INDIA: Hollywood star Richard Gere on stage with Indian sex workers engaged in fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS
Record ID:
1377072
INDIA: Hollywood star Richard Gere on stage with Indian sex workers engaged in fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS
- Title: INDIA: Hollywood star Richard Gere on stage with Indian sex workers engaged in fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS
- Date: 11th January 2007
- Summary: MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA (JANUARY10, 2007) (ANI) VARIOUS OF RICHARD GERE, HOLLYWOOD STAR, ARRIVING ONTO THE STAGE GERE ON STAGE AUDIENCE GERE ADDRESSING THE AUDIENCE VARIOUS OF THE VENUE VARIOUS OF BIPASHA BASU, BOLLYWOOD ACTOR, PERFORMING (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) NAGMA, A SEX WORKER, SAYING: "He told us to use condoms, so that no one gets AIDS�������so that we are safe and our children are safe." (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) NAUSHAD, ANOTHER SEX WORKER, SAYING: "Such programmes enlighten us and this is a good thing. Next time, I will bring my other friends as well. I'll tell them what we have learnt here. This way our country can fight HIV/AIDS." GERE LEAVING THE STAGE
- Embargoed: 26th January 2007 12:44
- Keywords:
- Location: India
- Country: India
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVAA9SMHTLTM8XBW4O0FBKJBCUIX
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Hollywood star Richard Gere cheered on thousands of Indian prostitutes dancing to raunchy Bollywood songs on Wednesday (January 10) and urged them to refuse sex without condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
"No condom, no sex. No condom, no sex. No condom, no sex," Gere, also known for his support to the people of Tibet, hollered into a microphone as about 10,000 prostitutes gathered at a dusty Mumbai fairground joined him in chorus.
The actor, dressed in a brown jacket and black trousers, presented awards to sex workers in recognition of their work on various HIV/AIDS intervention programs.
"He told us to use condoms, so that no one gets AIDS�������so that we are safe and our children are safe," said Nagma, a sex worker after the event.
Another sex worker Naushad said she would like to attend more such programmes.
"Such programmes enlighten us and this is a good thing. Next time, I will bring my other friends as well. I'll tell them what we have learnt here. This way our country can fight HIV/AIDS," she said.
The United Nations says 5.7 million Indians are living with HIV/AIDS, the world's largest caseload. Many of those infected are prostitutes.
Mumbai has an estimated 600,000 prostitutes, but a sizeable number of them are not in brothels, which makes implementation of HIV/AIDS intervention programs difficult. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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