Mr Ross Wilson, President of the AIDS Action Council of the ACT said today that unless we face up fully to the lingering issues of stigma and discrimination, there is little chance that we will end this epidemic. "In a modern and supposedly enlightened society, the idea that people with a medical condition are marginalised is unacceptable. Unfortunately this is what life is like for many" he said.
The AIDS Action Council of the ACT has been active since HIV first arrived here, and continues to work in partnership with the community, health professionals and the Government to improve the quality of life for those affected.
The 26th annual Candlelight Memorial held this Sunday evening at the National Museum is a great chance for Canberrans to stand up and be counted, and show that this discrimination needs to end.
Keynote speaker at the memorial is long-standing activist and entertainer Tobin Saunders, also known as Vanessa Wagner. Saunders knows firsthand how stigma turns a generally manageable condition into one that can be heartbreaking to live with. He remembers how the gay and lesbian communities responded to the emerging crisis by coming together and demanding action. "I think that people today are forgetting how closely linked the response to HIV and gay rights were." He said. Saunders also believes that discrimination can be closer to home, "We all need to look at ourselves and make sure that we are not also discriminating at times.'
Ross Wilson agrees saying that "HIV positive gay men should not have to fear rejection from other gay men if they disclose. All of us need to unite to combat this fear and ignorance within our own community.
Although HIV has had a huge impact among gay men, it has also impacted on many other groups, including haemophiliacs and heterosexual men, women and children.
All face stigma and discrimination as a result of their condition and we need to work actively to eliminate this from our society.
(ENDS)
For more information contact:
Andrew Burry: mobile 0412 882 855
andrew.burry@aidsaction.org.au