“Can you tell someone not to be happy? After all, what are we doing on Earth, what are we looking for? To be happy and to be loved! This is a fight as noble as fighting for women and all the other fights. It concerns our common humanity.”
~ Alice Nkom, Lawyer fighting for decriminalization of same-sex sexual relations in Cameroon
From the UN: The UN Free & Equal Campaign released four new short films in their “Voices for Equality” series featuring African voices: former Supreme Court Justice and founder of Kenya’s Human Rights Commision Dr Willy Mutunga, Nigerian musician Seun Kuti, Episcopal bishop and founder of LGBT outreach group Integrity Uganda the Reverend Dr Christopher Senyonjo, and Cameroon defense lawyer and advocate for the decriminalization of same-sex relationships Alice Nkom. Check them out now!
Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights at the UN, Andrew Gilmour spoke with the AP about the “backlash against human rights on every front”. Gilmour called the regression in rights, especially the rights of women and LGBT people, serious, widespread, and regrettable. Gilmour, who ended his 30-year career with the UN on 31 December, reflected:
“What gives me hope as we start a new decade is that there will be a surge in youth activism that will help people to get courage, and to stand up for what they believe in.”
UNESCO featured four young people who are fighting to make sure education is inclusive of LGBT people and people living with HIV. Among their ideas, Ariana Tran of Vietnam noted that better sexual health education will help girls and trans people protect themselves from sexual abuse. Lengyi Zhang of China wants government led anti-bullying policies and teachers better trained against gender stereotyping. Julian Kerboghossian of Lebanon thinks including more youth voices and youth-led groups to the table on policy and development issues will help. And Akshay Raundhal of India urged for better curriculums:
"A child's mind is a blank slate and good teachings right from the beginning can help them cure their ignorance."
US Ambassadors Kelly Knight Craft and Richard Grenell hosted an event on decriminalizing same-sex sexual activity at the UN. Many have questioned the US campaign for decriminalization in light of some US policies that can be harmful to LGBTQ people. Some diplomats from the EU, Argentina, and the Netherlands objected to the lack of support for issues such as gender identity, intersex rights, and comprehensive sexual education—as reported by Lifesite News. OutRight Action International Executive Director Jessica Stern noted that:
“There isn’t a single country in the world in which LGBTIQ people don’t face discrimination or violence, purely for who we love or our gender identity. Instead of focusing only on decriminalization, we need to promote acceptance, understanding, and equality for all LGBTIQ people everywhere.”
HIV, Health, and Wellness: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that the government was “taking responsibility” for trans people by extending an insurance program to provide financial assistance for health treatments. This is an expansion of a current program that covers any person earning less than $2 a day. Although praising the change, Zehrish Khan, of rights group Gender Interactive Alliance, noted that the program only covers those registered as third gender on national identity cards. He warned that stigma prevents many from registering.
In Cameroon, the advocacy group Alternatives-Cameroon has developed training materials for doctors to provide sexual health care for LGBTI patients.
In the US, a recent study published in AIDS and Behavior of people living with HIV found that most do not agree with their doctors about what should be their top concerns during a health care visit. While there was some overlap, patients prioritized attention to HIV stigma, pain, physical function, and social support when their doctors did not. And although 94% of clinicians prioritized substance abuse, only 36% of patients did so.
The 3rd European ChemSex Forum was held in Paris bringing health workers, researchers, community leaders, and activists to discuss issues around sexualized drug use within queer and trans communities. During the event researchers presented the first regional data on chemsex use in Algeria, Jordan, Tunisia, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. They found that men who engage in chemsex have a lot of unmet needs including addiction support. Also at the forum, Moscow-based Andrey Rylkov Foundation presented on the challenges they face supporting gay men who engage in chemsex in Russia where repressive laws on drug use and “homosexual propaganda” exist.
From Ireland, Noel Sutton of the Gay Health Network (GHN) urged for better reporting on sexual assaults and deaths related to chemsex in the country. Sutton particularly warned of the drug GHB/G, noting that many toxicology tests don’t screen for it and, without official statistics, it is “not seen as a problem”.
New research suggests that in the Australian context chemsex may be less risky for acquiring HIV than previously assumed. A study of over 1,300 gay and bisexual men who engage in drug use during sex found that these men are more likely to use PrEP or Treatment as Prevention (meaning a person with HIV is on effective treatment and cannot pass the virus to a partner) than other men. Lead author Garrett Prestage urged for new thinking about what “high risk” sex means:
“Rather than being reckless and impulsive, this group is planning ahead and taking precautions to protect themselves, and their community from HIV...An important take away from this study is that it’s the risk behaviour, not the risk population, that puts someone at risk of HIV.”
A new paper in Archives of Sexual Behaviour suggests that many researchers are using flawed definitions of “unsafe sex” because they are not considering biomedical preventions like PrEP and Treatment as Prevention. Evaluating gay and bisexual men in New York, they found the percentage of those having unsafe sex fell from 42% to only 2% when these things were considered. They note that better data is needed to develop strategies to identify and provide timely interventions to those gay men and other people who are actually at highest risk for HIV.
