Issue overload…must expound on all of them…NOW!!

The Focus – December 21st, 2007 by Sarah

Not one but three seemingly unrelated issues are on my mind at present. For entertainment purposes and as a test of my keen intellect, I’m going to try to weave them all together into an intricate web of social justice dilemmas.

I just finished reading a fantastic Aussie book called Holding the Man. Written by Timothy Conigrave, it’s a heart-wrenching love story spanning across fifteen years, which begins with Timothy exploring his sexuality and falling in love with the captain of his school’s football team, and ending with the painful reality that is the battle with HIV and AIDS.

As well as being a truly touching and emotional reading experience, I have to admit Holding the Man left me more than slightly fearful. It seems to me that there isn’t enough emphasis on the dangers of unprotected sex and the possibility of contracting HIV, which I view as being enormously irresponsible on the part of our health system. Sure, go all out trying to educate us on how not to accidentally get pregnant or contract herpes or chlamydia, but don’t even bother to mention HIV. That scare campaign with the grim reaper using people as pins in a game of bowling all those years ago was more than enough awareness-raising to last at least fifty years. Latest stats reveal that HIV and AIDS are on the rise in Sydney’s gay community because people have become careless when it comes to protecting themselves during sex, an ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude has become frighteningly common. I have many, many gay friends. Those statistics scare me.

Camden. Need I say more? What I find most amusing about this whole thing is that the racial slurs of all those anti-Muslim bigots are being labelled by the media as ‘un-Australian’. Right… seems that there are more ‘un-Australian’ Australians than there are Australian Australians. Wow, that’s a mouthful. Seriously though, when is there a day where the news DOESN’T feature a story relating to some sort of ridiculous racially-based discrimination? Admit it: Australia is a country full of prejudice. I mean, even the term ‘un-Australian’ is prejudice in itself.

Finally, I feel fat. I blame the festive season. Must rectify this situation soon.

So how am I going to cleverly intertwine all these issues and produce some thought-provoking sentiments? Well, to me the common theme in everything mentioned above is a fear of difference. It could very easily be argued that HIV and AIDS are rarely on the radar because they carry such a strong negative stigma. While all STI’s have that stigma attached to them, HIV and AIDS are on a whole other level of negativity. Also, they’re illnesses mostly (incorrectly) associated with, gasp, homosexuals, making them even more preferable to add to the ‘let’s try not to bring that up’ pile. And let’s face it, a lot of racial issues are also conveniently added to that constantly growing pile of procrastination.

As for me feeling fat and wanting to do something about it, why do I feel the need? Is it because I’m overweight? No. Is it because I’m having problems with my health? No. It’s because I don’t want to give society any reason to treat me differently.

Intricate web achieved? In my opinion, mission accomplished.

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AIDS, Australia, Camden, discrimination, HIV, Holding the Man, homophobia, homosexuality, over-weight, prejudice, race riots, Racism, safe sex, sex, STI's, Timothy Conigrave, weight loss

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