A special community forum is set to consider the past, present and future effects of HIV on gay men within the context of the soon to be released film Holding The Man.
The film, which is due to open nationally on Thursday 27 August and based on the much loved memoir of former ACON HIV educator Timothy Conigrave, provides a compelling personal insight into the devastating impact of HIV and AIDS during the early years of the epidemic.
HIV support organisations ACON, Positive Life NSW and The Institute of Many (TIM) believe the release of the film provides a unique opportunity to reflect on how HIV has shaped and will continue to affect the lives the gay men, and so they have joined together to present HIV And The Man at the Oxford Hotel in Sydney on Wednesday 2 September.
Writer, HIV activist and TIM founder Nic Holas will moderate the discussion which will feature a multi-generational panel of gay men including Holding The Man playwright and screenwriter Tommy Murphy.
ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill says the forum will allow community members to consider the historical and contemporary experiences of gay men in relation to HIV: “Holding The Man is one of our community’s most cherished loves stories and provides an incredibly moving account of HIV’s influence on our community’s heritage.,” says Parkhill.
“We’ve come a long way from those dark days, with the potential now to end HIV transmission in NSW by 2020. This forum will take us back to those turbulent times but will also look forward to how HIV will continue to impact on gay men. ”
Mr Holas says the forum will consider a range of key questions: “What can we learn from the past as we move towards an HIV free future? What does it mean these days to be a gay man with HIV compared to 20 years ago? And how can we continue to honour and celebrate the memory of our lost loved ones in a post-AIDS Australia?”
“These are all issues that feature to some degree in the lives of many gay men and this forum will give us a chance to consider them within the context of the emotions and memories generated by the film.”
HIV And The Man Community Forum
Gingers – Oxford Hotel, 134 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst
Date: Wednesday 2 September 2015 – 6.30pm
Free entry
For more information and to RSVP, visit: www.acon.org.au for details.