Ex-Gay promo in HK

[Posted by Paul Causey on AP-Rainbow mailing list, 2010-08-22]

Homophobes Attempt To Block HK Gay Rights

Hong Kong – A homophobic right-wing Christian group in Hong Kong has published a 52-page booklet condemning homosexuals and promoting reparative therapy to change sexual orientation.

The self styled “Society for Truth and Light” has drawn heavily from the anti-gay National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality to produce Acceptance–Caring for Homosexuality.

To support the notion that gays can be turned straight through therapy, the booklet cites the usual stupid and completely flawed studies with their neglible results, including Spitzer (2001), Jones and Yarhouse (2007), and the infamous non-study by James Phelan, Neil Whitehead and Philip Sutton (2009)–a literature review falsely touted by NARTH as a groundbreaking new study.

One of STL’s political goals is to block LGBT equality legislation; the booklet contains two appendixes opposing same-sex marriage and laws to prevent sexual orientation discrimination. This is a reminder that the flawed and often-malicious information disseminated by ex-gay and anti-gay groups such as NARTH not only blocks justice in the West. As we have seen with Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, the myths are now being exported to hinder justice in other parts of the world, too.

ISEAN seeks TGF Round 10 funding

[Received from Laurindo Garcia, HIV programs manager of Fridae.com, 2010-08-21]

Dear Expert Reviewers, Supporters, Advisors and Partners of the ISEAN-Hivos Multi-Country Proposal Initiative for MSM, TG and HIV in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Timor Leste,

You will be pleased to hear that our Round 10 proposal was submitted on-time to the GFATM Secretariat in Geneva after our Core Proposal Writing Team spent the past week making final preparations together in Jakarta.

While we wait for the decision to come from the GF TRP this December, we firmly believe that the proposal writing process was a significant and valuable experience that galvanised our member community organisations and representatives while solidifying linkages with stakeholders region-wide. 

Some of the significant milestones include:

• Three Regional Consultations for the Proposal Working Group (2 in Jakarta, 1 in Kuala Lumpur) that began in February 2010
• Needs Assessments, national consultations and focus group discussions for MSM, TG and HIV in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Timor Leste
• A team of consultants and expert reviewers from around the world contributing their time and energy to develop a multi-country Global Fund proposal in less than 6 months
• Solid support from the world's largest NGO supporter of LGBT issues, Hivos (from their International and Southeast Asia Regional Offices), as well Asia's largest LGBT media and ICT social enterprise, Fridae
• Committed partnerships with the UNDP's Regional Centre
• Technical assistance and support from The Alliance, APCOM, CSAT/Seven Sisters, TSF SEAP and UNAIDS
• Confirmed endorsement from CCMs in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Timor Leste on an innovative community-led initiative
• Community organisations and groups among the four countries more engaged at a regional level, with a clear understanding of how cooperation and collaboration can support mobilisation at the national level

We have witnessed a remarkable effort, especially in view of the fact that the first ever Regional Consultation for MSM and TG in Insular Southeast Asia took place in August last year prior to ICAAP IX in Bali - thanks to our friends at GAYa NUSANTARA and APCOM with support from UNDP and UNFPA, and coordination by UNESCO. This is a stellar effort for a network that is only 12 months and 2 weeks old!

PDFs of the Final Proposal, Sections 1-5 and the Performance Framework, can be downloaded HERE.

We wish to thank everyone for the goodwill they have shared with our member organisations, this has benefited the network as a whole - without your assistance and friendship, none of this would have been possible.

In particular we wish to thank our lead proposal writers Paul Adams, Nicholas Bates and Agus Sudaryanto, as well as Saba Moussavi, for their professionalism, tireless commitment, good humour and sleepless nights. Special appreciation goes to Kwasi Boahene, Ben Witjes and Shita Laksmi who are exemplary examples of Hivos' commitment to our community in pursuit of human rights for all.

 In the short-term, there's a more lot in-store:

• We will have a steering committee deliver a report on Governance issues for the network by October.
• In addition we will see the first consultation for young MSM, TG and HIV in Asia and the Pacific this September, where representatives from our next generation of leaders from Insular Southeast Asia will share their ideas for the future with their colleagues from the broader region.
• ISEAN aims to have another consultation of the full network before the end of the year, with the view of formalisation by ICAAP X in 2011.

Regardless of the Global Fund outcome this coming December, ISEAN and its members have a clear vision of what it can achieve.

We are confident that we will see better health and human rights outcomes for waria, mak nyah, pondans, ah kua, badings, baklas, gay men, bisexuals, other MSM and transgender people in our region in the near future.

Expect more news from us soon.

Cheers!

Laurindo

ISEAN Coordinator

Wedding in Nepal

[Posted by Paul Causey on AP-Rainbow mailing list, 2010-08-19]

First Indian Gay Wedding In Nepal

Kathmandu – Love knows no boundaries. Legal restrictions and threats from family members made an Indian gay couple cross over to Nepal to get married. The ceremony held near a Hindu temple in the heart of Kathmandu on Tuesday is the first Indian gay wedding in Nepal where same sex marriages will get legal sanction soon.

A 30 year old Muslim from Ahmedabad exchanged rings with his 42 year old longtime Hindu partner, a UK citizen of Indian origin. The couple was blessed by a Hindu priest.

A function was attended by gays, lesbians, transgendered and transvestites from Kathmandu who contributed to organize a small feast and party for the newlyweds.

“We chose Nepal as there is no legal sanction for same sex marriages in India. I am very excited and happy,” said the 30 year old sales executive who met his partner during a visit to the UK in 2003.

The wedding was organized by the Blue Diamond Society, an organization working for the rights of sexual minorities and Pink Mountain, the country’s first travel agency promoting gay and lesbian tourism.

“The couple arrived in Kathmandu four days back and sought our help in getting married. We took a minimal fee of US$200 to arrange the wedding,” said BDS founder Sunil Babu Pant, Nepal’s first gay lawmaker.

A marriage certificate (not legal) would be given to the couple by BDS and the amount used for welfare of persons belonging to sexual minorities.

The couple plans a short honeymoon in India before settling in the UK.

“I was worried for the safety of my partner and thought Nepal is a safe destination. We now look forward to a happy future,” said Sha.

In December 2007, Nepal’s Supreme Court granted equal status to sexual minorities. Nepal’s Constituent Assembly is in the process of granting equal rights to them including legalizing same sex marriages.

