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31 October 2014 edition
Dear friends and colleagues,
From the UN: UNAIDS is joining with local partners across Africa in a multi-country HIV testing campaign to break the Guinness World Record for most free tests in one day. And Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stepped out to support LGBT youths on Spirit Day by wearing a purple tie and matching socks.
The UN is urging Kyrgyzstan to withdraw new legislation that would sanction discrimination against LGBT people. Meanwhile Sri Lanka tells the UN that LGBTI people are protected in the constitution despite anti-sodomy laws.
HIV and Health: As the battle to contain Ebola wages on, many in the gay community are reminded of the beginning of the HIV epidemic. Two trials on the effectiveness of PrEP have been stopped early because the drugs have been so successful at preventing HIV transmission that it would be unethical to continue giving placebos to study participants. The latest study used PrEP at the time of sex suggesting a potential new way to prevent infection rather than taking it daily.
In India, gay men complain that HIV prevention overlooks other health needs. In the USA, the Elton John Foundation made a large donation to the Human Rights Campaign for HIV prevention with Sir Elton John stating, 'We must put the same kind of resources and dedication and creativity that we put into the battle for marriage equality and apply it to the fight to end AIDS.'
A study out of America shows half of HIV+ gay men are not on treatment. A new study shows 60% of LGBT people in Nepal have faced discrimination and lack accessibility to both reproductive healthcare and HIV prevention and care. Meanwhile, a health clinic in Turkey is providing free care for LGBTI people and even allows patients to use pseudonyms to protect their identities.
Religiosity: Pope Francis has sparked discussion among the Catholic community with comments on the family and LGBT people. However, some Bishops are not so eager to accept this change yet. Meanwhile, high-ranking conservative Cardinal Burke says he has been demoted from the church’s chief guardian of canon law to a minor post in a move that reflects the ongoing evolution of the church.
Interestingly studies show that more and more young Catholics 'overwhelmingly' accept homosexuality. However, conservative politician Rick Santorum claims LGBT activists are preventing church messages from reaching youth.
In the USA, National Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close and LGBT Latinos reflect on how the evolving Catholic Church could lead to less stigma and reduce HIV infection in the community. Frederick Clarkson shares his thoughts on why religious liberty doesn't have to equal oppression.
Politicking: The Pacific Island country of Palau is the latest country to de-criminalize gay sex, while anti-gay organizations in Jamaica lobby for more severe penalties. Singapore's Court of Appeal has upheld a law banning gay sex. And Armenian activists sue a local newspaper that "outed" gay rights activists and called for them to be fired.
Activists and legal experts in Egypt have released a guide to help Egyptian LGBT avoid arrest. In Uganda a court has dismissed charges against a high profile gay rights activist after a year of delays. Meanwhile, Amnesty International has launched a new report on the discriminatory legislation and abuses in Uganda. And US President Obama reflects on LGBT rights as his judicial legacy as US senators urge him to act for global LGBT equality.
In Malaysia, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been prosecuted under the country's anti-gay law four times and now a local paper says backing the opposition is backing gay rights. Meanwhile in the Caribbean, CARICOM has joined activist Maurice Tomlinson in his lawsuit against Immigration Acts of Belize, Trinidad, and Tobago that ban entry to LGBT people.
In this month's Diplomat, journalist Joshua Kucera ponders whether the US and Russia using gay rights in Kyrgyzstan to gain political power in the region.
Fear and Loathing: Human Rights Watch has released a new report documenting violence against Jamaican LGBT people, including a film of raw footage showing how terrifying LGBT life in Jamaica can be. Three young people speaking out for LGBT equality in Russia were confronted by a crowd of nearly 100 anti-gay protesters who hurled vegetables and verbal abuse at the three.
The oldest Ukraine cinema was set ablaze during a screening of an LGBT film, thankfully no one was injured. Meanwhile, a local LGBT group in Azerbaijan is calling the recent murder of a lesbian by her own sister a hate crime.
