Election gay HIV ‘risk’
posted: 22/04/2010
David Cameron was urged by the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, to sack one of his Conservative frontbench team, for claiming that the age of consent for gay / bisexual males should not have been lowered to 16, because it put teenage youth at "serious physical risk" and in danger of catching HIV.
Julian Lewis, the shadow minister for Defence, and Conservative parliamentary candidate for the Hampshire seat of New Forest East, wrote to a constituent last week saying he had been "very strongly against" lowering the age of consent for gays from 18 to 16 because of the "seriously increased risk of HIV". He appeared to compare it with the decision to prevent service personnel aged under 18 from fighting on frontlines. Last night, Dr Lewis repeated this, telling The Independent that anyone aged 16 to 18 who had unprotected gay sex was "at risk, and potentially at risk of their lives".
George House Trust comment
George House Trust is mystified about what he means by ‘seriously increased risk of HIV.’ Risky sex is risky sex whatever your age. Being 16 or 17 doesn’t make the risk of infection any better or worse. Going back to criminalising 16 and 17 year old gay youth for having a sexual life would probably worsen their risks of HIV infection. Importantly, the age of consent is all about the equality and human rights of his young gay constituents, rights he appears to ignore. And does he really mean to suggest that unprotected gay sex is equivalent to fighting in Afghanistan?
‘I’m no expert’ admission
Challenged about his views on the dangers of homosexual sex, he said: "I do not hold myself up as any kind of expert in this and I am willing to be shown I'm wrong if I am wrong, but I honestly don't think I am wrong." George House Trust suggests that when you don't know it makes sense to ask before mouthing off nonsense that reinforces HIV stigma and homophobia.
Conservative gay disarray
His outspoken views have reopened debate about the Conservative party's stance on gay and lesbian rights. Two weeks ago, the shadow Home Secretary, Chris Grayling, suggested that owners of bed-and-breakfast hotels should have the right to turn away gay couples.
Seriously increased risk
The age of consent for gay men was lowered from 18 to 16 in 2000. Dr Lewis wrote last week: "There is a seriously increased risk of HIV infection from male homosexual activity. When it comes to legalising practices that involve serious risk, I believe the higher limit should apply. This is the reason we no longer allow 16- and 17-year-olds into frontline situations in the armed forces, for example."
Dr Lewis, 58, has a history of voting against legal equality for gay people. He opposed adoptions by gay couples and the repeal of Section 28 – a law enacted by Margaret Thatcher's Tory government in 1988 to prevent schools from "promoting" homosexuality.
Defending his comments last night, Dr Lewis said he would have supported keeping the age of consent for gay men at 18. He said he had not intended to make the "preposterous suggestion" that gay sex was as dangerous as fighting on the frontline. However, he went on to say that engaging in unprotected gay sex put teenagers "at risk, and potentially at risk of their lives". Dr Lewis added: "It is nevertheless true that someone is just as much dead if they are among one of the much smaller percentage of people who would be unfortunate enough to contract a deadly disease through a form of sexual activity as they are if they are in the frontline and they find themselves being injured or killed."
Sacking Call
The Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, urged the Conservative leader to sack Dr Lewis from his shadow cabinet. He said: "[Mr Cameron has] been seeking the votes of gay people ... but [his] frontbench team includes people who are against any notion of homosexual equality. [He needs] to show some leadership and sack Mr Lewis."
Last night, the Conservative leadership distanced itself from Dr Lewis' remarks, but allowed him to keep his job as shadow defence minister. " These are Dr Lewis' long held and personal views," a spokesman said. "They are not the view of the Conservative Party and the terms in which he expressed them is wrong. Under this Labour government we have seen a massive increase in HIV infections and STDs across all the population – straight and gay."
Source The Independent
Source Pink News
More details in PinkNews
The letter, which Dr Lewis' office faxed to PinkNews said:
"I was very strongly against lowering the age of consent from 18 to 16. My reasoning was that there is a seriously increased risk of HIV infection arising from male homosexual activity. When it comes to legalising practices that involve serious risk, I believe the higher limit should apply. This is the reason we no longer allow 16 and 17-year-old into front-line situations in the Armed Forces, for example."
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