Australians Selectively Target Gay Men With “HIV Awareness” Campaign

The AIDS Counsel of New South Wales in Australia is promoting safe sex by placing a large pink "condom" over a 60-foot tall obelisk in Hyde Park, Sydney, but their reason for doing so is curiously selective in targeting gay men. According to The Independent (link below), there has been little resistance from the usual "won't someone think of the children" crew, but the selectivity of the campaign's target hasn't really drawn any ire either.

Acon is a health promotion organisation that focuses on HIV and Aids, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health, and its chief executive Nicholas Parkhill has said the visible icon in a high-traffic area was deliberately chosen to “turn lots of heads and raise a few eyebrows”.

Mr Parkhill said the need for gay men to “stay safe” by using condoms it at the core of the organisation’s strategy for eliminating HIV transmission by the end of the decade.

“We won’t be able to achieve this goal unless fay (sic, I hope) men use condoms when they’re having high-risk sex with causal (sic) partners, particularly in situations where are partner’s HIV status isn’t known – it’s that simple.”

I get that the organization focuses on lesbian, gay (or fay), bisexual, and transgender health, but why not just promote safe sex? Why does it specifically have to target gay men? It seems odd to me, but maybe it's just me. Is it just me? Is anyone there? Who are you people? How did you get in here?

Via The Independent