Illinois group opposes waiver for HIV-positive Gay Games athletes

[deadparrot]

Last month the Bush administration approved a blanket waiver allowing foreign HIV-positive athletes to enter the United States to compete in the Gay Games in Chicago this summer. But now a conservative group in Illinois is asking the president to rescind the approval, reports the Chicago Sun Times.

Although federal law prohibits HIV-infected foreigners from visiting the country without special permission, the Department of Homeland Security agreed to the blanket waiver after Chicago mayor Richard Daley and Illinois congresswoman Jan Schakowsky requested it. A similar waiver was granted for the Gay Games in New York in 1994.

But the head of the Illinois Family Institute claims that allowing HIV-positive athletes into the country is a public health threat and says he is getting assistance from prominent national conservative groups like Concerned Women of America to have the waiver revoked.

"The people of Chicago should know we have a ban on HIV travelers, it's there to protect citizens, and it's not a wise move to remove the ban," Peter LaBarbera, the group's executive director, told the Sun Times. "People on the pro-family side are not too pleased with it, and we're putting pressure on to reinstate the ban."

http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid28064.asp

[Placebo]

1. Bastards.

My city is damn excited and honoured to be hosting the Gay Games, we're doing everything we can to make it a smooth process and fun for all, but then people like this have to come along and try and spoil it.

I hope they fail.

[Trillo]

2. Ugh, why not a travel ban on people with the flu, or even a common cold?

Both are 'highly contagious', we are often told.

[xchrom]

3. the tapeworms are at it again.

there is no ''ban'' on hiv+ positive visitors -- there may be notices that have to be given -- but trust me - there are hiv+ visitors all over the u.s. right now.

and what about my family -- my family is pro-family and they have no problem hiv+ travelers.
why should they?

there is no threat from an hiv+ traveler.

but just add this on to the list of bans on gay adoptions, marriage, abortions, -- and try to tell me with a straight face that this house{america} is not profoundly and fundamentally divided.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. better yet, ban rag-heads, haitians, liberals, and lesbian moms.

that would put our country on the Right track again.

First Aids, then flu, then TB, then the disease of believing in the wrong god. Or worse, no god.

[wiley]

6. TB and other communicable diseases have always been reasons to deny

although usually enforced for political reasons. The ban on HIV is ridiculous. There are more HIV-positive men and women(heterosexuals even!) in Chicago than all the athletes coming to the US combined. If any of these people are worried, they should use condoms if they are going to get anally penetrated by any one of these athletes. I doubt they'd have any takers amongst the athletes, however. Lesbian moms, BTW, have lower rates of STDS and other illnesses than other women in the US or anywhere for that matter. This is purely religion based political fascism, aform of non-science based xenophobia and free-floating fear of penetration.

[pinto]

5. Ridiculous.