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NZAF "should keep focus on gays"

Thu 16 Jun 2005 In: New Zealand Daily News

The AIDS Foundation's priority commitments to both the HIV+ and gay communities should be stronger than its desire to reflect Treaty of Waitangi commitments with quotas for Maori board members, says Body Positive spokesman Bruce Kilmister. While Body Positive welcomes the reinstatement of two mandated positions on the board for HIV+ representatives, Kilmister says mandating a 50% Maori quota for the NZAF board is "crazy" and emphasises that the Foundation should be prioritising the HIV+ and gay commuities, for which it was set up in the first place. "Rather than quotas, the Foundation should have a perspective and a voice from one, the positive community and two, the gay community which is the most at risk community in this country," he says. "Thirdly, consideration has to be given to what will be the emerging future in terms of other ethnic groups, the Asian and Pacific Island communities, and women. I feel to specify percentages or numbers restricts the Foundation board from achieving what it should be doing." Kilmister says Body Positive has enjoyed an "excellent" relationship with the Foundation and its staff in the past, but feels the governance is at risk of becoming detached from its goal. "The Foundation could lose its focus when the reality of HIV infection in this country is still gay men with an average age of 39/40, and I think that's where we should see some strong focus."    

Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff

First published: Thursday, 16th June 2005 - 12:00pm

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