Fridae

'Condom phobia' man wanted AIDS, Melbourne court told
A 48-year-old HIV-positive man accused of deliberately spreading HIV to five men and attempting to infect 11 others allegedly had a "condom phobia" and wanted to contract the virus before he was diagnosed with it, a Melbourne court was told on Monday.

Police allege Michael John Neal infected five men with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus � the precursor to AIDS � and attempted to infect another 11 men by having unprotected sex with them between October 2000 and March 2005.

According to the Telegraph, Neal, faces 115 charges, including three counts of intentionally causing a very serious disease, and eight counts of attempting to intentionally cause a very serious disease while knowingly infected with the HIV virus.

A HIV specialist, whom the accused consulted in 1999 and 2000, told the court that Neal had a "condom phobia" and frequently engaged in unprotected anal sex with several men.

Doctor Stephen Rowles said Neal had unprotected sex with three partners in a week in October 1999 and described Neal's behaviour as reckless, destructive and risky, and said a "Prince Albert" piercing on the defendant's genitals would have heightened the risk of HIV transmission.

The only explanation given in court was that the virus would enable Neal to have unprotected sex.

"My opinion is that it's possible that it could increase the risk of trauma during anal sex and therefore increase the risk of acquisition or transmission of HIV," Dr Rowles said.

Neal, who is a father of five, was diagnosed with HIV in June 2000.

Dr Nicholas Medland, another doctor who consulted Neal more than 100 times between 1999 and 2006, told the court yesterday that Neal had had unprotected sex with another patient of his in June 2001 and allegedly told the man he was HIV negative � a year after he was diagnosed with the virus.

Dr Medland told the court he warned Neal he was required to inform the health department if the defendant continued having unprotected sex.

Although doctors are normally protected from giving evidence under the privilege of doctor-patient confidentiality, they were ordered to give evidence about Neal's medical history at a compulsory examination of witnesses hearing.

The hearing before magistrate Lisa Hannan continues.

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Asia Pacific Continental Outgames in 2008 in Melbourne?
The Gay and Lesbian International Sports Association (GLISA), the organiser of the recently ended World Out Games, has announced that Melbourne is currently the only candidate city to host the inaugural Asia Pacific Continental Outgames in 2008.

At the Outgames closing ceremony held at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal last Saturday, Thomas Dolan and Catherine Meade, co-chairs of GLISA announced their ambitious plan to make Outgames an annual event.

"The first North American Outgames are in Calgary in 2007. We have a dream for 2008: The Continental Outgames in Asia and the Pacific, and Central and South America."

According to organisers, the 11-day 35 sport discipline event drew 18,599 participants from 111 countries as conference delegates, volunteers or participants of whom 10,248 are athletes, and attracted more than half a million people at the sport competitions and cultural activities. The International Conference on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Human Rights from 26 to 29 July brought together 1,516 participants from every corner of the globe to discuss the worldwide situation of LGBT people.

The inaugural North America Continental Outgames is being held in Calgary, April 2007, and the 2 nd World Outgames in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009. The smaller Continental Outgames will offer 8-10 sports disciplines - compared to 35 in Montreal - as well as a cultural component and a human rights conference.

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Philippine Senate to tackle Anti-Discrimination Bills
For the very first time, the Philippine Senate will tackle proposed bills that seek to penalise discrimination against lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders (LGBTs).

The Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resource Development has scheduled a public hearing on three anti-discrimination bills that provide protection for Filipino LGBTs against discriminatory policies and practices in the areas of employment, education, health care, and public service, among others, on August 9.

Senate Bill 1738, sponsored by Senator Ramon Revilla, would bar discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, education, medical care, housing and the provision of services. It would affirm the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to freedom of association. It would also ban forced medical testing or treatment that attempts to identify, or change, a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.

Philippine LGBT activists, including the Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network (LAGABLAB), have campaigned for the passage of anti-discrimination legislation for over seven years. Similar bills in the past have languished amid procedural delays.

"The Philippines has an opportunity to join the ranks of countries that have extended full equality to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people," said Scott Long, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Program at Human Rights Watch. "Equality delayed is dignity denied."

Since 1999, LAGABLAB, a network of several lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenders (LGBT) organisations and individuals, has been push for a national legislation that would criminalise discrimination against Filipino LGBTs. During the 12th Congress, the House of Representatives approved the same bill (then numbered H.B. 6416), but the Senate failed to approve it.

For updates, visit lagablab.wordpress.com.