Pant says he receives lot of wedding queries from gays and lesbians in India. Prince of Rajpipla, Manvendra Singh Gohil, who’s popular as India’s Gay Prince is also planning his wedding here.

Nepal is hoping to become Asia’s biggest hub for gay and lesbian tourism and improve the country’s economy by tapping into the multi-billion dollar market.

The country will host its first Gay Pride Parade on August 25 in Kathmandu where thousands of gays, lesbians, transgendered and transvestites from Nepal, India and other countries are expected to take part.

LGBT movements in Hong Kong

[Posted by Paul Causey on AP-Rainbow mailing list, 2010-08-20]

Is it OK to be gay in Hong Kong?

By Jennifer Lai

Hong Kong is known for its liberal laws regarding finance and business. But how free are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to express themselves?

Hong Kong's generous tax laws and deregulated business environment make it an easy place to express yourself financially. But what if you're part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender community? There are a smattering of gay bars and clubs dotted around the city. But is it OK to be gay here?

We spoke to some people directly involved in the LGBT scene here to find out what they thought. Taking part were: Betty Grisoni and Abby Lee, the founders of Les Peches, which organizes parties and events for lesbian and bisexual women; Eric Herrera, chief dreamer of Fruits in Suits (FinS), a gay networking group; Connie Chan of Women Coalition of HKSAR (WCHK), an LGBT advocacy group; and Nigel Collett, Hong Kong correspondent for Fridae.com, the gay media company.

The freedom to love: acceptance of Hong Kong’s LGBT past to present

Recognition of the issues faced by gays in Asia is definitely increasing, say Betty Grisoni and Abby Lee. They say that more groups, either socially or politically based, have popped up in recent years. Les Peches started as a social gathering community, but as more people inquired about LGBT issues, Grisoni and Lee started supporting political LGBT events as well.

Nevertheless, Grisoni reveals that for lesbians, any apparent acceptance could be due to the fluidity of women’s sexuality.

“A woman is more reluctant to label herself as lesbian,” she says. With a “don’t ask, don’t tell” unspoken rule, the acceptance of lesbians is easier, as differentiating between a lesbian relationship and two close female friends, for instance, is not always obvious.

Eric Herrera from Fruits in Suits believes that politically, socially and community based groups have increased and together are working to change awareness by the public as well as trying to establish a voice at the level of the legislative council (Legco).

Speaking about the first Pride Parade in 2008, Herrera says that it was a pure message of “social acceptance, awareness and exposure to the public.”

For Connie Chan at the WCHK, the pride parade highlights the development of the LGBT community from about a decade ago. The increase in the number of people attending between the first and second pride parade was very noticeable, she says.

“Seeing more locals come out to participate was important because it indicates that they were taking it on themselves to support the local scene,” says Chan. LGBTs were taking actions for their rights when they wouldn’t have dared in the past.

But for Nigel Collett, at fridae.com, there is a big communication gap between the local and expatriate LGBT groups, and that's slowing the development of the scene in Hong Kong.

“The major achievements in Hong Kong’s LGBT history have been achieved by local people, unaided and usually with very small resources,” he says. He believes that if one can combine the expatriate’s resources to assist local activists, “you will get the best of both worlds.”

Is the government doing enough?

There is a strong consensus among the five speakers that Hong Kong’s government is not doing enough to open avenues for LGBTs to express themselves.

While Grisoni believes that the government is trying to be more lenient, Collett says they are not interested.

“The less the government hears from the LGBTs, the better and happier they are,” says Collett. Herrera thinks the government tends to wait to see what the public thinks before taking a stance.

One of the big contentious issue is the need for an anti-discrimination law in Hong Kong. Chan says despite calls for such a law being made in 1993, as yet no concrete progress has been established. She says that the government possibly is sensitive to anti-LGBT groups, fearing that an anti-discriminatory law would spark even louder voices of dissent.

One might think Hong Kong’s gay-opposition groups come from the older generations. In fact, the most vocal groups belong to conservative Christian groups and fundamentalist legislators such as Democrat Party Legco Member Nelson Wong Shing-chi and independent lawmaker Priscilla Leung Mei-fun, both of whom opposed the inclusion of same-sex couples in the Domestic Violence Ordinance.

The education sector is also a troublesome area for openly gay people. According to a survey conducted by WCHK, over 30 percent of discrimination felt by lesbians, gays or bisexuals were in schools (regardless if they were students or teachers).

“There are even no proper associations for LGBTs to join in universities in Hong Kong,” says Chan, highlighting how in Hong Kong youth LGBT groups are not recognized by their education institutions, unlike in China or Taiwan where some such groups are registered with their universities.

The need to introduce an anti-discrimination law and develop basic human rights for LGBTs is the most pressing of issues for Hong Kong's legislators, our speakers say.

However, Herrera stresses that in order to affect laws, LGBTs may be better off looking to the corporate sector. He says companies that want to look after their workforce may be more open to LGBT issues, and more willing to support their causes. And once one company does something that grabs the public attention, many often follow, which then gets the attention of the lawmakers. “Corporates have a lot of voice to make society interact and work,” he adds.

What are other Asian countries doing?

LGBT activism in Taiwan is considered more advanced. Taiwan hosted its first pride parade in 2003 and participant numbers have risen from 500 to over 18,000 since then.

Taiwan and Hong Kong both have included same-sex marriages under the Domestic Violence law. This means same-sex couples have recourse to the law and court injunctions just as heterosexual couple do, in cases of domestic violence. Though Hong Kong only added same-sex couples to the law in December 2009.

Collett believes China is also showing signs of change, though he suggests that the government’s main interest lies in preventing HIV.

Chan is more skeptical about progress in Asia. But she hopes that neighboring countries can help each other’s LGBT communities, by acting as watchdogs or creating chain effects when pushing for rights.

The future for Hong Kong’s LGBT community

The future is about making small steps, it appears. FinS is working with the University of Hong Kong’s Queer Straight Alliance to set up a mentor programme between students and FinS members.

Collett has proposed to the Hong Kong Tourism Board that a month-long promotion of LGBT events be held every year. Besides the exposure, it would be financially advantageous for Hong Kong, which already hosts tourism sporting events such as the Rugby 7s.

Unfortunately, this year’s pride parade won't take place because of inadequate funding. But it will be back in 2011. Instead, a smaller beach event “Out in the Open” will take place in October.

As industries realize the importance of the 'pink dollar,' Grisoni feels that more brands are now out on the streets too, trying to profit from high income LGBTs.

