[Greens-Media] MEDIA RELEASE: 'Transport Minister Must Apologise for Incident Stigmatising People Living with HIV and AIDS' Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC (Greens NSW)

[Matthew Hilton]

MEDIA RELEASE
13-2-2014

Transport Minister Must Apologise for Incident Stigmatising People Living with HIV and AIDS

Greens NSW Spokesperson for Transport, Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC, has called on the Minister for Transport to issue an apology to people living with HIV and AIDS and a commitment to provide training for staff following an incident this week. Dr Faruqi also called for a thorough investigation. A train was evacuated at Wollongong after a passenger injured his leg and stated that he had AIDS.

"The Minister for Transport must investigate the incident, make an apology to people living with HIV/AIDS and undertake to train staff to ensure such an incident does not ever happen again.

"The idea that someone with HIV/AIDS who injures their leg is a public health risk to a whole train is both an out dated and dangerous idea.

"I am very distressed by what has happened and can only imagine how upset the LGBTI community and those living with HIV/AIDS must be feeling.

"Communities particularly affected by HIV/AIDS have spent decades battling stigma and incidents like this threaten to unravel all the positive work that has been done since the 1980s.

"Even basic HIV education tells us that someone with an injured leg is no risk to a whole trainload of people", she concluded.

More information: http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/2079203/aids-scare-prompts-train-evacuation/
Media Contact: Matt Hilton 0423-106-247






Matt Hilton
Legislative, Policy and Media Adviser

Office of Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC
Legislative Council | NSW Parliament
E: matthew.hilton at parliament.nsw.gov.au<mailto:matthew.hilton at parliament.nsw.gov.au>
P: (02) 9230 2625 | M: +61423106247|F: facebook.com/mehreenfaruqi | T: @MehreenFaruqi | W: mehreenfaruqi.org.au
Mail: Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

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