Picture: LYC There will be a strong ‘condom culture’ message amidst the summer fun of the LYC Big Gay Out. The popular event is returning to Auckland’s Coyle Park from midday this Sunday as part of the Auckland Pride Festival. It will be the 15th year the Big Gay Out has run and 15,000 people are expected to attend. As well as a celebration of diversity, the day is also an opportunity for engaging in a conversation about condom use among gay and bisexual men, who account for 80 per cent of annual HIV diagnoses in New Zealand. “Condoms are important to talk about,” says LYC Big Gay Out spokesman Joe Rich. “HIV is still a very relevant issue for gay and bisexual men and more work needs to be done. One in five gay and bisexual men living with HIV in Auckland don’t even know they’ve got it.” The Big Gay Out is run by the New Zealand AIDS Foundation’s LYC (Love Your Condom) initiative, a brand which recently replaced Get It On! The Foundation’s Burnett Centre staff will also be on site, providing free tests for HIV and other STIs. A helicopter will once again fly over Coyle Park in a ‘Big Ball Drop’ where hundreds of brightly coloured ping-pong balls will be dropped over the crowd. Each ball will win a prize, but one will come with a trip for two to Sydney Mardi Gras. This year’s line-up includes performances by Goodshirt, Kittens of the Internet, Lavina Williams, Hipstamatics and others including Buckwheat, Tess Tickle, Steven Oates, Miss Ribena, Buffy
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 4th February 2014 - 4:40pm