The Gay Festival Brouhaha

Finger 11-One Thing Having read The Sun today, I'm not amused nor surprised by the story reported. According to the report, "One of Asia's most popular gay and lesbian festivals may be behind a sharp rise in the number of new HIV infections in Singapore". Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Health Balaji Sadasivan cited "An unnamed medical expert's opinion that the nation festival, which attracts thousand of revellers from around the world each August, as a possible cause for the rise". I mean, who's this 'unnamed medical expert'? Why the anonymity? What is he/she afraid of? Or hiding from? No, don't give me the 'for security reasons' craps. Any man in his right mind wouldn't have the time to believe an ambiguous study from an anonymous source. Then the minister is quoted as saying "We do not know the reasons for the sharp increase of HIV in the gay community". What is this? You do not know the reasons and yet you claimed the increased number is cause by the festival? I mean, I'm not against non-fictional report nor I'm the champion of these gay and lesbian who go around and fuck every hole they see without proper protection. But please, if you want to make a political or personal statement, it is safe if the source is reliable and believable. I do know and believe that unprotected gay sex is one of the many contributors of the sharp increase but is certainly not the sole factor. Remember that there are at least 3 ways of how HIV can be transmitted, one, unprotected sexual intercourse (either vaginal or anal) with someone who is HIV-infected, two, sharing needles or syringes with someone who is HIV-infected and three, mother-to-infant infection.

Moving further, "An epidemiologist has suggested that this maybe linked to the predominantly gay party in Sentosa, the Nation party, which allows gays from high prevalence societies to fraternise with local gay men, seeding the infection in the local community". Wait, read more, "However, this is an hypothesis and more research needs to be done by the experts". And more of this, "Balaji told the Parliament, a record of 311 people in Singapore had contracted HIV last year, 28% more than in 2003". But then again, "He said 90% of the people who contracted the virus last year were men, with a third of them gay". Ironic? you do the math. Talking about revealing the truth... On a brighter side, 4410 students scored straight As in last years SPM examination with one student scored A1s in all 17 subjects she sat for. I only hope that all these geniuses wouldn't have any problem getting the right place in any reputed universities. Really hope that the placement of these bright students is done by merit not prejudice. Previous years' bitterness should remind the powers that be.