Related Articles
It was a night of a thousand Duas at The Abbey in West Hollywood on Thursday. To mark the first-ever National PrEP Day, Mistr threw a dazzling celebration featuring drag icons like Symone, Plastique Tiara, and Aquaria, who lip-synced and danced to Dua Lipa hits for a star-studded crowd — before the pop queen herself took the stage for a surprise performance, all in support of safe sex and HIV prevention.
After performing “New Rules” and “Don’t Start Now” alongside her Radical Optimism tour dancers, Lipa was joined by the drag queens for a celebratory rendition of “Houdini,” marking Mistr’s milestone of helping 10,000 new people start PrEP — a daily pill or occasional shot that protects the body from HIV — as part of its mission to end the disease in the United States.
“I think there is a lot of stigma around [HIV and sexually transmitted infections],” Lipa told Rolling Stone backstage after the performance. “And I think if we can de-stigmatize what it means to get the right healthcare for HIV… I want to believe that there is hope that it can be completely eradicated.”
“I think sex should be fun, and it should be safe. With intimacy, there’s safety, there’s a connection. And you want to make sure that you stay protected too,” she adds. “I hope it becomes shameless. It is so important to take care of ourselves. I think that in itself is very sexy.”
Lipa said that the passion of Tristan Schukraft, founder and CEO of Mistr, the company aimed at making PrEP free or affordable for all, drew her to the event. “I think it’s an incredible cause — what Mistr is doing to make PrEP accessible for everyone, with or without medical insurance, is such an important thing, especially in America,” she says. “I’m lucky to have been asked. I was happy I was in town.”
Schukraft thought Lipa was the right artist to amplify the message of Thursday night’s event, which drew an A-list crowd that included Kim Petras, Omar Apollo, Matt Bomer, Cynthia Bailey, and Nene Leakes — along with Cardi B, who was seen tossing dollar bills at a stripper moments before Lipa’s performance, and Demi Lovato, who debuted her new song “Kiss” from behind the DJ booth.
“How many parties have you been to that celebrate sexual health? That’s exactly what National PrEP Day is about, taking something that’s often talked about quietly and making it something we celebrate together with pride. Dua understands that better than anyone,” Schukraft tells Rolling Stone. “She’s fearless, inclusive, and she uses her platform to lift people. When she says getting on PrEP is normal and smart, it helps break down the stigma that’s kept people from the care they deserve.”