Lee explains that many hosting venues that they approach for their events do not know what Les Peches is or what it wants to achieve, but are always interested when they they think a gay couple, probably without kids, is likely to have a lot of disposable income.

“It’s fine to make money, but you should be supporting the LGBT community by giving something back,” says Lee.

It appears then that if Hong Kong's LGBT people are to find freedom here, they will perhaps never be as free as those who are here to get rich.

Homophobia in Aceh

[Posted by Dede Oetomo on AP-Rainbow mailing list, 2010-08-19. Cited Jakarta Globe, 2010-08-18 as source]

Acehnese Gays Face a Climate of Fear and Abuse

Dewi Kurniawati

Banda Aceh. It doesn’t take much to notice “Echa,” a transvestite who lives in Banda Aceh. With his masculine figure and flamboyant make-up, he instantly draws attention. 

And so does the fact that he is wearing a short dress with a plunging neckline to one of the city’s popular coffee houses instead of a headscarf and other conservative Muslim attire. Of course, Echa is a man so he poses a dilemma for the morality police. 

His baritone laugh echoed through the coffee shop when a reporter asked about the absence of a headscarf. “The Shariah Police are confused about what they want to do with me. I am enjoying my freedom,” he said. 

That freedom has to be struggled for daily, however. Echa is the executive director of Violet Grey, a nongovernmental organization that provides assistance to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender residents of Aceh. 

In a country where homosexuality is taboo and where many Indonesians still refuse to acknowledge gay people, it’s especially challenging for an organization such as Violet Grey to operate in Aceh, which is allowed to implement partial Shariah law. 

Continuously living in the shadows, gays, lesbians, and cross-dressers are seen as a disgrace to the province’s self-proclaimed “religious society.” Not surprisingly they suffer frequent discrimination and often abusive treatment. 

“We were born as Muslim, as Acehnese. Is it true that we are not part of Islam?” asked “Toni,” a gay activist and member of Violet Grey. 

“In Aceh, the implementation of Shariah touches on symbols such as headscarves or changing street names to Arabic letters without really addressing people’s desires of prosperity and justice. I think we are in the process of Talibanization.” 

Toni grew into his homosexual identity when he was studying at an Islamic boarding school at the age of 14. “I thought by studying in a pesantren [Islamic boarding school] , it would cure my homosexuality.” 

He was wrong. “In an Islamic boarding school, where life is segregated by gender, I met my first love,” he said, laughing. 

Toni added that when Islamic boarding schools separate boys from girls as a way to prevent promiscuity, it actually enables some boys to discover their homosexual identity. 

“Because of this segregation, aside from finding our sexual orientation, we were also sexually abused by our classmates, seniors and even teachers,” Toni said. 

“That is why the rape of boys is not considered a huge issue compared to [the rape of] girls here in Aceh.” 

Shariah, which is obsessed with keeping unmarried men and women apart, at first ignored homosexuality here. 

The province’s Qanun, a local Islamic bylaw implemented in 2003, forbids illicit sexual relations between men and women. 

Homosexuality was not mentioned, so the gay community actually found a safe haven within the bylaw. 

However, homosexuality was specifically addressed in a contentious revised provincial bylaw, or Qanun Jinayat, that was passed by the provincial legislature in October 2009. 

The bylaw, which Governor Irwandi Yusuf has refused to sign and officials in Jakarta have asked to be withdrawn, would punish homosexuals with 100 cane lashes. 

The bylaw also says adulterers should be stoned to death. 

“I hope the Qanun Jinayat will never be implemented, because that means there is no more room for us,” said “Faishal,” another member of Violet Grey. 

Whatever the law says, Violet Grey claims that homosexuals and transsexuals have been repeatedly harassed and intimidated by Shariah police officers. 

In one infamous case in 2007, a local gay man named Hartoyo was abused by Shariah Police officers after a raid on his house, sparking widespread public anger. 

Hartoyo and his partner were told to strip naked and then were beaten by police officers. They were released two days later after being instructed to sign a statement agreeing to stop homosexual behavior. 

Hartoyo reported the incident to the National Commission for Human Rights. 

“The case was closed and the police officers who tortured him only got minor punishments,” Echa said. In the wake of that case, Aceh’s gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transexuals are finding it harder to gain basic rights. 

“Most transsexuals work in beauty salons, but even there, the Shariah police wouldn’t allow them to touch women because we are considered men,” Echa said. 

Marzuki Abdullah, head of the provincial Shariah Police force, said that homosexuality is forbidden in Aceh, despite the absence of a local bylaw. 

“We don’t want to see transvestites standing on the street,” Marzuki said. 

“We consider them men, and they should dress accordingly.” 

There are currently 6,300 Shariah Police officers patrolling Aceh’s towns and villages on the lookout for “immorality,” which keeps the gay and lesbian community hiding in the shadows. 

However, the members of Violet Grey haven’t lost their resolve. 

“We just want to be acknowledged as human beings. We are Acehnese and we are also Muslim, so please respect our basic rights,” Echa pleaded. 

Toni added: “We were born Acehnese and we love Aceh. We won’t leave just because of the Shariah Law.”

Tokyo Pride!

[Posted by Hideki Sunagawa on AP-Rainbow mailing list, 2010-08-18]

Hi, everyone.

I'm Hideki Sunagawa, Representative Director of TOKYO Pride. We had the 7th TOKYO Pride Parade on 14th August. I'm sorry that I cannot inform in this mailing list in advance.

You can see how the Parade was like on this SITE, though it's not a official page (it's written in Japanese, but has many pics and movies). The site also archives the 6th TOKYO Pride Prade which was held 3 years ago.

And you can read background of the TOKYO Pride Prade in this SITE, which a student of the DePaul University made.

The 8th TOKYO Pride Parade is not scheduled yet (it may be in 2012).

I hope that we can make a network for Asian Pride Parades someday... (though I myself will leave the TOKYO Pride Parade at the end of this year).

What's new with MP Sunil?

[Posted by Sunil Pant on AP-Rainbow mailing list, 2010-08-17]

Nepal's First Openly Gay Member of Parliament Doesn't Stop Innovating

BY JENARA NERENBERG

From TV shows to new NGOs, Nepal's Sunil Pant teaches a lesson or two on innovating in restrictive environments.

