Australia’s leading gay and lesbian newspaper Est.
1979 www.
starobserver.
com.
au Issue 1081 Wednesday 13 July 2011
Commonwealth
chief against
homophobia
>> NATIONAL
The Australian Federation of AIDS
Organisations (AFAO) has praised
Commonwealth Secretary...
More
Australia’s leading gay and lesbian newspaper Est.
1979 www.
starobserver.
com.
au Issue 1081 Wednesday 13 July 2011
Commonwealth
chief against
homophobia
>> NATIONAL
The Australian Federation of AIDS
Organisations (AFAO) has praised
Commonwealth Secretary General
Kamalesh Sharma for making a
strong statement that “vilification
and targeting on grounds of sexual
orientation are at odds with the
values of the Commonwealth”.
It is believed to be the first time
a Commonwealth head has made
such an emphatic statement on
the issue.
Sharmamadethecommentswhile
opening the 2011 Commonwealth
Law Minsters meeting in Sydney
on Monday.
He also highlighted the
significance of last year’s Delhi High
Court ruling that decriminalised
homosexual acts.
AFAO executive director Rob
Lake, who is at the meeting as
a Commonwealth HIV & AIDS
Action Group delegate, praised
Sharma’s words.
“It is encouraging to see the
Commonwealth Law ministers
beginningtodiscussdiscrimination
against transgender and gay
Less