Liberal Party Victorian recruiter blames HIV on "man’s love"

Dr Ivan Stratov

Dr Ivan Stratov has recently gained a seat in the Victorian Liberal party's administrative committee, being one of a religious insurgence of Mormons into the party down there. As expected with such a thing their views are entirely non factual and based on hysteria rather than facts.

Last year Stratov's views towards gays and HIV became clear, calling everyone in the world that ever died of AIDS (35 million) was gay and died from "man's love". A complete lie and against all known facts. It also goes back to the early 80's with the absurd assertion that HIV choses gay people to kill and nobody else. Back when it was called the "gay disease".

This is a reaction from the RWNJ's in the party who are opposed to marriage equality. We should be aware of who the people are now infecting the Liberal party with their religious hysteria, reacting against David and I being able to marry. As in the US, the religious nutters went bananas over marriage equality and are still trying to get it repealed. Unfortunately the LGBT seemed to fall asleep over there, ignorant of the avalanche of anti-gay proposed laws soon to come their way. The fight was far from over.

I hope we don't go to sleep like that here. We should realise that the Liberal party is against us as they've always been; right down to their roots. And it's getting much worse with them.

People living with HIV and the services that support them have labelled as “repugnant” comments made by an infectious disease doctor and Liberal party recruiter in Bendigo this month, saying his words could create fear of and misunderstanding about the virus.

 Ivan Stratov hosted an anti-Safe Schools forum at the Bendigo Baptist Church earlier this month, one of several recruitment efforts from the state Liberal party’s right-wing faction targetting churches, migrant communities and ageing people.

 In a wide-ranging speech that argued against abortion, dying with dignity and marriage equality, Dr Stratov also spoke about his experience treating patients with HIV, explaining lapsed moral judgment was to blame for the disease’s spread.

 “I studied a disease called HIV; thirty-five million people have died from that disease because they all decided they were going to make man’s love, not God’s love,” Dr Stratov, also a former Family First state election candidate, said.

 “Look at what’s happened to them.”

 Victorian AIDS Council chief executive officer Simon Ruth, whose organisation runs Bendigo-based HIV service VACountry, said the medic’s claim was symptomatic of the stigma faced by the LGBTI community and people living with HIV.

The blood-borne virus could affect anyone, Mr Ruth said.

 "Gay, straight, men, women, trans and gender diverse communities, and people of every race and religion – including 2.6 million children worldwide,” he said. Bendigo Advertiser