Concern is being expressed about a column in the Southland Times, which insinuates AIDS is somehow funny. In the piece published in Saturday's paper columnist Sarah McCarthy lists her favourite things about going to the rugby, with the following comment making the cut: "The chaps behind us, all in some form of retro Southland gear, waited until Otago were on the field before yelling, "The only things in Otago are penguins and Aids'' which is, terrible as it may be, one of the funniest things I've ever heard." The comment has outraged a number of Southlanders. Sandie Knapp, Manager of the Southland HRP Trust which runs a needle-exchange programme in the region, says she is sure the comment the ‘retro chaps' made was a reflection of a very small and narrow-minded minority that does not represent Southland as a whole. “It saddens me that the columnist found this A) amusing and B) appropriate to repeat in a widely read regional newspaper,” she says. “As a member both of the Southland Community and of an organisation that is proud of the work it has done in collaboration with the NZ AIDS Foundation over the past 21 years it surprises me that a comment that makes fun of a deadly epidemic and is blatantly anti-gay, could feature in a lifestyle column.” Knapp says in the four and a half years that the SHRP Trust has been operating in Southland; it has found people to be pro-active in the education around and prevention of Blood Borne Viruses such as HIV/AIDS as well as the acceptance of people's sexuality. She says many programmes and agencies actively support and work with young people who have experienced prejudice and the Dare to Be You programme is but one of many successful ventures in the region. “I hope that this sort of thoughtlessness is recognised for what it is and doesn't set back the wonderful work that organisations and programmes in Southland and Southlanders themselves are doing,” she says. “Please Sarah McCarthy, apologise for your crass comments and we welcome you to come and learn more about this terrible virus and its effects on the people we love.” The trust will write to the editor of the Southland Times about the article and is hopeful an apology will be printed. The New Zealand AIDS Foundation is also unhappy with the column and has been in touch with the newspaper.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 17th August 2010 - 12:01pm