Sunil Pant is the sort of activist politician you rarely see in the United States these days. He makes regular headlines, is always stirring things up in Parliament, knows the right people to get on his side, and simply never stops pushing the envelope. Unlike U.S. politicians, he has far less concern with pleasing the right people and making his way up. A computer programmer by training, his primary concern is promoting and defending the rights of Nepal's LGBTI community. And in that regard, he has been innovating up a storm lately, with his latest venture the introduction of a weekly TV show on youth and LGBTI issues, the first of its kind in Nepal. Pant is pushing all sorts of cultural, religious, and political boundaries and no one is stopping him.

While we generally talk about innovation in tech and business, what about political entrepreneurs? Innovating in the political sphere takes the same set of skills and qualities--thinking outside the box, identifying unique opportunities, partnering with the right people, and so on. Pant is a political entrepreneur in the truest sense of the word and his innovations are not limited to Nepal; Pant is leading a gay rights revolution across Asia and even played a central role in New York City's Pride Parade earlier this summer.

In addition to the TV show, which was just announced last week, today Pant announced that the first gay wedding of an Indian couple is to be held in Kathmandu. It's a complicated scenario, because while Nepal's Supreme Court has unofficially said "yes" to allowing gay marriage, they have not enacted the decision into law as of yet. The situation is further complicated by the couple's nationalities; one is British and one is Indian, and each have been told to seek the advice of their respective Embassies in Nepal in order to obtain some kind of official marriage license.

But somehow I suspect Pant has something up his sleeve, that the complicated nature of the situation is a way to push the right buttons and ruffle the right feathers to get what he wants: the legalization of gay marriage in Nepal. We'll just have to wait and see what he does next.

Back in Yogyakarta

[Posted by Dede Oetomo on AP-Rainbow mailing list, 2010-08-13]

Activists say fundamentalists stoke public fears

Prodita Sabarini, The Jakarta Post

International researchers and activists gathered in Yogyakarta to network and develop better strategies to advocate sexual rights.

The International Policy Dialogue was held from Monday to Wednesday and carried the theme “Bridging the Gap Between Sexuality Research and Advocacy for Sexual Rights”.

The dialogue was the first international meeting to discuss issues in gender and sexuality after the International Lesbian and Gay Alliance Conference in Surabaya was abruptly cancelled in March due to intimidation from a radical Islamic group.

Participants discussed the sexual rights of women and lesbians, homosexuals, bisexuals and transgendered (LGBT) people.

Sexual rights activist Soe Tjen Marching — who edits the Surabaya-based Bhinneka, a magazine which focuses on pluralism, and Jurnal Gandrung, a newly launched journal on sexuality — said in her presentation that intimidation and acts of violence by fundamentalist groups, such as the Islam Defenders front (FPI), have created a public fear, which is the dominant factor in determining people’s behaviors and decisions.

“Public fear can indeed work to the favor of fundamentalist groups. It can be their biggest ally,” she said.

“The fundamentalists don’t have to do a single thing sometimes. The public already responds on their behalf,” she added.

For example, two universities in Surabaya refused to accept Bhinneka and Jurnal Gandrung because they did not want to be seen as supporting or facilitating discussions of sexuality due to fear of the religious fundamentalists, Soe Tjen said.

Human rights activist Nursyahbani Katjasungkana said that the cancellation of the Surabaya conference was example of discrimination against LGBT rights. Radical groups base their arguments on morality, culture and religion, she said.

Gadjah Mada University’s policy studies center head Muhadjir Darwin said the public believes that sexual orientations that differ from heterosexuality are immoral.

“They just have a different sexual orientation from the dominant group,” he said.

Nursyahbani, who is also the coordinator of the Kartini Asia Network, said organizers chose Yogyakarta to host the workshop to commemorate the Yogyakarta Principles.

In 2006, international human rights activists in Yogyakarta defined universal principles for international human rights law in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Yogyakarta principles say: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Human beings of all sexual orientations and gender identities are entitled to the full enjoyment of all human rights”.

The Policy Dialogue was organized by Kartini and SEPHIS (South-South Exchange Program for Research on the History of Development) with the collaboration of Center for Population and Policy Studies of Gadjah Mada University.

Hartoyo — an activist who was once tortured and humiliated by police in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam due to his sexual orientation — said he was lonely in his struggle for rights and has yet to see many LGBT people fight for their rights due to discrimination.

Nursyahbani said the workshop aimed to bridge the gap between research on sexuality and advocacy at the grassroots level.

Several scholars have said that research on sexuality is a long process, which sometimes do not meet the need of fast action in the part of advocacy groups.

Researchers and activists agreed that research on sexuality is an important for advocacy groups.

LGBT autobiographies

Restoried Selves: Autobiographies of Queer Asian-Pacific-American Activists

Restoried Selves: Autobiographies of Queer Asian / Pacific American Activists presents the first-person accounts of 20 activists—life stories that work against common stereotypes, shattering misconceptions and dispelling misinformation. These autobiographies challenge familial and cultural expectations and values that have traditionally forced queer Asian / Pacific Americans into silent shame because of their sexual orientation and/or ethnicity. Authors share not only their experiences growing up but also how those experiences led them to become social activists, speaking out against oppression.

Many harmful untruths—or “stories”—about queer Asian-Pacific Americans have been repeated so often, they are accepted as fact. Restoried Selves provides a forum for voices often ignored in academic literature to “re-story” themselves, addressing a range of experiences that includes cultural differences and values, conflicts between different generations in a family or between different groups in a community, and difficulties and rewards of coming out. Those giving voice to their stories through narrative and other writing genres include the transgendered and intersexed, community activists, youths, and parents.

The stories told in Restoried Selves reflect on:

• Personal experiences—based on country of origin, educational background, religion, gender, and age
• Populations served by activism, including the working poor, immigrants, adoptees, youth, women, and families
• Different arenas of activism, including schools, governments, social services, and the Internet
• Issues targeted by activism, including affirmative action, HIV/AIDS education, mental health, interracial relationships, and sexual violence
• Institutions in need of change, including legal, religious, and educational entities

Restoried Selves is an essential read for academics and researchers working in Asian American studies, ethnic studies, gender studies, and queer studies, and for LGBTQ youth and their parents, teachers, and social service providers.

[Posted by Paul Causey, AP-Rainbow mailing list, 2010-07-26]

Religiosity not ethnicity

Do Asian Americans hate gay marriage?

Erwin de Leon

Korean Americans Hate Gay Marriage Most, Poll Reveals.The headline reeled me in, but it was the blogger’s assertion that “it’s been known for some time that Asian Americans are the ethnic group most opposed to gay marriage in California” which got me going.

