Sir Elton John: Too many gays don’t seem to care about HIV
Sir Elton John has criticised parts of the gay community for failing to join the fight against HIV.
The veteran singer is due to speak at the dinner of the Human Rights Campaign this weekend in Washington DC, alongside his partner David Furnish.
According to a copy of his speech released to the Washington Post, the veteran singer will use the opportunity to lambaste gay people who don’t regularly get tested for HIV.
Sir Elton will say: “This is the critical moment in our fight, and so many of us don’t seem to care. Even in our own community. Especially in our own community.
“Only 30 percent of gay and bisexual men have had an HIV test in the past year.
“A majority of gay men don’t even talk about HIV with their friends or partners. More than 60 percent don’t even talk about HIV with their doctor.
“If a young gay man won’t get tested because he’s afraid of the stigma attached to HIV, that’s how the virus spreads.
“If a former prisoner can’t get the medicine she needs to bring her viral levels down, because no one cares about prisoners, that’s how HIV spreads.
“If a drug user won’t bother with rehabilitation or HIV prevention because he has been told time and again that his life is worthless, that is how HIV spreads.”
David Furnish adds: “Thanks to advancements in science and hard advocacy work, HIV is no longer a death sentence.
“Unfortunately, some members of the LGBT community have taken that to mean they can ignore the AIDS epidemic, No one’11s going to save us but ourselves. It’s on us to put an end to HIV.”
