Last night on ABC there was a documentary about AIDS prevention and how Australia basically led the world (and still does) in cutting the number of HIV infections.

There was a lot of footage from the period when AIDS first became known about (c.1983-1986). Some of the comments members of the public made about gays were pretty astonishing. For instance, apparently we rape and murder small children.

I watched that documentary, and it was a bit shocking to hear some of those comments from young people back then, but things have changed in the younger generation of today. My kids were actually very open and encouraging when I came out to them in 2005.

The young people in that documentary were the young people of my own generation and it’s amazing to think how much has changed just in the space of 30 years or so.

Very few people now, believe that HIV/AIDS is the ‘gay plague’ as it was seen as back then.

Blessings,

I have been working with people living with HIV for over 2 years and I found the documentary ‘Rampant’ revealed things for me I’d never heard from the people themselves. When the fear was so great among hospital workers at St Vincent’s in the 1980’s that they pushed food bowls across the floor of the ward with brooms rather than go too close to AIDS, I wonder what our boys felt like then?

I also have a much better appreciation of Bill Bowtell and Neal Blewett and their work in preventing a large scale epidemic in Australia, spurred on by their simple needle exchange programs for drug users. Australia now has 0.1% people living with HIV/AIDS. The USA has 0.7% due to the fact the right wing turned treatment into a circus. That’s 7 times higher than Australia affecting 2.1 million people. South Africa has 10.8%, 1 in 10 people, with a shocking 29% among pregnant women. God forbid! Can you believe that? Thailand only has 1.4%, India 0.9% and Vietnam 0.5%. (Figures from WHO and AVERT).

Did you see the South African documentary on SBS Saturday night (21 Up) – one of those programs tracking kids at 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 etc. At 21 three were already dead from AIDS.

Australia has been privileged in a world sense, but the gay community particularly has been shaken by its own experiences. I thank God there is only one Fred Nile … because in Rampant it was quite evident that Fred single-handedly isolated the gay community in Sydney from church and faith. What did he say? Man lying with man is an abomination and abominations are things that God hates…

Hey Fred? Never eaten a prawn or a lobster? They were called abominations in the Old Testament too. Does God still hate them? I sure don’t and I don’t hate gays either. In fact I am one. I think you owe it to the gays of Australia to tell them God really loves them, however I doubt that any of them will trust you now. Only God is big enough to undo your hate campaign and I’m at a loss to know how?

Thank God Fred didn’t manage to stop the legalising of gay sex in NSW in 1984, the legalising of needle exchange programs and the continuation of Mardi Gras (despite his annual prayer for rain to ruin the parade). If there’d been more Fred’s, our HIV rate would be at least 7 times greater like the USA.

The organisation I work with has experienced a significant increase in the number of deaths of people with HIV these past 6 months. These 30 men and 1 or 2 women were aged between 30 and 60 years of age and left this world far too early. The most recent was buried last Friday. Many PLWHA no longer have a trace of faith and that’s my heartfelt challenge. How can people who have witnessed the hypocrisy of today’s churches (and Fred Nile) ever find faith again? The miracle is that they can.

I want to be the kind of person that can help that miracle come true. Yet I feel so small for the task…

Kit

Yes you are Kit and Yowee and anyone else on here that is helping people rediscover that God loves them, especially those effected by aids. I’d be a mess with people who are ill and dying, they wouldnt see it but I would fall apart at home. I admire anyone who can do that sort of work, actually any sort of work that brings breakthrough and those continuing and running with the flame. We all need each other.

Dear Jenaz, Magsdee and Maggie B

Thank you so much for your encouragement. I’m sure there are many wonderful people scattered throughout the community who spread love at a personal level (one to one) … and I’d believe that is where the miracle is most felt. (Jenaz, some of your posts prove this can also be a church in the suburbs – they are obviously not all homophobic).

I still need to do my part and I’ve reassessed the basis of my own passion. I think many in the GLBTIQ community value justice, freedom, dignity and acceptance. Unfortunately we can sometimes be disheartened when hurt, anger, sadness or low self-image get the better of us.

The question I need to ask myself is whether my passion stems from an inner strength or whether it is fueled by hurt and anger. Perhaps all my passion can spread some comfort and love despite its origin but I’m persuaded I need to rely on my inner strength to be part of the miracle.

I hope this makes sense.

Kit

I second that… yeah Kit… your heart of gold will shine for many many years. Thank you.

Craig.