First of all, Asian American is not an ethnic group. Rather, it is a catch-all for Americans who can trace their roots to East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. Secondly, the Field Poll report that the writer cites only discusses three Asian American subgroups: Chinese Americans, Korean Americans and Vietnamese Americans. Finally, the article that he links to his generalization quotes a couple of experts, a political consultant and an executive director of a Chinese American nonprofit, who were sharing their opinions on what happened in November 2008, when Barack Obama and Proposition 8 prevailed in California.

The results of an exit poll conducted Nov. 4 that year revealed that 64 percent of Asian American voters in Los Angeles voted against Proposition 8. Likewise, a survey by professors Patrick Egan and Kenneth Sherrill showed that 52 percent of Asian Americans in California voted against the ballot initiative. Moreover, their report concluded that a voter’s party identification, ideology, religious affiliation and age had a much bigger impact on the decision to vote for or against Proposition 8. The academics explained much of the difference among racial and ethnic groups to varying levels of religiosity. It has little to do with race and more to do with how often a voter worships.

Cuc Vu, a Vietnamese-American who works closely with immigrant communities, disagrees with the contention that all Asian Americans oppose same-sex marriage. She is not surprised, however, by the Field Poll findings about Korean and Vietnamese Americans.

“Koreans are the most conservative among Asians on marriage equality because of the Baptist tradition that large segments of Koreans follow. For Vietnamese, the Catholic Church is very influential.” She points out, however, that “that younger Koreans and Vietnamese have different views than their more traditional and religious immigrant parents or grandparents.”

Although one cannot say that all Asian Americans hate gay marriage, the reality is many do because of their faith traditions, age and political and social ideologies. They form a sizable bloc of voters we need to convince of our fundamental right to fair and equal treatment under the law. So how can we change the minds and hearts of more conservative Asian Americans?

I think the onus is on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Asian American people and organizations who need to reach out to their communities. Vu points out that “one of the reasons why I think you saw a majority of Asian voters in California voting against Prop 8 is because of Asian Pacific Islander LGBT leaders in California making themselves visible in key spaces — like marching in the annual Chinese New Year Parade. That would be the equivalent of black LGBTs having a strong presence at the annual Black Family Reunion.”

“API LGBT leaders also housed API Equality, which has been working on marriage equality for years, in the offices of Chinese for Affirmative Action, a respected local civil rights organization in the Bay Area. Integrating LGBT issues in a community-based civil rights organization recast LGBT issues as part of the Chinese community’s civil rights issues.”

“Both of these strategies are about engaging straight allies,” Vu emphasizes. “And stepping out of our LGBT bubble and into spaces where we might face rejection. But API LGBT leaders in California have put themselves out there consistently, year after year, and that’s why I think you saw API voters behaving differently than black and Latino voters.”

Filipino-American Hyacinth Alvaran, co-chair of Asian Pacific Islander Queer Sisters, agrees.

“I think being visibly present, supporting API community activities is important. This is where API LGBT groups can come in, to help speak on behalf of API LGBT people and build the trust with other API organizations, especially those that serve the immigrant community. Whether it be helping organize, participating in, or humbly but proudly serving at citizenship workshops, cultural events, events where critical community services are being provided, etc., we can interact with members of the community in a way that shows that we are out and that we are proud to be both LGBT and API. We alone as API LGBT people can’t change the attitudes of our larger API communities, but if we build trust with key community leaders and organizations who can help us do that, it’s a start.”

It is a start, not only for queer Asian Americans, but for all of us.

[Posted by Paul Causey, AP-Rainbow mailing list, 2010-07-26]

MSM ignored at IAC 2010?

Xtra West Article: Are Men That Have Sex With Men Being Ignored By The International AIDS Conference In Vienna Austria? [blog]

Vienna AIDS pre-conference on men who have sex with men a great idea INTERNATIONAL AIDS CONFERENCE / But also a missed opportunity

Phillip Banks / Vancouver / Monday, July 19, 2010

Last night marked the opening of the 18th International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria. From July 18-22 more than 20,000 people from all over the planet will converge to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of the global HIV crisis.

In the next few days, research findings will be shared, interesting programs and services will be presented, and more models, frameworks, and strategies than you can shake a stick at will be unveiled to the world.

And if Bill Clinton was telling the truth, we can expect some good news to come out of all of this too. Unfortunately, I’m not so sure the good news is going to apply to gay men.

Too many International AIDS Conferences have come and gone in the last decade without enough attention being given to the situation facing gay men and other men who have sex with men.

This isn’t unique to gay men. Over the years many different groups have had to fight to get the world’s attention.

It seems scientists, world leaders, international organizations, donors, and the conference host itself — the International AIDS Society — are all unable or unwilling to practice what they preach: to respond to the HIV epidemic based on the best available evidence.

If they did, they would be hard pressed to continue to ignore the new, growing, and resurgent HIV epidemics among gay men and other men who have sex with men around the globe.

In an effort to give some serious attention to HIV among gay men, the Global Forum on Men who Have Sex with Men (MSMGF) organized BE HEARD, a pre-conference event on July 17 here in Vienna.

At this one-day event 650 men and women from all corners of the globe came together to address the worsening global AIDS crisis among gay men.

The day featured presentations, workshops, and discussions among activists from every continent and more than 100 countries. Topics covered government denial and neglect; inadequate funding; limited access to prevention, treatment, and care; heartbreaking human rights abuses; and the resulting HIV-related deaths among gay men.

This situation was reiterated throughout the day by a number of high-level experts in the HIV field. Plenary speakers included Michael Sidibé, executive director of UNAIDS; Michel Kazatchkine, executive director of The Global Fund; and Stephen Lewis, the previous United Nations Special Envoy on HIV in Africa.

One after another they stepped up to the podium and told the crowd how bad the situation is for us, how it is made worse by a serious lack of human rights in jurisdictions around the globe, and how, finally, we could count on their support as we fight on.

BE HEARD gave men a chance to get together and hear about challenges of HIV in our communities. It was an incredible opportunity to connect with men on the frontlines from around the world.

But it was also a missed opportunity.

This gathering of global gay activists did not need to spend the limited time they had together presenting statistics and program models to each other. If we really want to be heard, we should have spent that time strategizing about how we are going to use this international platform to demand action to end HIV in our communities.

Gay men need to dust off their whistles and take a page from the playbook of sex work activists, treatment activists, or the emerging activists from Eastern Europe. They aren’t afraid to make some noise because there’s too much at stake for them.

As the 18th International AIDS Conference starts, there’s too much at stake for gay men too.

