Those pesky journalists, always going around misquoting everybody. Now they've gone and misquoted an Indian health minister and the whole world's labeling him a homophobe.
Ghulam Nabi Azad was quoted as having said, “It is of concern that this disease of homosexuality has come into our country as well. It is unnatural and should not be there but it exists in large numbers in our country.” but he says that's not what he said at all. He says he was talking about HIV, not homosexuality. Azad does, however, admit concern at the climbing rates of HIV being transmitted between men. He stressed that his concerns are for their health, not their personal choices.
Regardless of what he really meant (said?), Azad can't get a break. Both LGBT and HIV/AIDS advocates are pretty peeved about his remarks. Some are even calling for his resignation.
“He needs to acknowledge that he made a mistake—he needs to apologize, which he is not going to do,” says Anjali Gopalan, who heads the NAZ Foundation, an Indian advocacy group that works with HIV-positive people. “We are not going to take it [his remarks] lying down.”
Azad is credited with some previous verbal buffoonery. In 2009, he was quoted as saying that bringing electricity to the poorer Indian communities would slow the rate at which the recipients reproduce. Why? They'd be watching too much television to have sex. So for some, this is just the icing on the cake.
Ghulam Nabi Azad was quoted as having said, “It is of concern that this disease of homosexuality has come into our country as well. It is unnatural and should not be there but it exists in large numbers in our country.” but he says that's not what he said at all. He says he was talking about HIV, not homosexuality. Azad does, however, admit concern at the climbing rates of HIV being transmitted between men. He stressed that his concerns are for their health, not their personal choices.
Regardless of what he really meant (said?), Azad can't get a break. Both LGBT and HIV/AIDS advocates are pretty peeved about his remarks. Some are even calling for his resignation.
“He needs to acknowledge that he made a mistake—he needs to apologize, which he is not going to do,” says Anjali Gopalan, who heads the NAZ Foundation, an Indian advocacy group that works with HIV-positive people. “We are not going to take it [his remarks] lying down.”
Azad is credited with some previous verbal buffoonery. In 2009, he was quoted as saying that bringing electricity to the poorer Indian communities would slow the rate at which the recipients reproduce. Why? They'd be watching too much television to have sex. So for some, this is just the icing on the cake.
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