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Inclusive Festival prize excludes HIV folk

Sat 27 May 2006 In: New Zealand Daily News

9.00PM: Organisers of this year's OutTakes film festival, who are promoting the event as more inclusive than in past years, are facing mounting criticism from HIV positive gay men for offering an incentive prize which cannot be used by HIV positive people. Approximately 85% of HIV infections in New Zealand are amongst gay men, who also constitute the overwhelming majority of people living with the deadly virus. As part of a membership drive OutTakes is offering a five day holiday for two adults at Octopus Resort in Fiji, a country which specifically prohibits HIV positive people from entry. Additionally, consensual sex between same-sex adults, even in private, is subject to criminal prosecution - as witnessed by two high-profile cases of tourists being arrested and jailed in the past eighteen months. Discontent over the prize offer, which surfaced after an announcement at the Auckland opening night of the festival, has been supported by HIV advocacy and support organisation Body Positive Auckland. Spokesperson Bruce Kilmister says the prize is “inappropriate” and says he is at a loss to understand the rationale of a gay-focussed organisation offering such a prize within its community. Further, noting that same-sex intimacy could result in a prison term, Kilmister asks “What sort of holiday would that be” for gay couples? GayNZ.com conveyed Body Positive's concern to OutTakes organisers on Friday morning but, apart from a request for a copy of the complaint, no response has yet been received from the festival organisers A senior Festival organiser, programmer Simon Fulton, told GayNZ.com in a front-page feature last week that OutTakes has been re-branded this year “to be more inclusive” by broadening its target beyond gays and lesbians to bisexuals and transgendered people and even interested straight people. Declaration: GayNZ.com is a media sponsor of the OutTakes 2006 film festival.    

Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff

First published: Saturday, 27th May 2006 - 12:00pm

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