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▼ T V
ASIA
Researchers with the medical school of St.
An Indian AIDS expert has predicted that
Bartholomew’s
Hospital in London have found
Asia will surpass Africa as the world center of
the AIDS epidemic by the year 2000. The predic a drug that kills HIV-infected human white blood
tion is based on projections made by the U.N. cells in concentrations harmless to uninfected
World Health Organization that ten million cells. The drug known as EF13 is being devel
people in India will carry HIV by the next de oped by Scotia Pharmaceuticals. Scientists are
cade. Currently, India’s Council of Medical Re currently testing the drug in laboratory experi
search reports that India has 2.5 million HIV ments. The researchers also said that healthy
positive people. Thailand reports a possible white blood cells, specifically lymphocytes, de
500,000. Only five years ago India was the least veloped resistance to HIV infection after being
AIDS-affected nation in the world. A study exposed to EF13.
conducted in Bombay’s poorest sections revealed
ICELAND
that ignorance around sex education and sexual
The country’s capital, Reykjavik, hosted
ity, two subjects unspoken of in Indian culture,
Iceland’s 1993 Gay Pride Day. About 80 gay
were the epidemic’s greatest ally.
men and lesbians participated in the parade which
was followed by a reception attended by two
AUSTRALIA
In what gay and lesbian activists called a elected officials. The Icelandic parliament de
“last-ditch battle’’ of “crucial importance,” the criminalized sex between persons of the same
parliament of New South Wales has adopted a sex in 1992 and has since recognized gay men
gay and lesbian civil rights law. The law, which and lesbians as a group vulnerable to social
drew strong opposition from right-wing legisla injustice. The parliament has appointed a com
tors, is identical to other civil rights laws that ban mittee to prepare legislation that will strengthen
discrimination based on race and other catego the civil rights of lesbians and gay men.
ries. If violated it calls for jail terms of up to six
months and allows for damages of up to 40,000
JAPAN
The Association for the Lesbian and Gay
Australian dollars ($26,000 U.S.). The bill gained
a majority after lawmakers accepted an amend Movement of Japan has reported that the Japa
ment that exempts churches from the protections nese government has a policy restricting the
entry of people with HIV or AIDS into the
for gay men and lesbians.
country. The International Lesbian and Gay
CANADA
Association said that, “although the many ex
Gay men and lesbians in Montreal say that ceptions to the law make it almost impossible for
the recent murder of a gay Anglican priest may anyone to be denied entrance, the policy does
be the work of a possible serial killer targeting stipulate that the entry officer has the power to
gay men. Father Warren Ealing, 53, was found judge whether the individual will be engaged in
dead in his home, handcuffed to his bed after behavior which has the possibility of infecting a
parishioners became concerned when he failed number of people.” The 1994 AIDS interna
to keep several appointments. Ealing’s car, com tional conference is scheduled to be held in
puter and other valuables were missing and the Yokohama.
house had been ransacked. Activists say the
death is the fourth murder of a gay man in the city
SOUTH AFRICA
this year and the 14th within the past few years.
A report in a Johannesburg newspaper states
that black South Africans may be prohibited
FRANCE
from donating at blood banks because of their
The lawsuit against the Italian clothing firm higher rates of HIV infection. The report, hailed
Bennetton, for ads showing photos of body parts by some black South Africans as more of the
tattooed with the words, “HIV Positive,” has “old apartheid mentality,” is based on figures
been thrown out of court. In the suit brought by provided by the nation’s blood donor service
the French Fight Against AIDS, the court found which show that, of first-time donors, nearly one
that the public awareness charity was not quali in 70 black South African donors tested positive
fied to bring suit in the names of people with for HIV compared to one in 4,000 for white
AIDS. In another suit brought by a person with South African donors.
AIDS, the court held that the plaintiff sued
Bennetton’s French subsidiary rather than the
UNITED STATES
parent company that commissioned the ads. In a
The World Health Organization has called on
final ruling the court said that the photos used in governments to eradicate laws that discriminate
the ads served the public by showing how HIV against lesbians and gay men. The U.N. health
infection can occur through drug abuse and sexual agency said that such laws act as “barriers” to
practices.
effective AIDS prevention efforts. WHO also
called on countries to rescind laws that ban the
▼ ▼ V
promotion of condoms and laws that mandate
French researchers in Paris have created a compulsory HIV antibody testing. “With well
type of molecule they say is able to block HIV over 5,000 new infections every day, time is of
infection. In test-tube research the molecule the essence in the fight against AIDS,” WHO
CDR3 blocked the entry doors on three cell types warned. “Without urgent action, the number
targeted by HIV, according to the team at North could reach 40 million by the end of the century.’
Marseilles Hospital. Researchers compare the
discovery to “a pass key that allows one to block
ZIMBABWE
all the locks to stop the virus from entering
In a country of 10 million people, health
healthy cells.” The process must still be verified officials estimate that approximately 60,000
in mice and monkeys.
people have AIDS and another 800,000 are in
fected with HIV. According to the social welfare
GREAT BRITAIN
department, some 600,000 children in the coun
A collection of love letters from the author try will be orphaned as a result of the epidemic
Oscar Wilde to Philip Griffiths was recently during the next six years. Since the country s
purchased for $27,580. The letters, dating back orphanages are already filled with children, the
to the 1880s, and which included a photo of the government is researching alternative ways to
famous gay playwright, were offered for sale care for the growing population of children or
through Christie’s by a descendant of Griffiths. phaned by the disease.
It is the first documentation of the author’s brief
affair with the wealthy young Griffiths.
Compiled by Lee Norwood