Marching and Migrating to Safety: Russia's anti-gay law has led to a spike in Russian asylum seekers to the US and to Argentina. Meanwhile, several attendees to this summer's World AIDS Conference in Sydney continue to seek asylum in Australia, fearing their return home.
While Turkey gets its first umbrella LGBTI organization, Chili celebrates its first march for sexual diversity and tens of thousands march in Taiwan for LGBT equality.
Culture: Reflecting a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination, a Swedish teacher was fired the same day he called a student a "fag." A university in South Africa is graduating its first class of students on sexual orientation.
Producer of banned Kenyan LGBT film "Stories of our Lives" has been arrested over the film licence. A new documentary explores the stories of queer sex workers. And 1.7 million Indians called in to a local talk show to protest anti-gay laws.
Russia tries to ban mail from Final that carries the popular 'Tom of Finland' stamps over gay propaganda. Dolly Parton speaks out supporting her gay fans and Apple CEO Tim Cook hopes to inspire others with his op-ed revealing his sexuality: "I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me."
Check out "Mz Cracker's guide to being a Queen on Halloween" and this photo exhibit on gays in the military.
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“This bill criminalizes homosexuality. Basically you can’t even come out anymore. You can’t even hold hands,” said Dastan, a gay activist in Bishkek who asked his last name be withheld. “This bill gives the green light to attack us. Violence and discrimination and hate against the LGBT community will increase.” ~ Activist in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
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UN chief wears purple to support LGBT youths
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon responded to the call to “go purple” on Spirit Day to show solidarity with LGBT youths who face bullying and discrimination.
Millions went purple on Spirit Day in a stand against bullying and to show their support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth. Observed annually since 2010, individuals, schools, organizations, corporations, and public figures wear purple, which symbolizes 'spirit' on the rainbow flag.
Read More
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UNAIDS to Launch HIV Testing Campaign Across Africa in World Record Bid
The UN will conduct a multi-country HIV testing campaign in Africa to mark this year's World AIDS Day under the leadership of African national governments in close collaboration with the regional support team for Eastern and Southern Africa (RST ESA) from UNAIDS, civil society organisations, and other regional and international partners.
The initiative is seeking to break the Guinness World Record for the most number of free HIV tests carried out in multiple areas in one day. The record is currently held by Argentina, which conducted 3,733 free HIV tests in a single eight-hour period in Rosario city in commemoration of the 2012 World AIDS Day. Read More
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Ebola, HIV, and the Politics of Contagion: Op-Ed
Throughout American history, there are dozen of cases of hysteria surrounding the apparent outbreak of an epidemic, from recent fears over Asian bird flu to fears of cholera outbreaks in the 19th century. But the question of fear needs to be contextualized, not just in terms of alleviating Americans' paranoia, but rather by thinking about how various populations within the nation have consistently lived under a threat of infection.
The fear of Ebola tells us more about one's social status and, dare I say, privilege, rather than about the disease itself. For many gay men, who have lived amid HIV "outbreak" for the last thirty years, the threat of Ebola perhaps has not rattled them as much as their heterosexual counterparts. Read More
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Second European PrEP study is closed early due to high effectiveness
In an extraordinary development, a second European scientific trial of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has had its randomised phase closed early due to high effectiveness, just two weeks after the UK PROUD trial did exactly the same thing. The investigators of the IPERGAY trial, which has six sites in France and one in Canada, announced today a “Significant breakthrough in the fight against HIV and AIDS” because IPERGAY had successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of its PrEP regimen.
The ANRS IPERGAY trial demonstrates the effectiveness of a preventive treatment (antiretroviral treatment) against HIV/AIDS when taken at the time of sexual intercourse. All trial participants will now benefit from this prophylaxis. Read More
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Egypt: New legal guide for LGBT communities
In response to Egypt’s ongoing crackdown on LGBT people, Egyptian activists and legal experts have drawn up a guide on how LGBT people can reduce their chances of being arrested and how to act if they are arrested. Read More
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Amnesty International launches report "Rule by Law: Discriminatory Legislation and Legitimized Abuses in Uganda."
