Picture it ... Italy, Suddenly Last Winter

Suddenly Last Winter is the story of Gustav and Luca. Their life changes when the Italian government presents a draft law that would give rights to unmarried and gay couples, prompting a wave of homophobia in Italy. The Vatican and conservatives fight against it, preaching that the end of morality and the family are nigh if the legalisation on civil unions is not blocked. Together for over eight years, Luca and Gustav want to understand the different positions and undertake a journey into a country they did not know before and did not expect to find: their own.

Here is a trailer for the film

Click through to the website to see a video/discussion by the film makers

Can Doctors prescribe The Cocktail to prevent people from getting infected with HIV?

Three-quarters of gay and other men who have sex with men would be willing to take pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV infection, American researchers report in the January 1^st 2009 edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. The investigators hope their research will help identify men willing to participate in pre-exposure prophylaxis studies or who would benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis programmes.

Research into the development of an HIV vaccine has been disappointing and development of a microbicide is developing at a slow pace.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis involves HIV-negative individuals with a high risk of HIV infection taking daily antiretroviral therapy to prevent infection with the virus (but NOT an immunization).

South Africa is first country to appoint openly gay man or woman to a nation's highest court

In a genuinely pathbreaking act, South African President Mothlanthe has appointed Edwin Cameron, a justice on the Supreme Court of Appeal, as a judge of the Constitutional Court, the highest court in South Africa. Judge Cameron becomes the first openly gay man or woman ever appointed to a nation's highest court. HT to Robert Wintemute, who noted in an e/mail that Justice Michael Kirby of Australia has served as an openly gay member of that country's highest court, but was not out when he was appointed.