Bishop urges gay men to 'seek help'
By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
BISHOP Simeon Hall, senior pastor at New Covenant Baptist Church, is appealing to homosexuals to "seek help" and turn away from "deadly, abnormal sexual practices".
Quoting statistics from a local newspaper, Bishop Hall said that in the Bahamas the number of men contracting AIDS because of homosexual practices has doubled in the past few years.
"According to Dr. Perry Gomez, director of the National HIV/AIDS programme, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the Bahamas with men is near 14 per cent, nearly double the 8 per cent documented in 2008 in the Joint United National programme on HIV/AIDS," he said.
"Homosexuality, like lesbianism, is anti-family and it goes against what God has ordained. This sexual practice cannot produce anything and now we are seeing that, according to statistics, it is deadly."
Bishop Hall said he is not trying to demonise homosexuals, but rather help them to seek help.
"I wish to affirm that homosexuals and lesbians are human beings just like everyone else. I do not demonise them, but I hurriedly urge them to seek help and turn away from this non-productive deadly practice."
Erin Green, spokesperson for the Gay Lesbian Bi-sexual and Transgender community (GBLT) said it is ignorant to think that homosexuality is the cause of the HIV/AIDS increase in the Bahamas.
"I invite Bishop Hall to attend the Caribbean HIV conference this weekend, where he, along with other Bahamians, can engage in activities and expel these myths that are so prevalent in Bahamian society," she said.
"It is dangerous to believe homosexuality equals AIDS. As a country we need to educate ourselves, not only AIDS/HIV, but also homosexuality."
According to the latest statistics, adult HIV prevalence in The Bahamas is among the highest in the Caribbean at 3.3 per cent. AIDS is also still a leading cause of death among Bahamian men and women, aged 15-44.
The disease occurs primarily among heterosexuals - approximately 87 per cent - although under-reporting by men who have sex with men remains a challenge.
The 2011 Caribbean HIV Conference will be held at the Atlantis resort, November 18 to 21, under the theme "Strengthening Evidence To Achieve Sustainable Action."
The conference is expected to attract 2,000-2,500 participants and will highlight scientific research findings, implementation lessons learned, skills-building tools, and networking opportunities.
November 15, 2011
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