This report documents the human rights impact of three pieces of legislation: the Public Order Management Act, the Anti-Pornography Act, and the Anti-Homosexuality Act: in particular, the impact that these laws have had on the ability of civil society to organise, on discrimination against women, and on the lives of people who are or are believed to be LGBTI. Read the report here
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Ugandan court dismisses case against activist Sam Ganafa
High-profile LGBTI rights activist Samuel K. Ganafa and three colleagues had been charged with “unnatural offenses,” a crime that is punishable by as much as a life sentence.
He was subjected to forced HIV testing and then, as the trial against him proceeded, the prosecution repeatedly requested delays. On Oct. 8, nearly a year after his arrest, the prosecution asked for another delay, but the court has rejected the request and dismissed the charges. Read More
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CARICOM Joins Gay Activist Maurice Tomlinson In Suit Against Belize & Trinidad
Activist Maurice Tomlinson has challenged the Immigration Acts of Belize, Trinidad, and Tobago which ban the entry of homosexuals, mentally challenged, and physically disabled people.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) now joins with Tomlinson's suit to the Caribbean Court of Justice and will provide supporting evidence to his cause. They have become involved because the treaty deals with the right to free movement of non-nationals and the CARICOM Secretariat argues that all CARICOM states must treat all the nationals of CARICOM the same. Read More
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Real Religious Liberty is not Oppression
Religious liberty is one of the defining issues of our time — offering distinct challenges and historic opportunities for LGBTQ people and everyone who is struggling to create a more just society. As the Christian Right continues to use the term to frame their issues, we must not concede the definition of religious liberty to interlopers. Read More
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Sri Lanka tells the United Nations that LGBTIs are protected in its constitution
Representatives of the Government of Sri Lanka have admitted to the United Nations Human Rights Committee that LGBTI people are protected under its constitution – though they maintain their country’s anti-sodomy law is not discriminatory. Read More
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Kyrgyzstan: UN urges anti-gay draft law to be scrapped
Spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Ravina Shamdasani said: “We call on the Kyrgyz Parliament and authorities to refrain from passing draft legislation that would embed in law discrimination against people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT).”
She added: “The proposed law would also violate fundamental human rights, including the rights to liberty, security and physical integrity and to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. These rights are protected by human rights treaties ratified by Kyrgyzstan.” Read More
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Tens of thousands march for gay rights in Taiwan
In carnival splendor participants in the 2014 Taiwan LGBT Pride Parade posed for selfies with onlookers, comfortable and extravert in their lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender skins. The parade attracted tens of thousands of LGBT rights supporters from across the globe, who took to Taipei's streets for "A Walk in Queer Shoes", celebrating the diversity of LGBT groups. Read More
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Number of Russian Asylum Seekers to U.S. Spikes in Wake of 'Antigay' Law
U.S. asylum applications from Russian nationals have jumped 15 percent for the second straight year, a rise that asylum seekers and attorneys attribute to Russians fleeing their homeland due to fears of persecution and antigay violence. Read More
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Argentina grants first refugee status to Russian gay, victim of President Putin's non tolerance policies
A young 28 year old became the first Russian gay to be given refugee status by Argentina, because of discrimination and violence at his home country. The positive reply to the year-long request was sponsored by Argentina's Federation of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and trans, FALGBT. Read More
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Wake Up Where the Clouds Are Far Behind
After July's International AIDS Conference ended, dozens of African delegates remained in Melbourne to seek asylum, fleeing countries that face not only widespread and generalised HIV epidemics, but violent and systemic homophobia. Benjamin Riley interviewed one of those people, learning it's hard to feel safe when the one you love is left behind. Read More
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25 Senators Urge Obama to Stand Up for LGBT Rights Worldwide
Senators are pressuring President Obama to step up and appoint a special envoy for LGBT rights to the U.S. Department of State to protect LGBT people internationally. Read More
The Obama Brief: How Obama Transformed the Federal Judiciary
To the extent that there is an Obama legal legacy, it centers on gay rights and voting rights, subjects that the President addresses more with caution than with passion. Read More
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Turkey gets its first umbrella LGBTI organization to fight homophobia
A new organization, the first in Turkey to ensure LGBTI websites, groups and organizations has been established to fight homophobia and transphobia in the Islamic country that straddles Europe and Asia. In existence since less than two months, the organization was created in order to ensure unity and solidarity among LGBTI groups, LGBTIwebsites and LGBTI organizations. Read More
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Palau legalizes gay sex: Eight Pacific countries still have anti-gay laws
The Pacific island nation of Palau has decriminalized gay sex in a revision of its penal code. Gay sex used to be punishable by up to ten years in jail but lesbian sex was legal.
