AIDS, God and Gay Men…

Michael Kirby is a kind and thoughtful man. A former High Court judge here in Australia and openly gay, his is the journey of reconciling religion with sexuality. I do not envy him for the monumental task that he has set himself. In this thoughtful article, he calmly portrays the hate that so-called men and women of God can exact upon people who are living with HIV and AIDS. A peacemaker, Kirby is keen to entreat religious leaders into coming on board with his heartfelt message of love. Yet, whether it be condemning gay men for engaging in the intense intimacy and sexual pleasure that anal intercourse brings, or refusing to allow people access to condoms or needle exchanges, those very same religious leaders seem mightily beyond redemption. They are content to expose millions of gay men, women and others to dreadful suffering and early death. Now I wonder, what sort of God are they praying to…?