Only one in five gay men on the planet has access to HIV prevention, care, and support. Top level officials pay lip service to epidemics among gay men but they offer us no good news.

George Ayala, executive officer of the Global Forum, said only 2 percent of scheduled events at this year’s AIDS conference will address the needs of men who have sex with men.

Gay men have been silenced at this conference and if we don’t make some noise, we’ll remain invisible.

There was a time when gay men refused to sit quietly while people in positions of power and authority apologized for our situation but provided no solutions or commitments.

In those days, gay guys demanded action. We demanded money. We demanded laws to protect our dignity and our human rights.

In those days we refused to be silent.

There is an opportunity for leadership here from the MSM Global Forum. It needs to decide if it wants to play nice with the big boys and girls, or throw down the gloves.

The conference is just getting started. Before it’s over I hope gay men do what needs to be done to Be Heard.

[Posted by Paul Causey, MSM-Asia mailing list, 2010-07-21]

UNDP reports legal environment on MSM and HIV

Report Launch: Legal environments, human rights and HIV responses among MSM and TG in Asia and the Pacific: An agenda for action

On Tuesday, July 20th, UNDP/APCOM presented a ground breaking study on Legal environments, human rights and HIV responses among men who have sex with men and transgender people in Asia and the Pacific: An agenda for action. This report and its key findings were delivered during the session on Criminalizing Homosexual Behaviour: Human Rights Violation and Obstacles to Effective HIV/AIDS Prevention at the XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna. A press conference was held on Wednesday, July 21st with Jeff O’Malley, Global Director of UNDP’s HIV Group and Shiv to launch the report.

The report clearly documents how both punitive and protective laws, policies and practices impact comprehensive HIV response. To support the findings and recommendations, the report maps out recent judicial, legislative and policy developments  and community responses at the global, regional and national levels. Together, these findings demonstrate why it is necessary for stakeholders across the spectrum to adopt a rights-based approach to universal access and proactively address policy and legal barriers to effective HIV responses. Finally, the report recommends that each government, development partner and UN agency take bold and effective policy measures to reach out to communities and individuals at risk, particularly those living with HIV.

The study method involved a yearlong review of legislation, cases, published research and grey literature, consultations with community representatives, technical experts and UN agencies, and analysis. A list of participants in the series of community and high-level consultations convened by UNDP to inform the report is provided at Annex II. Inputs were also collected from community representatives; with UNDP and UNAIDS country offices;  UNAIDS and WHO regional offices, with USAID and AusAID, and with some government partners. It’s important to acknowledge that the study has produced more than a report – it has also generated a process, a series of regional consultations within themselves help to raise awareness and build capacity of stakeholders in understanding the issues, and regional and national meetings were held to look at the legal environment and discuss implications.  The study also benefited from technical expertise with inputs from lawyers, parliamentarians and judges from the region.  The recent Punitive Laws, Human Rights and HIV prevention among men who have sex with men in Asia Pacific - High Level Dialogue held in Hong Kong on May 17, 2010 was the last of a series of regional consultations.  The work in this area has been highly  covered by both the international media and local news agencies, and has produced an editorial and full length article in Lancet.

A big thanks to all of you who participated by providing inputs and comments to the report.

Please download the full report HERE.

The following supporting publications can be downloaded HERE.

 - Punitive Laws, Human Rights and HIV prevention among men who have sex with men in Asia Pacific - High Level Dialogue Report (2010)

- WHO: Priority HIV and sexual health interventions in the health sector for men who have sex with men and transgender people in the Asia-Pacific region (2010)

- ICAAP IX Symposium: Overcoming legal barriers to comprehensive prevention among men who have sex with men and transgender people in Asia and the Pacific (2009)

- Developing a Comprehensive Package of Services to Reduce HIV among MSM and TG Populations in Asia and the Pacific: Regional consensus meeting (2009)

[Posted by Edmund Settle, MSM-Asia mailing list, 2010-07-21. The full report can also be downloaded HERE.]

IGLHRC granted consultative status in UN ECOSOC

United Nations Grants Official Status to US-Based International LGBT Rights Group

A victory against homophobic silencing of civil society

On July 19, 2010, the full United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) voted in favor of a US-led resolution to grant the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) consultative status. IGLHRC is only the tenth organization working primarily for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) human rights to gain such status at the United Nations.

"Today's decision is an affirmation that the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have a place at the United Nations as part of a vital civil society community," said Cary Alan Johnson, IGLHRC Executive Director. "The clear message here is that these voices should not be silenced and that human rights cannot be denied on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity."

The resolution passed with 23 in favor, 13 against, 13 abstentions and 5 absences.

This victory is particularly significant, coming as it does after a prolonged 3-year application process in the sub-committee that makes initial recommendations on status. Despite full compliance with all procedures IGLHRC faced deferrals, homophobic questioning, and procedural roadblocks in the ECOSOC NGO Committee.

Today's decision overturned a "no-action" vote in the NGO-committee that threatened to establish a dangerous precedent and the possibility of organizations deemed controversial being continuously denied the opportunity to have their application put to a vote even after undergoing the required review.

The vote also signals a recognition of the important role of a diverse and active civil society at the UN. In support of progress on IGLHRC's application, a group of over 200 NGOs from 59 countries endorsed a letter to all UN Member States, demanding fair and non-discriminatory treatment and supporting IGLHRC's goal of amplifying LGBT voices in the international arena.

"As human rights defenders and LGBT people living in countries where homophobic discrimination is a daily reality, we celebrate the accreditation of IGLHRC at the UN," said Frank Mugisha, Chairperson of Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG), one of 13 NGOs from Uganda to publicly call for IGLHRC to be accredited. "IGLHRC's access to the UN means that we too will have greater access to international human-rights mechanisms that can prove invaluable to LGBT people's lives."

The government of the United States stood strongly behind IGLHRC's application, calling for a vote in both the NGO Committee and ECOSOC. Ambassador Susan Rice, US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, publicly supported IGLHRC's application. Additionally, 14 members of the US House of Representatives and 4 Senators sent letters of support for IGLHRC's application to all UN Member States. Among them were Senator John Kerry, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and Congressman Howard Berman, Chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The victory continues the upward trajectory for LGBT rights at the UN. It allows IGLHRC to participate in a more formal way through attending meetings, submitting statements and collaborating with the UN and governments in the international human-rights arena.

