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ACSA World AIDS Day Poster Design Competition In Adelaide, those most at risk of HIV are gay men and other men who have sex with men; however HIV ultimately affects all those in Adelaide. Those living with, or at risk of HIV may include yourself, your siblings, parents, friends, neighbours and colleagues – help us put HIV back on the radar and support ACSA/GMH’s education, prevention and support work. The function of the poster is to communicate the following message: “HIV is still here” ACSA are proud to offer a total prize pool of $2000. First prize winner: $1000 cash prize Five runners: each $200 cash prize Deadline for submissions is Friday 30th September, 2011. For more information visit the competition page here.

 

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Group can lease only to gay men

The District Court's Equal Opportunity Tribunal yesterday granted House-One Co-operative Inc an exemption from the state's Equal Rights Act.

The exemption allows the group to provide secure, long-term, affordable accommodation to gay men who have experienced difficulty finding private rental properties.

Outside court, House-One chairman Darren Webb said it was a "positive move" for the group. "We're a community, we can talk to each other, help each other and support each other," he said.

"Most people think gay men are rich ... that's not the case."

In court yesterday, Mr Webb said many gay men had negative experiences in the private rental market and most felt their sexuality was a factor.

House-One treasurer Bill Dell told the court he had once been evicted by a private landlord because a distant relative was returning to Adelaide who required the accommodation.

Later checks by Mr Dell revealed that was not the case and that new tenants - a young, straight couple - had moved in after him.

The co-operative said gay men seeking accommodation with their partner found it especially tough. Some were encouraged to pretend to have a girlfriend or wife when applying for a lease.

House-One manages 16 Housing Trust SA homes, predominantly in the CBD.

Under yesterday's ruling, the co-operative is now exempt from accepting any non-gay applicants via the register for their properties.

Men who rent the properties can do so for renewable periods of six months, provided they become a member of the co-operative.

Judge Jack Costello said the wider public interest had prompted the tribunal to grant the exemption.

From [AdelaideNow]

Anger over rally to ridicule gay marriage

Marriage equality advocates have condemned comments that same-sex marriage would allow unions between pedophiles and children made at a rally in Canberra.

They say organisers of the pro-marriage rally where conservative American commentator Rebecca Hagelin made the statement should distance themselves from her remarks.

The rally today, organised by the Australian Christian Lobby and the Australian Family Association, heard from a handful of federal MPs including Queensland independent Bob Katter.

Mr Katter told the gathering of several hundred people the proposition should not be treated seriously.

"Truly this proposition deserves to be laughed at and ridiculed," he said to cheers and thunderous applause.

Australian Marriage Equality spokesman Rodney Croome said offensive rhetoric like that of Mr Katter and Ms Hagelin had no place in debate on same-sex marriage.

"The Australian Christian Lobby, which often complains about opponents of same-sex marriage being ridiculed and demonised, must show it is sincere about a mature debate by distancing itself from the offensive comments made today", he said.

A Queensland psychologist who specialises in the mental health of gays and lesbians said comments made at the rally were "damaging".

Read more @ [Sydney Morning Herald]

 

 

Last Monday the 8th of August, the Productivity Commission released it's final report into aged care in Australia. Chapter 11 of the report includes a section on GLBTI aged care, and the needs and challenges that will arise for services users in the coming years and decades.

Below is a round up to the very positive reception of the report in GLBTI media. We also have Jo Harrison - longterm advocate for GLBTI issues - discussing her involvement with the report.

 

ACON Welcomes Recognition of
GLBT Aged Care Needs

NSW's leading gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) health organisation has welcomed recommendations from an independent government advisory body that Australia's aged care system should address the specific needs of GLBT people.

Released on Monday, the Productivity Commission's report into aged care in Australia contains a raft of recommendations to the Federal Government on how to overhaul the sector so it meets future needs. 

ACON says it's pleased the Commission has supported ACON's call for a national GLBT ageing strategy and for accreditation standards that ensure GLBT elders receive the same rights to privacy, dignity and culturally appropriate services as all other Australians.

ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill says the failure of aged care standards and accreditation systems to address the needs of GLBT seniors has left many with doubts about whether they will be treated fairly.

Read the rest @ [ACON's NewsRoom]

 

Aged care inclusion welcomed

Australia’s peak LGBTI health body has broadly welcomed the inclusion of LGBTI seniors in the Productivity Commission’s report into aged care – Caring for Older Australians.

The final report, released this week, details the concerns of LGBTI seniors, including fear of discrimination in aged care services.

“Many older gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex people have experienced considerable discrimination over the course of their lives and this may continue in aged care where their sexuality and/or gender identity are not recognised or supported in the delivery of aged care services,” the report stated.

National LGBTI Health Alliance CEO Warren Talbot said the inclusion is welcome.

“The main reason we welcome the report is there is explicit recognition of the needs of gay and lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex older people in Australia,” Talbot told the Star Observer.

“There had been some concern that the Commission may have subsumed LGBTI people under a general category of [cultural and linguistic] diversity, the Commission hasn’t done that and that’s a very positive thing in terms of recognition of LGBTI concerns.”

Read the rest @ [StarObserver Online]

 

JOY 94.9
The Rainbow Report: Exclusion

In part four of last week's Rainbow Report host Doug Pollard and guest co-host Andie Noona catch up with Dr. Jo Harrison to discuss her involvment with the GLBTI section in the recent Productivity Commision Report into Aged Care.

Direct episode download (MP3 Audio, 20MB)

Podcast Subscription Feed link (includes parts 1-3 and previous episodes)

 

ABC's 'THE DRUM':
Gay marriage? Is that the best you can do?

Gay rights I feel passionate about. Gay marriage and I'm less jazzed. Personally I have to consider the whole thing just another equal access issue to get even mildly motivated. Supporting the institution itself just makes me queasy.