Dr Paula Gerber, president of LGBTI rights group Kaleidoscope Australia, said, 'This is wonderful news - giving a much need impetus to the process for reform in the Pacific. It is especially pleasing to see that recommendations made during the UN Universal Periodic Review process appear to have had an impact. Read More
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Jamaican Coalition Wants Buggery Punished Severely
The Coalition for a Healthy Society is urging Jamaican courts to increase punishment for the crime of 'Buggery' which has a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Committee member Delroy Chuck quizzed the Coalition on whether it would accede to some flexibility in law in respect to what he described as private morality. "If two males live together, do you believe it is the business of the State to investigate what they are doing within the confines of their bedroom?" Chuck questioned.
Head of the Coalition Dr Wayne West said if he had been asked the question five years ago he would have been inclined to support the position "because I have no intention of peeping into anybody's bedroom". However, West quipped, "when your neighbour's house is on fire you better take note of it". He argued that what is taking place in the bedroom is now being forced on persons in the public square. Read More
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Jamaica: Unchecked Homophobic Violence
LGBT Jamaicans are vulnerable to both physical and sexual violence and many live in constant fear, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. They are taunted, threatened, fired from their jobs, thrown out of their homes, or worse: beaten, stoned, raped, or killed.
The 86-page report, “Not Safe at Home: Violence and Discrimination Against LGBT People in Jamaica,” documents 56 cases of violence in which victims reported they were targeted because of their actual or perceived sexual identity. Read More
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Dozens of anti-gay Russian nationalists swarm three gay rights activists
Two young women and a man campaigning for gay rights in Russia were met with about 100 nationalist protesters on Sunday, who threw tomatoes and shouted anti-gay abuse. Read More
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Fire Sweeps Through Kiev's Oldest Movie Theater During LGBT Movie
A fire has swept through the landmark Zhovten movie theatre in Ukraine's capital Kiev during the showing of an LGBT movie. Initial media reports cited movie-goers as saying the fire may have been started by arsonists who were outraged by the screening of the gay-themed film. Others suggested a connection with a business dispute that saw the movie theater fighting to avoid eviction from its building. The theatre, opened in 1931, suffered severe damage in the incident. Read More
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Activists condemn Singapore court gay ruling
Human rights groups have condemned a Singapore court's decision that a law banning gay sex is constitutional. Under Section 377A, men who engage in "gross indecency" privately or publicly can be jailed for up to two years. Singapore, which largely remains conservative, has seen intense debate in recent years over gay rights.
Human Rights Watch called the decision "a major setback for equal rights", adding that it "tramples upon basic rights to privacy, equality and non-discrimination" and "gives carte blanche for discrimination and reinforces prejudice". Read More
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Woman Slit Lesbian Sister's Throat after She Refused to Stop Dating Women
Azerbaijani police have arrested a woman who killed her sister after she found out she was a lesbian. LGBT Azerbaijan Alliance has called the incident “a hate crime against LGBT people.” Read More
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Church should not fear change, pope says at synod close
Pope Francis has closed an assembly of Catholic bishops that revealed deep divisions on how to respond to homosexuality and divorce, saying on Sunday the Church should not be afraid of change and new challenges.
