今日吃瓜

AUSTRALIAN Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson stressed the importance of making sure claims made by LGBTI refugees seeking asylum in Australia were legitimate at the Victorian AIDS Council鈥檚聽Hypothetical last night.

Hypothetical is an annual VAC event that brings together a panel of media personalities, politicians, and activists to discuss a range of social issues, and this year they did so through a fictional narrative set in 2022.

Last night’s panellists included Wilson, Victorian Gender and Sexuality Commissioner Rowena Allen, HIV activist Nic Holas, comedian Tom Ballard, trans advocate Aram Hosie and Sophie Ismail, Labor’s candidate for the federal seat of Melbourne.

In the Hypothetical鈥檚 fictional 2022, Deputy Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek had become Australia鈥檚 Prime Minister and was planning a Rainbow Jubilee, opening the night鈥檚 discussion to a range of issues including the state of HIV and PrEP, trans awareness, and marriage equality.

今日吃瓜 from 2022 as reported by from .

鈥� Paul Kidd (@paulkidd)

When asked about his position on LGBTI asylum seekers in the 2022 narrative, Wilson said all claims made by gay refugees would need to be proved accurate and that it was one of the hardest assessments.

He went on to say that聽some asylum seekers visit brothels and pay for聽oral sex, using the receipt as “proof” of their sexuality.

At Tim Wilson says some asylum seekers go to a brothel, “get a blow job” and then seek to claim asylum based on sexuality.

鈥� Josh Taylor (@joshgnosis)

Wilson later clarified on Twitter聽in response to a barrage of tweets criticising his comments that聽he said this in聽the context of explaining sexual activity as聽not being the basis of getting an application approved.

鈥淚鈥檇 like to see some policy nuance on issues around LGBTI asylum seekers,鈥� he told the Star Observer afterwards.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 a challenging area, but one where I think more can be done, particularly for people on Manus [Island] and Nauru.

鈥淭hey shouldn鈥檛 be refouled by being resettled in those countries, they should have an alternative option.鈥�

Meanwhile on the topic聽of getting PrEP approved,聽comedian and panelist Tom Ballard said:聽“If PrEP cured male pattern baldness in middle-aged white men, it’d be sold in 7 Eleven yesterday.”

“PrEP won’t work until everyone can access it”

鈥� Matthew Wade (@MatthewRWade)

The night also presented the opportunity to discuss issues faced by the Indigenous LGBTI community, particularly in northern Australia.

Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis C Council executive director, Kim Gates, spoke in particular about the lack of support for lesbian women.

鈥淎boriginal people make up 30 per cent of the population in the Northern Territory, but lesbians make up 50 per cent,鈥� she joked.

鈥淭here is always a place for gay and lesbian Aboriginal people alongside brotherboys and sistergirls.鈥�

Gates also mentioned the lack of focus placed on the high rates of STIs and local viruses in the community.

.鈥檚 Kim Gates asks an important question: how can we educate the community about STI prevention w/out scare tactics?

— Thorne Harbour Health (@ThorneHarbour)

鈥淲e have a huge issue with syphilis in the Aboriginal community, and we鈥檝e seen some instances of congenital syphilis where a couple of babies have died as a result,鈥� she told the Star Observer.

鈥淲e started working with three cases in Queensland about two years ago and we鈥檝e now seen it spread across to the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very easily transmitted and so that鈥檚 probably our number one issue in the territory at the moment.鈥�

Hypothetical was hosted by comedian Adam Richard and held as part of Midsumma Festival.

The Star Observer is a proud media partner of Midsumma.

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