Queensland bans safe-sex cards

Wednesday, March 15, 1995 - 10:00

Queensland bans safe-sex cards

By Bill Mason

BRISBANE — The Queensland AIDS Council is considering a challenge to the state chief censor's ruling on March 8 to ban distribution of sexually explicit swap cards on the grounds of obscenity.

The council said the decision would deny the homosexual community an effective safe-sex message.

The set of 16 cards, similar to baseball or football cards, depict men having safe sex and safely injecting needles.

QAC president Mike Kennedy said, "I think there's a bit of double standard here. I think it's a case of entrenched homophobia and that the real problem with theses cards is that they depict homosexual images."

State health minister Jim Elder referred the cards to the censor after the National Party opposition mounted a protest over the issue.

From GLW issue 179