Comments on: Man allegedly deported from Australia for carrying PrEP and sex toys

By: ry

ry — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 02:12:08 +0000

In reply to Dave. Its standard procedure Dave, my partner was deported too and told she had no rights, and i knew that was standard because I have been involved in many other cases prior... You don't get legal representation- you are locked in a room and interrogated and even if you are cleared, other officials can bring you back again for another round, and then you get taken to detention and you are only allowed one international call... by that stage its too late to do much and you are only allowed to appeal based on procedural fairness, not on how the decision was made or if it was made on incorrect assumptions (which is routine)

By: RJ

RJ — Mon, 18 Dec 2017 09:58:06 +0000

I sure hope questions will be asked of the Minister, shame that Parliament has finished sitting.
Perhaps the local federal member should be contacted.
Is there more behind this that we have not been informed of??

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 10:20:25 +0000

There is always more to the story than what is shared. A partners visa was available prior to legislation change. The tourist visa is 3 months but can be offered a few times per year. So flying to Japan was the end of one tourist visa and the start of another. No issue with visas there. The only thing is the suspicion that he may be working as a sex worker on a tourist visa. This is why his phone was seized, to check for evidence. If no evidence was found, the prep and sex toys are not enough to deport.
I find it difficult to understand why he would be denied legal representation or that legal representative was denied access to her client. If this is the case then it is a clear violation of rights.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 00:54:05 +0000

In reply to Robert McCormick. Again with the Shorten nonsense. If Shorten was so loudly opposed to marriage equality as you keep claiming without substantiation, what do I Google to find some quotes of him saying so? When did he proclaim to oppose marriage equality, particularly as Labor leader which he's been for over four years? Or will you once again refuse to substantiate this slur? Pathetic. Yes Rudd was opposed. Yes Gillard did too little. Stop blaming Shorten (and for that matter Penny Wong) for their shortcomings - it is ridiculous.

By: Robert McCormick

Robert McCormick — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 23:47:53 +0000

If anyone thought for one nano-second that homophobia, discrimination, bigotry would magically disappear as a result of Same Gender Marriage becoming legal think again, boys and girls, just think again!.
It is only going to get worse.
It is 100% Legal for people to have PrEP and Sex Toys in Australia and most Western Countries.
Isn’t the Australian Border Force (ABF) under Immigration Minister Peter Dutton’s control? Enough said. Dutton along with Tony Abbott and until he found it was politically opportune to flip-flop Bill Shorten amongst the loudest in their opposition to Equality for ALL – and in particular for the GLTBIQ Community.
The officer was probably simply obeying instructions from the top.
The man should not have been expelled. He should have been given to opportunity to speak with a solicitor.
Can anyone fond out the name of this ABF officer and his religious connections?
We can then name and shame him.

By: Keegan

Keegan — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 20:26:05 +0000

I hope there is a case of discrimination to put the ABF back in it’s place! It thinks it’s above the law and human rights! It is disgraceful! These are people and he has done nothing wrong! There needs to be investigations into racism and homophobia in our “front line protection ” force! Makes me so mad!

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 16:09:08 +0000

Ok, I may be naive, but how is someone ‘visibly gay’? What does a gay person look like?

By: Peter

Peter — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 12:06:48 +0000

“ABF officers are incredibly racist and incredibly homophobic.”
With Herr Dutton in charge it would have to be a prerequisite.

By: Poida

Poida — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 10:21:25 +0000

Let’s face it. A visitor’s visa is 3 months and this guy had been here for 2 years. Refusal to let him re-enter had nothing to do with his luggage.

By: Rodney Ellis

Rodney Ellis — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 10:06:45 +0000

The ABF have accused him of working on a non-work visa. They seem to be implying he’d been caught out before and that’s why he was targeted. The sex toys and PrEP are irrelevant. Scores of PrEP packages bought online from overseas suppliers make it through with no issues every day. Large numbers of gay men would be visiting Australia with their PrEP supply in their luggage by now. Its perfectly legal. He may or may not have suffered homophobic abuse but the beat up and click bait headlines on the sex toys and PrEP angle don’t add to the credibility. To make people nervous about bringing their PrEP is irresponsible.

By: Warwick

Warwick — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 09:46:35 +0000

Please! Stop playing the victim card. This has nothing to do with homophobia or racism. The guy was exploiting a tourist visa, got caught, got deported. What did he think was going to happen? I’m sure it was a sad and frightening experience but I don’t believe this had anything to do with dildos, PrEP, sexuality or race. This would have happened in any country. Get the right visa!

By: Patricia Hooker

Patricia Hooker — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 06:58:45 +0000

Hang on! You’re saying that even with legal representation this young man is still denied access to help?
So let me get this right. He’s with a loving relationship with a caring partner, lived in Australia for two years, never had an issue before, has no criminal record, obviously has a healthy and active sex.life with a great partner open to introducing sex toys to bring in a bit of sexy kinkiness into their love life, and he is practising safe sex by using PrEP?

So what the hell is ABF’s issue again?

I pray that commonsense prevails and that this young man can be with his partner before this turns into an ugly case against ABF for discrimination and racism.

I send my heartfelt condolence to the young men who have had their Christmas ruined by ignorance.

I’m sorry this hrappened and your Christmas will be ruined.