passion for giving a voice to marginalized communities.

Hi, Carlton! Thank you for taking some time to chat with me about your web series, Poz Roz. Can you begin by telling us what inspired you to create this show?
Oh my God, there are multiple reasons. As someone in the LGBTQ community, where topics of HIV are automatically there from the time you start dating, it has been a part of the conversation in the community for such a long time. As I have gotten older, I realized that the conversation has not changed much, and the progress that has been made is still very incremental. There is still a lot of stigma with dating and HIV. I always wanted to explore that space. That was something that was floating around in my head.Do you believe there are not enough conversations about HIV and AIDS in today’s media?
I think there is a lot of great information out there for people that are seeking it, but for some people, especially people in the Black community, like your average Joe walking around in North Carolina, they are not aware of the changing conversation that is happening. They may not have access to it or be visible to it.

It is surprising that there are still people who feel like HIV is a death sentence. I knew that was not true anymore. I know that people with HIV can manage to thrive and have a wonderful life, but that is because I am hyper-aware. It is surprising how many people still do not know. I read all the comments on any article or topic, and that can sort of guide you on what people outside of New York and L.A. are thinking.

The second part of that is that there is this blogger who wrote an article on this young woman who contracted HIV. She was 22, and she tells her story and journey. The end of that journey was her falling in love, getting married, raising wonderful children, and thriving in her life. Like, that is something that I have not heard a lot of from a heterosexual Black woman. That was the trigger to launch Poz Roz.

I want to talk from this perspective. All those elements came together, and I wanted to tell the story through this straight Black woman where it is not about her HIV journey, but more about her looking for love and the stigma attached to her. I feel like the conversation is out there, but I wanted to bring it to the masses.

How has Poz Roz been received by audiences?
It has shockingly been received well. I read all the hashtags and comments on every video, and it has been received well. People are actually shocked that the entry point is a heterosexual ,Black female, but also that it is comedic. It is like a traumedy.

I think when most people hear about what the show is, they expect a public service announcement, after school special, but they don’t. When they watch it, it’s entertaining, funny, and a little absurd at times. They end up binge-watching the whole season because it is an entertaining show.

Once people get past their expectation, the response has been pretty amazing from all over. I have received so many messages and DMs of people saying this show encouraged them to come out to their families and reveal their status, or they want to have a discussion with a friend about their sexuality.

Some people have sent me messages saying how much they did not know about a lot of the things that are in the series and they were very ignorant about HIV. They are glad they received an education. I was surprised by how many people did not know what “undetectable” meant, but why would they if this was not part of their everyday life? So, the response has been great.

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Black creatives are more than ever finding ways to have their voices heard and make change in their own field. How are you doing that with your work?
Honestly, it is still a struggle breaking through as an independent creative. Creating content is wonderful, great, and amazing. I think Black people now have the tools to do that unapologetically, authentically, and without having to ask for permission. I can come up with an idea and put it online. The trouble now is that there is so much noise and content. Everyone is doing a project, and there is not a clear path to success, visibility, and financial gain. As an artist, they tell you to do the art, and it is all about getting your story out there and connecting to the audience. However, we still have bills to pay, and that is not enough.

Even with Poz Roz, it has been an uphill battle. The content is there, and I feel like I have done my job as a Black creative, but at the same time, how does my voice get amplified? How do people, in a massive way, get to see my content? Also, how does that translate into breaking into those rooms that do not have gatekeepers? Just across the board, it is a great time for Black creatives to show the world that we have a wide spectrum of stories that can be told from varying perspectives.

We are not a monolith in the same voice. I feel like our individual voices are being heard as opposed to who has the next Boyz n the Hood or the next slave narrative. Like, what is your story? You, as a Black individual, how can we help tell it? I feel like the conversation is moving forward, and Black creators are being individualized as opposed to telling one story.Have you always had a passion for sharing stories about marginalized communities?
Yes, I have. When I was telling them, I did not know that was what I was doing. I was just telling stories of people in the communities that I live in, have access to, and that I am a part of. I have been writing since I was a kid. My first time, I was in eighth grade, and I won a writing contest. My school had a Black History Month writing contest, and the topic was, who is your Black History hero?

Everyone did like Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks, but my essay was about Black mothers. I wrote about the journey of Black mothers, of all these heroes, and how they are the real hero throughout history. They raised all these great leaders. The principal of my school was like wow, no one has ever done this before from this perspective, and I won. So, I thought, maybe I am a writer! Then I started entering contests and writing for the yearbook, and people enjoyed my writing. I wrote plays for the high school theatre, and from there, it been an exciting journey.

What do you hope audiences take away from Poz Roz?
I specifically want the Black community and Black audiences to understand that talking about your sexual health, whether it is HIV, how you have sex, what your sexual identity is, STDs, this is something that needs to be normalized. There is nothing to be a shame of. Talking about sex and STDs in an open way can help prevent the spread of those diseases. I want the stigma or capital of not being able to talk to your sexual partners about your history to go away.

This is not an issue that I cannot talk openly about with my friends and family. I think if they see people like them doing that, it gives them permission to do that in real life. Also, I want people to have fun with some new and exciting content and discover a new world with this group of people. They can sit back, pop some popcorn, and be entertained.

What other challenges besides HIV and AIDS are Black and Brown people facing within the LGBTQ community?
That is a really good question. A lot of issues Black and Brown people in the LGBTQ community face are the same problems that are mainstream. We still have to deal with racism in the LGBTQ community. That does not go away just because we are part of a different community.  As a Black, gay person, it’s like, damn, what are the separate issues from by Blackness and queerness? What are the blurred lines with them?

I think mentorship is something that is really needed. I feel like the generations have not been able to mentor or pass the baton to the next generation. I have this theory that this is the first generation coming up of Black and Brown, LGBTQ people that can actually live in the world with all the options available to them. I feel like up until this generation, we were still growing up and figuring out life. There is a disconnect between generations and I want to help bridge that gap.

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Can we expect more episodes of Poz Roz?
Yes! In my head, I have written three season’s worth of this journey. Season One is really like the setup of Rozzlyn Mayweather, who is a mess. She has a lot of issues beyond HIV that she needs to figure out. I love writing about straight women and gay men and their relationships. There are a lot of things that need to be unpacked. I think Rozzlyn has a lot of learning to do. Also, we have to look at financing for new episodes. I can write them because COVID-19 has allowed me to sit at home and write.

Before we wrap up, are there any other, upcoming projects you would like to mention or plug?
I do! I don’t know how much I can say about them, though. I am an unscripted producer, so I produce a show for Facebook called Unfiltered: Paris Jackson & Gabriel Glenn, which is a docu-series. Also, I did a web series called Love Handles, and we have a development deal at a major cable premium network, so be on the lookout for that!

Follow Jordan on Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date on the latest news and projects. Poz Roz is available to watch on YouTube.

Photos Courtesy of Scott Herbert