Fighting HIV/AIDS ain't cut and dry.

There are countless factors to be considered when combating the epidemic, especially in a continent as complex as Africa - and particularly with regard to homophobia:

The persistent and increasing outbreaks of violence against members of the gay community in Africa are jeopardising efforts undertaken to combat HIV, both within this group and across the population as a whole, Aids activists warned at a recent meeting in Limb, Cameroon.
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According to IGLHRC, 38 of the 53 countries in Africa still consider homosexuality as an offence punishable by sentences ranging in severity up to imprisonment.
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Even when MSM are aware, their exclusion from the majority of health policies on the continent means that it is difficult for them to obtain what they need to protect themselves from infection.

The most frequent problem is access to lubricating gel, explained Monvoisin. “Many [MSM] use butter or oil, but unfortunately this damages condoms.”

Well, they're using condoms - that's a step in the right direction.

We're giving the United States Senate a big thumbs up this morning. The legislators yesterday made some serious headway in the fight against HIV.

First, they approved a $50 billion in international funding over the next five years, which will help in areas such as Africa and Asia.

Meanwhile, the Senators also voted to lift the travel ban on HIV-positive travelers.

…A measure added to the Senate bill by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Gordon Smith, R-Ore., [reverses] a policy that has made it difficult for HIV-positive foreigners to visit or seek residency in the United States.

"For 20 years the United States has barred HIV-positive travelers from entering the country even for one day," said Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality. "Today the Senate said loud and clear that AIDS exceptionalism must come to an end."

The bill will now be hashed out in the House, which approved the aid back in April.

Wayne Allyn Root isn't your typical politician.

In fact, Root would probably reject to being called a politician, unless it's - to use two of his own terms - as "the anti-politician" or "a citizen politician." While that may be true, as the Libertarian Party's vice-presidential nominee, Root and his running mate Bob Barr are hoping to make a political splash.

The duo, both of whom were once Republicans, most likely won't win the White House, but most observers agree that their ticket threatens John McCain's candidacy, becoming this year's Ralph Nader. Root bristles at such talk, insisting he's in it to win it - and to set the dominant parties straight.

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The gays have loads of reasons to hate on President George W. Bush.

He and his cronies did, after all, use us for political gain and continue to poo-poo on the idea of same-sex marriage.

Despite all that, however, Bush does deserve some lavender love, says activist David Benkof:

It is unquestionable that George W. Bush has done more to fight HIV/AIDS than any president in American history, including Clinton. The people pushing Bush to fight the epidemic at home and abroad are overwhelmingly conservative Christians — the same people we keep hearing gay leaders tar as narrow-minded and bigoted. Well, those narrow-minded bigots (who never had the president's ear during the Clinton administration) deserve far more credit for relieving suffering from HIV in this decade than gay men and lesbians did in the previous two decades combined.

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Mario Testino, Elton John, Bill Clinton and other rich, famous people attended the 10th Annual White Tie and Tiara Ball, which raises money for Sir John's eponymous AIDS foundation. For no good reason other than it's Friday, here are some pictures of the host and the former president. Aren't they just precious?!

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Sheesh! Hasn't HIV had enough? Isn't it time to, like, just go away? Apparently not, because the Center for Disease Control just released some startling data:

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An HIV positive Australian homo remains in hot water after knowingly having unprotected sex with multiple strangers.

Forty-nine year old Michael Neal had been instructed by the Department of Human Resources to inform all of his partners of his HIV status, but the hardheaded Neal simply refused and admitted to hitting up sex clubs sans condoms. The DHS repeatedly told Neal to report to them about his sexual antics, a request with which Neal didn't comply. According to testimony in the ongoing trial, Neal wasn't simply unsafe - he was malicious:

[Neal] organised sex parties and wore a genital piercing to deliberately spread the virus to other men, a jury has been told.
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One man who allegedly contracted HIV from Mr Neal said he told him the piercing made it easier to transmit the virus, the jury heard.

Another alleged partner told police Mr Neal said he found HIV-negative men on the internet and lured them using drugs, the court heard.

Neal now faces 34 charges, including knowingly infecting two people with HIV and attempting to infect 14 other men.