Hate Watch: Bryan Fischer Claims HIV Does Not Cause AIDS

It appears the America Family Association’s Bryan Fischer has gone from his usual hateful rhetoric to simply flat-out encouraging the deaths of millions.

Fischer, who most readers will  know from his days as head of the Idaho Values Alliance, recently not only interviewed discredited “expert” Peter Duesberg, author of “Inventing the AIDS Virus,” on his radio show…he apparently now believes that the HIV and AIDS connection is all a big scheme by scientists to get government funding.

As David Badash over at New Civil Rights points out,”Duesberg believes the symptoms attributed to AIDS are really caused by massive recreational drug use among gay men.”

Following the interview Fischer posted an editorial on the matter on the AFA website touting the anniversary of basketball great Magic Johnson’s HIV diagnosis as “proof” of one of his most blatantly deadly claims yet,”So why is Magic the picture of health 20 years after this supposedly terminal diagnosis? Easy: the HIV virus does NOT cause AIDS. “

Fischer, who is not a doctor nor is he obviously not an expert on how t-cells and viral loads work, goes on to site plain wrong and outdated statistics to back up Duesberg’s claim,”96% of male homosexuals have used nitrite inhalants (amyl nitrites, called “poppers”), 70% have used amphetamines and up to 60% have used cocaine or LSD.”

Based on Fischer’s logic one would also have to insanely conclude that drug abuse is to blame for AIDS in areas like Africa and Haiti as well.

While drug use is higher among gay males in the U.S., it’s  certainly no where near the numbers Fischer and his ilk are touting,  it’s also astounding that he simply ignores the connection between his hateful  rhetoric, homophobia and the reasons for the substance abuse increase. 

This isn’t the first time that Fischer’s lies have reached the level of dangerous, but this maybe the first time he has touted a message that could kill millions of people around the world, gay or straight.