"We celebrate this decision," stated Toni Reis, president of the Brazilian LGBT group, Associação Brasileira de Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais, Travestis e Transexuais (ABGLT) - that in 2009 was the last LGBT organization to receive status. "It is crucial that LGBT NGOs have the opportunity to participate in the UN human rights debate - though in future, organizations should receive full and fair reviews before the NGO Committee itself."

Despite the limited opportunities offered to non-accredited NGOs, IGLHRC has a long history of advocating at the UN for the rights of all people, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity. The organization advocated for sexual rights to be included in the official discussions at the 1995 UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing; spoke at the first UN General Assembly meeting on HIV and AIDS in 2001; and in recent years has been part of a collaboration between NGOs and supportive States that resulted in the groundbreaking 2008 UNGA Declaration on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, signed by 67 UN Member States.

The votes on this resolution granting IGLHRC special consultative status were as follows:

Vote For - 23

• Argentina
• Australia
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Canada
• Chile
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Guatemala
• Italy
• Japan
• Liechtenstein
• Malta
• Norway
• Peru
• Poland
• Rep. of Korea
• Slovenia
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Uruguay

Votes Against - 13

• Bangladesh
• China
• Comoros
• Egypt
• Malaysia
• Morocco
• Namibia
• Niger
• Pakistan
• Russian Fed.
• Saudi Arabia
• Venezuela
• Zambia

Abstaining - 13

• Bahamas
• Cote D'Ivoire
• Ghana
• India
• Mauritius
• Mongolia
• Mozambique
• Philippines
• Rep. of Moldova
• Rwanda
• Saint Kitts & Nevis
• Turkey
• Ukraine

Absent - 5

• Cameroon
• Congo
• Guinea-Bissau
• Iraq
• Saint Lucia

[Posted by Ging Cristobal of IGLHRC, AP-Rainbow mailing list, 2010-07-20]

Lessons from the front lines

MSM Groups Confront Hostility and HIV with Resolve and Creativity

New report from amfAR and MSMGF showcases lifesaving efforts of community-based groups to reach men who have sex with men (MSM) and demonstrates the impact that small programs are having on the global HIV epidemic among MSM.

With recent data showing rapidly escalating HIV epidemics among men who have sex with men (MSM) in many countries around the world, community-based organizations are filling the gap in HIV prevention, education, and treatment services that governments and other large donors have been unable or unwilling to address, according to a new report from amfAR and the Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF).

The report, “Lessons from the Front Lines: Effective Community-Led Responses to HIV and AIDS Among MSM and Transgender Populations,” will be released at the pre-conference event, Be Heard!, organized by the MSMGF in Vienna on Saturday, July 17, in advance of the 18th International AIDS Conference.

“The ways to address HIV among MSM are not a mystery,” said amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost. “We have hundreds of examples of small organizations that effectively and efficiently deliver prevention and treatment services.”

Read the complete article HERE.

Download the PDF of the report HERE.

[Posted by Paul Causey, MSM-Asia mailing list, 2010-07-18]

APCOM's new board, director and funding

APCOM First Governing Board sets long-term agenda to tackle HIV among MSM and transgender people in Asia Pacific

Landmark coalition also chooses Executive Director; gets major funding boost

Pattaya, Thailand – The Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM) has moved from an interim governance structure to one incorporating a Governing Board and an Executive Director, considerably strengthening its capacity to address a sharp rise in HIV infection in men who have sex with men and transgender populations across the region. At the same time, APCOM's key donor, HIVOS, has announced a renewal of its commitment to APCOM for another three years and at an increase of 50% for core costs.

Like the interim body that preceded it, APCOM's new, wide-ranging Governing Board continues to include a range of MSM and transgender community representatives from across the region as well as coalition sector advisors from government, United Nations agencies, donors, and technical experts. "The new roster of representatives marks our transition from a fledgling to an established coalition," said Shivananda Khan, Chief Executive of Naz Foundation International, from its regional office in Lucknow, India. Khan is also the newly elected Chairperson of the APCOM Governing Board. "In a little more than three years, our unusual coalition has already helped push the HIV and MSM/TG agenda significantly higher on national and regional agendas. This has made crucial issues far more visible, pushing governments and other influential stakeholders to craft and implement long overdue policies aimed at HIV prevention among communities that remain perhaps the most vulnerable to infection both in our region and globally."

The election of the first Governing Board was accompanied by the naming of Steven Gu as APCOM's first Executive Director, and with that the imminent shift of the APCOM Secretariat from Lucknow to Bangkok. Gu, who hails from China, is well-known in HIV advocacy and policy on the mainland, and will be based in Thailand to assist APCOM's outreach to key regional supporters and stakeholders, including the regional offices of the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and others as well as the Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) of the World Health Organization (WHO), which officially joined APCOM at its meeting in Pattaya, Thailand.

APCOM's work to date received a ringing endorsement at the Governing Board meeting when the coalition's chief donor, Hivos of the Netherlands (Humanist Institute for Co-operation with Developing Countries), announced it was renewing support for another three years while increasing its funding for the coalition by no less than 50% over its commitment of the past three years.  "We are so very impressed by the groundbreaking efforts of APCOM so far, that our board readily agreed to continue funding these efforts at a considerably higher level," noted Paul Jansen, Hivos Program Officer for LGBT Rights. "Joining forces with others to bring about important social policy change is crucial to the work of Hivos. APCOM exemplifies that ethic, forging ties across the political and civil society spectrum, bringing diverse parties to the table at the same time to engage in dialogue and advocacy that eventually gets transformed into concrete policy, a verifiable return on investment."

Representatives at the APCOM Governing Board meeting passed a budget and work plan to build on the accomplishments of the first three years by strengthening and expanding the coalition's current agenda to encompass areas that include a greater regional push for universal access to HIV prevention, care and treatment services for MSM and TG; increased investment in urgently needed research to better inform service and program design; the strengthening of MSM and TG community networks that engage in policy development; and continued efforts to push for the repeal of laws that criminalize MSM and transgender populations.

"Transgender people are so very different from MSM, yet the world tends to clump us together," explained Joleen Mataele, Executive Director of the Tonga Leiti Association, Chairperson of the Pacific Sexual Diversity Network and Community Representative from the Pacific on the APCOM Governing Board. "Through the work of APCOM, TG populations from the Pacific and Asia are educating governments and policy makers as to what our specific identities are, what our specific health needs are, not just when it comes to HIV but beyond.  APCOM seeks to advocate for and support different communities across different environments, and that is one of its strengths."