Recently Penny Wong and her partner Sophie Allouache were revealed to be expecting. Certainly worth a congratulations given that two lesbians can't blame it on a few too many tequilas and a snowstorm. Well done, I say, well done.

The pregnancy was announced and within a hare's breath calls for gay marriage were heard.

For as long as I can remember, much like Neighbours' Lou and Harold and House's Greg and Wilson, Sesame Street's favourite citrus-complexioned duo's love existed without a need to follow Allan and Denny down the aisle.

That whole scenario apparently needs a rethink however, according to some social networkers with a penchant for social engineering. They're calling for Bert and Ernie to make it all official-like. Apparently the puppet-ty duo's cohabitation requires explanation to the confused masses.

It's time we pause for thought.

If a gay person wants to buy into the wedding industry, I truly do champion their rights to do so. (Albeit with the same enthusiasm I support straight folk making this mistake: i.e., none.)

But surely marriage is not the only way to grant gay couples - gay families - some respect.

The implication that because Penny and Sophie are in the "family way" we simply have to rethink gay marriage is so incredibly conservative.

Read the rest @ [The Drum]

 

 

 

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Gilead says 4-in-1 HIV pill met goal in study

Gilead Sciences Inc. said Monday that its "Quad" HIV pill, which combines four drugs into one tablet, met its main goal in a late-stage study.

The company said the drug worked at least as well as Gilead's three-in-one drug Atripla after 48 weeks of treatment. Gilead said 88 percent of the patients who took the Quad therapy met a target for reduced levels of the virus in their blood. It said 84 percent of the Atripla patients met that target.

Rates of side effects and discontinuations were similar in both groups of patients.

Read more @ [SanFrancisco Gate]

 

US: Experts Concerned About Rising HIV Rates Among Poor, Minorities

HIV/AIDS experts gathering in Atlanta this week expressed growing concerns over a rise in rates of HIV infection among the nation's poor and minorities

New data released Tuesday at the National HIV Prevention Conference by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 19 percent of gay and bisexual men, 9 percent of intravenous drug users and 2 percent of low-income heterosexuals were infected with HIV. This compares with an overall infection rate in the United States of only 0.47 percent. And nearly half of people in each of these high-risk groups were unaware of their HIV status.

However, young black men are being hit the hardest: While the overall number of new HIVinfections each year in the United States has remained relatively stable at about 50,000, infection rates have increased sharply among black gay and bisexual men, according to Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS at the CDC.

"The most concerning finding was that new HIV infections among black gay and bisexual men aged 18-to-29 increased 50 percent between 2006 and 2009," Fenton said at a press briefing on Monday. "That group was the only group in the U.S. to experience significant increases during that time."

Even more troubling, data released Tuesday showed that a big proportion of individuals in some of these high-risk groups also report having engaged in high-risk behaviors over the past year, including unprotected sex and sharing needles.

"We found substantial levels of HIV infections and high-risk behavior, infrequent testing and low awareness. . . This is a major concern," said study co-author Dr. Alexandra Oster, a co-medical epidemiologist with the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention at the CDC. "This provides insight into the population we most need to be reaching."

Read the rest @ [U.S. News]

 

HIV on the rise in Muslim countries

A new report has found that HIV infection rates are rising sharply in Middle Eastern and North African nations where homosexuality is illegal. The study released by the peer reviewed medical journal PloS Medicine found that cultural and legal pressures in countries where Islam is dominant drives male to male intercourse underground.

The study is one of the first attempts at gaining reliable data on what is a strictly taboo topic in Muslim countries. Medical experts from the Qatar arm of Weill Cornell Medical College used material from previous studies to look at HIV infection rates in Middle Eastern and North African countries.

Whilst the study admits that finding accurate data on the topic is notoriously hard, citing uncooperative Governmental officials and a culture of silence, the increase in HIV infection rates have risen dramatically by 14.8 percent in Iran, 27.6 percent in Pakistan and 9.3 percent in Sudan.

Health risks to the general population were also raised, as men participating in unprotected sex with other men often transmitted HIV to their wives, with condoms being used by only one in four of the men.

The report urged Middle Eastern government and medical authorities to “expand HIV surveillance and access to HIV testing, prevention and treatment services.”

From [StarOnline]

 

MTV App Locates Places To Get Condoms

MTV has partnered with iCondom to release the iCondom iPhone app, a geo-aware map that’s part tool, part crowdsourced experiment.

With the app, users can search via GPS for the nearest place that sells condoms. Much of the information, however, will be crowdsourced. Users are encouraged to add condom-dispensing locations and to provide quick tips like if the shop is open 24 hours or if a machine is broken.

The app is part of MTV’s Staying Alive campaign, its global youth HIV awareness and prevention effort. The crowdsourced nature of the app encourages a supporting community that can hopefully remove the taboo of buying contraceptives. The information will eventually be used to create a global condom distribution map, allowing more people to avoid putting themselves or others at risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

iCondom is well-timed with a controversial new government health care plan that would eliminate out-of-pocket costs for women’s birth control. Condom controversy usually revolves around a condom’s ability to prevent pregnancy rather than its ability to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. The MTV campaign focuses on the latter even as it enters a climate of increased exposure and debate around sexual preventative care.

Recent numbers from UNICEF estimate that 5 million 15- to 24-year-olds are living with HIV and another 2,500 young people are infected every day. The app is free to download. Any profit generated through iCondom’s adverts will be split three ways between Staying Alive, the developers and Scarlett Mark, which helped create the campaign.

Read this article @ [Mashable]

Visit MTV's [Staying Alive] site

Download iCondom free from the iTunes store
[iPhone /iPod Touch / iPad users only]