The working session of the gathering ended on Saturday night with a final document that reversed a historic acceptance of gays by the Church made just a week earlier -- a result some progressives see as a setback for Francis. Read More
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Conservative Cardinal Who Clashed With Pope Francis Confirms He Has Been Ousted
A top cardinal told BuzzFeed News that the worldwide meeting of church leaders coming to a close in Rome seemed to have been designed to “weaken the church’s teaching and practice” with the apparent blessing of Pope Francis.
Internal discontent among conservatives inside church leadership began to simmer over in the weeks leading up to the synod. In an apparent attempt to mollify anglophone conservatives, the Vatican released a new translation of the report that changed the phrase “welcoming homosexual persons” to “providing for homosexual persons” and made other small changes, while leaving the versions in all other languages unchanged. Read More
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Young U.S. Catholics overwhelmingly accepting of homosexuality
Fully 85% of self-identified Catholics ages 18-29 said in a 2014 Pew Research Center survey that homosexuality should be accepted by society, compared with just 13% who said it should be discouraged. Older age groups are less likely to favor acceptance. But even among Catholics ages 65 and older, 57% say that homosexuality should be accepted. Read More
Meanwhile, Antigay politician Rick Santorum claims young people support LGBT rights only because gay activists have kept them from hearing the alternative view. Read More
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Can the Catholic Church Help End HIV?
This year National Latino AIDS Awareness Day coincides with new conversations happening around two very important areas of HIV prevention for Latinos: PrEP and stigma. A shift in tone from the Catholic Church could result in how Latino families embrace their loved ones who happen to be gay, lesbian or transgender.
What does this mean for Latinos and HIV?
It means that the stigma around being gay may be coming to an end. It means that Latino men and women may feel safer to come out of the closet to their family, their community and to a church that will not only tolerate them, but embrace them. It means that we may be closer than ever to ending HIV by reducing the stigma surrounding what it means to HIV-positive. Read More
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Surveying Nepal’s Sexual and Gender Minorities: An Inclusive Approach
In a recent survey of sexual and gender minorities in Nepal over 60% of respondents reported experiencing abuse or discrimination.
The survey utilized Nepal’s inclusion of a third gender category in its national census, the first such attempt in the world. LGBT people in Nepal face many obstacles, including widespread bullying in schools, lack of protection from discrimination by employers, paucity of programming for reproductive health of lesbians, and the lack of sensitive HIV healthcare for transgender women and gay men who are at exponentially higher risk of HIV infection than the general population. Read More
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Half of HIV+ Gay Men Don’t Take Life-Saving Drugs
A survey from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows dramatic deficits in treatment among those at highest risk of HIV infection. The reasons why men don’t get—or stick with—treatment range from cost to misperceptions about the toxicity of current drug therapies to the enduring stigma of HIV. Read More
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Free Health Care Service From The Şişli Municipality
For the first time, Şişli, Istanbul, Municipality initiated free health care services for the LGBTI communities. LGBTI individuals will be able to benefit from health care services for free and, if they would like to do so, using nicknames rather than disclosing their identities. Read More
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Gays complain of HIV prevention overdose
Homosexuals in the Chennai, India have complained that they are being given overdoses of messages on HIV prevention and that programmes concerning the community should address their psychological needs more.
