Lack of a suitable venue has stymied hopes for a Candlelight Memorial service in Christchurch tonight to remember the hundreds of people, almost all gay men, who died in the first phase of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. A spokesperson for the national coordinators for the services, which will be held in a number of centres around the country, says the local organisers, much the same group who have organised the Christchurch event in the past, could not find a suitable indoor venue in the earthquake-ravaged city. Due to weather considerations they did not feel that repeating last year's small service in Hagley Park was a suitable alternative. Services will be held in Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Dunedin and Invercargill and anyone can attend to honour the memory of those lost to the still debilitating disease. Times and locations of the services are available at the link below. You can discuss this New Zealand gay community news story in the GayNZ.com Forum.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Sunday, 20th May 2012 - 9:51am