Several APCOM Governing Board representatives will be attending the upcoming International AIDS Conference in Vienna, hosting or otherwise participating in various sessions on MSM and TG issues including the day-long MSM pre-conference of the Global Forum on MSM & HIV. The leadership is also firming up APCOM's activities to be presented at next year’s 10th International Congress on AIDS in the Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) in Busan, South Korea, following APCOM’s highly successful series of satellites, meetings and workshops at ICAAP9 in 2009 in Bali, Indonesia.

[Posted by Paul Causey, MSM-Asia mailing list, 2010-06-30]

Sri Lanka ready for dialogue

Government says it is open for dialogue with gay community

The Sri Lankan government says it is open for dialogue with Sri Lanka’s gay community, who had this week urged equal rights, but will not take any decision which could hurt the culture of the country.

Prime Minister D.M Jayaratna, when contacted by Daily Mirror online, over the demands made by the Sri Lankan gay community at a public function this week, said the government must first identify what sort of "equal rights" the gay community in Sri Lanka want.

He noted that while matters concerning gay people including gay marriage is acceptable in some western countries the gay community in Sri Lanka will have to define the rights they seek in order for it to be even given consideration.

"It is not wrong for them to seek rights. But we must know what exactly they want. They should communicate that to us and then we will see if it hurts our culture and take a decision accordingly," the Premier told Daily Mirror online.

Sri Lanka’s gay community on Sunday demanded equal rights and urged the authorities to emulate India which had last year lifted restrictions on the gay community in New Delhi.

Executive Director of Equal Grounds, Rozanne Flemar Caldera, speaking at a fashion show in Colombo on Sunday evening organized by Sri Lanka’s gay community said that people must be treated equally be they gay or straight.

Equal Grounds represents the gay community in Sri Lanka and the fashion show held at the Galadari hotel saw both gay and straight people taking to the stage to portray equality. Several prominent personalities, diplomats and others attended the event. (Daily Mirror online)

[Posted by Roshan De Silva, MSM-Asia mailing list, 2010-06-28]

ICASO demands on MDG document

Urgent Action! Endorse Demands for the MDG Outcome Document

June 23, 2010

Dear all, 

The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF) participated in the recent meeting of global AIDS advocates described below. Please take a moment to read the series of demands produced at this meeting concerning the Millennium Development Goals (linked below); we urge you to sign on your organization by July 25th!

Any questions can be directed to MSMGF Policy Associate Mohan Sundararaj at msundararaj@ msmgf.org.  

*** 

A group of AIDS activists met in New York June 10-11, 2010, and agreed on a series of demands to be incorporated into the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Outcome Document (to be approved at the MDG Summit in September 2010). You are urged to add your organization to this set of demands, by sending an email to universalaccess2010 @icaso.org. Endorsements will be collected by email and also at the International AIDS Conference (ICASO booth # 901 in the Global Village). The demands will immediately be used for negotiations, and the full list of endorsements will be sent to all UN Missions in New York, and other key stakeholders by July 25.

Download the English and Spanish pdf versions of the document: English, Spanish 

Thank you!

 [Posted by Jack Beck on MSM-Asia mailing list, 2010-06-23]

Indonesia: Islamist groups attacking LGBT meetings

Homophobia on the rise

Recent attacks on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender meetings reveal the growing influence of Islamist groups and highlight unequal protection of citizenship rights

Jamison Liang

In recent months, Indonesia has witnessed demonstrations against two conferences aiming to discuss the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. The first occurred in response to the fourth regional meeting of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), scheduled to take place in Surabaya, East Java on 26-28 March 2010 and supported by Indonesia's leading LGBT organisation, GAYa NUSANTARA. A month later in Depok, West Java, a workshop on transgender issues sponsored by the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) found itself in the same predicament.

Full Story HERE.

Inside Indonesia 100: Apr-Jun 2010

[Posted by Dede Oetomo on AP-Rainbow mailing list]

Petitioning to lift blood donation ban on MSM

amfAR Urges U.S. Government to Lift Blood Donation Ban for Men Who Have Sex with Men

Calls for vigilance in protecting nation’s blood supply and an end to unnecessary policies that stigmatize vulnerable groups

NEW YORK, June 11, 2010—amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, on Friday urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to end its longstanding policy that prohibits blood donations from all men who have sex with men (MSM).

amfAR’s statement comes as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability meets to discuss the FDA’s policy, which was implemented in 1985 and prohibits blood donations from any man who has ever had sex with another man—even a single encounter—at any time since 1977. Despite major advances in HIV screening technology, the ban has remained in place.

Earlier this week, amfAR, along with organizations including Gay Men’s Health Crisis, the National Hemophilia Foundation, the AIDS Action Council, and the Human Rights Campaign, signed a joint statement asking the committee “to recommend any scientific research that is necessary to allow for the thoughtful consideration of alternative policies regarding donor deferral.” Other groups, including the American Red Cross and the American Association of Blood Banks, have also urged the FDA to lift the ban.

“Today’s policy is a double standard that not only stigmatizes men who have sex with men, but also directly affects the nation’s critical blood supply,” said Chris Collins, amfAR’s vice president and director of public policy, who addressed the panel on Friday. “amfAR strongly supports policies that minimize risk to the nation’s blood supply, but we also know there are real risks in a policy that unnecessarily discriminates against a group of people who are already subject to stigma in our nation. Fighting AIDS in America means many things, including being vigilant in protecting the blood supply and doing away with unnecessary policies that stigmatize vulnerable groups.”

[Posted by Paul Causey on MSM-Asia mailing list]

MSMGF's policy brief on MSM and HIV

Global Forum on MSM & HIV Launches New Policy Brief, HIV Prevention with MSM: Balancing Evidence with Rights-based Principles of Practice

June 14, 2010

Dear Friends of the Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF),

The MSMGF is pleased to announce the launch of our newest policy brief, HIV Prevention with MSM: Balancing Evidence with Rights-based Principles of Practice. This document details the current context for the development and implementation of HIV prevention efforts targeting MSM, provides an overview of available MSM-specific HIV prevention strategies, and offers a look at recent guidelines from global health institutions. Recommendations emphasize the importance of respecting the role of MSM in efforts to determine research, policy, and program priorities, as well as other core principles of practice that are often overlooked in policy discussions.

The document is available for download HERE.

We encourage you to share this important policy brief with your networks! Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish translations are forthcoming.

Sincerely,


The Global Forum on MSM & HIV (MSMGF)


[Posted by Jack Beck on AP-Rainbow mailing list]