Though the study says that gay men in India have an HIV seroprevalence rate that is 22 times higher than the country's general population, those surveyed have a different take. "It is better not to keep concentrating on HIV... I think it is important to raise the low self-esteem of MSMs," one of the interviewees said. Read More
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'The Red Umbrella Diaries' Documentary Shares Stories Of Queer Sex Workers
Why do individuals make the decision to engage in sex work? The Red Umbrella Diaries is different from other explorations of sex work because its driven by first person stories and though we collaborated with filmmakers who are not sex workers, we had the final say about the content and representations in the film. It's also unique in the spectrum of sex worker media representations because of the variety of people in the film - all are LGBTQ identified, three are women of color (one of whom is trans), and two are men. Read More
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Chile’s LGBT movement marches united
Chile has celebrated a historical moment: for the first time, the LGBT movement marched united to demand equal rights. Although collaborating will always be difficult, the success of this march has added new momentum into the LGBT movement in Chile and stands for a powerful collaborative force. Just days ago, the front was awarded a grant by UNESCO and the Chilean National Institute for Human Rights, which aims at strengthening collaboration between NGOs. Read More
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School teacher Who Referred To Student As “Fag Number One” Quickly Fired
A photography teacher at a school in Helsingborg, Sweden has learned the hard way why you shouldn’t hurl antigay slurs at students. “When I found out what the photographer said, I felt that this required immediate action,” the principal told media. “He did not respect our values and offended a student. As an adult, you must think about what you say to students.”
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South Africa: Gay rights in the classroom
Several South African women have been murdered for being lesbian, in most African countries you're a criminal if you're gay, and in Sudan and Mauritania you can be put to death for homosexuality. Meanwhile the University of Western Cape graduated its first students from the continent's first course on sexual orientation and the role of educators in dealing with sexual orientation issues in the classroom. Read More
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Armenian Activists Sue Over Article Outing Several LGBT People
The editor of an Armenian newspaper is awaiting judgement in a lawsuit brought by several individuals after he published an article naming them as “gay rights lobbyists” and calling for them to be fired from their jobs and ostracized. The article was titled, “They serve the interests of international homosexual lobbying: the blacklist of country’s and nation’s enemies,” and named more than 50 individuals. Read More
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Malaysia paper tells Muslims backing opposition is backing gay rights
A right-wing Malaysian newspaper has said supporting opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim means supporting the international LGBTI rights movement ahead of his sodomy trial. Anwar has been prosecuted under the country's colonial anti-gay law four times in what LGBTI groups have called a politically motivated prosecution. He is appealing his March sentence of five years in jail. Read More
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US and Russia Fight Proxy War Over Gay Rights in Kyrgyzstan
With a controversy over proposed gay rights legislation in Kyrgyzstan, the struggle between the United States and Russia for influence in Central Asia – traditionally seen as a conflict over pipelines and military bases – is taking on aspects of a culture war. Read More
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Elton John AIDS Foundation makes $300,000 (€236,000) donation to the HRC
Sir Elton John and partner David Furnish announced a donation to the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBT civil rights organization in the US. The money will be used for HIV awareness and prevention programs, with a focus on young bisexual and gay men and transgender women. Read More
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Apple CEO Tim Cook Speaks Up About Being Gay
While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven’t publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear: I’m proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me. [...] I don’t consider myself an activist, but I realize how much I’ve benefited from the sacrifice of others. So if hearing that the CEO of Apple is gay can help someone struggling to come to terms with who he or she is, or bring comfort to anyone who feels alone, or inspire people to insist on their equality, then it’s worth the trade-off with my own privacy. Read More
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Kyrgyzstan anti-gay group blocks Kazaky show
An anti-gay youth group has stopped boyband Kazaky performing in order to defend 'traditional values.' None of the current members are gay but they perform shirtless and in stilettos. Read More
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India talk show changes views on gays About 1.7 million people called in to protest the country's anti-gay law Read More
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Russian lawmaker wants Finnish Tom of Finland stamps banned as ‘gay propaganda’ Read More
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Kenyan police arrest ‘Stories of our Lives’ producer over film licence
‘Stories of our Lives’ is a film about gay and lesbian Kenyans that was banned on allegations it promotes homosexuality. Read More
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Dolly Parton Q&A: The Country Legend on 50 Years in Nashville and Why She Supports Her Gay Fans, Chastises Christians For 'Judging' Read More
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Gays in the Military Exhibition Cianni set out to document how the military’s ban on openly gay and lesbian service personnel impacted their professional and personal lives. Read More
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Miz Cracker’s Guide to Being a Queen on Halloween Read More
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