Two studies from the US, published in Sexually Transmitted Diseases and the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, found that although there is growing awareness of the message that a person with HIV who is on effective treatment cannot pass the virus to a partner (Undetectable = Untransmittable or U=U) misunderstandings remain. In one study the majority of gay men and other men who have sex with men who believed U=U to be accurate were HIV-positive men. Meanwhile, nearly half of HIV-negative men and those who didn’t know their status did not believe U=U to be completely accurate. In the other study, only a third of HIV-negative men believed U=U to be accurate.
The 2021 International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) will be held in Uganda despite the recent arrests of LGBT people. UNAIDS’ Executive Director Winnie Byanyima tweeted out support for the selection. She called upon the country to repeal the law that criminalizes same-sex relations so that LGBT Africans will be able to attend the conference.
More HIV, Health, and Wellness
From the World of Politics: The European Parliament adopted a resolution on discrimination and anti-LGBT hate speech. It reiterated a call to develop a comprehensive EU strategy on LGBTI rights. The move was prompted by homophobic language in election campaigns across Europe. The Parliament also called on Poland’s government to revoke several municipal resolutions that established "LGBTI-free" zones.
Meanwhile, visiting Bulgaria, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, raised concerns about extremist groups and domestic violence. She also urged the government to fight hate speech against Roma, LGBTI people, and other minorities:
“The lack of reaction to some very serious instances of hate speech by some high-level politicians, which systematically go unsanctioned, is worrying.”
Reports confirmed that Gabon quietly criminalized same-sex sexual relations in its new penal code this past summer. Local activists say police have been using the new code to threaten and extort people for money as reported by Reuters.
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a new draft of the Religious Discrimination Act. The new draft has a clearer definition of who is allowed to refuse to provide care in healthcare settings. The new draft continues to allow religious charities, hospitals, and age-care facilities to “take faith into account” in employment. Religious camps and event spaces will be able to refuse to accommodate people as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald. The Law Council of Australia condemned the draft, calling it “deeply flawed”. Some religious groups applauded the update. To help explain objections to it, the Guardian published a list of examples of how this will impact healthcare, schooling, employment, social media, and more as described by the government and other stakeholders.
Germany’s Cabinet approved a draft bill to ban “conversion therapy” targeting sexual orientation or gender identity. If passed by the Parliament the bill would impose a fine of €30,000 ($33,000) for advertising or offering conversion therapy. Parents who force children aged 16 to 18 to undergo therapy would also be punished. The bill would not ban adults from seeking conversion therapy.
For the first time, Hong Kong elected three openly gay and lesbian candidates to the District Council. They were among 392 pro-democracy candidates that swept the election and overtook the pro-establishment group.
Finland swore into office its youngest ever Prime Minister--the Social Democrat candidate Sanna Marin. Marin is the first Prime Minister to come from a “rainbow family” having been raised by her two mothers.
More from the World of Politics
The Politics of Union: Colombia’s first female mayor of Bogotá, Claudia López wed her partner Angélica Lozano in a civil ceremony.
In China, a spokesman for the National People’s Congress revealed to the press that gay marriage, the ability to nullify marriages, and joint debt between spouses were the most popular topics commented on by the public during the month-long public feedback period on the draft Civil Code. Social media accounts of government offices and courts recently posted several online polls on the topic of same-sex marriage. In one, nearly 4.5 million (60%) votes were registered in favor of marriage equality. Some believe the polls are being used to gauge wider public opinion before any serious steps are taken.
In Thailand, activists submitted to the Parliament a proposal to amend the marriage law to allow gay and transgender people to marry. During the press conference, a gay couple was caught on camera kissing. Instead of focusing on the proposal, politicians and media spent several days focused on the “shameful” kiss outside Thailand's Parliament House.
In Croatia, the Zagreb Administrative Court ruled that the Ministry of Family and Social Policy must allow a same-sex couple to become foster parents. Although Croatia has not legalized marriage equality, same-sex couples can enter into “life partnerships”. These offer rights similar to marriage however couples cannot adopt. The Rainbow Family Association, who supported the couple’s lawsuit, plans to fight for adoption rights and for the right of lesbians to undergo medically assisted fertilization.
In Taiwan, China, the new legalization for gay marriage did not include the right of couples to adopt. Same-sex couples can only adopt children if the child is biologically related to one of them. As Taiwan has banned surrogacy, Rik Glauret reported that same-sex couples are traveling abroad to seek surrogacy services.
In the US, where new regulations are allowing adoption groups to refuse gay couples on the basis of religion, many couples are turning to surrogacy. The nonprofit Family Equality released data showing that an increasing number of LGBTQ couples want to be parents despite the related challenges and financial strain.
From Trinidad, Leah Sorias reported on gay and lesbian couples looking to have children. The country does not recognize same-sex couples and they are not allowed to legally adopt. Sorias shared the story of baby “Miracle” born on New Year’s Day to a lesbian couple who turned to at-home insemination when medically assisted fertility treatments were too expensive.
More from the Politics of Union
Let the Courts Decide: Belize’s Court of Appeal reaffirmed a 2016 decision by the Supreme Court that decriminalized same-sex relations. The judge found that the prohibition of “sex discrimination” in the Constitution also protects sexual orientation. Téa Braun, Director of the Human Dignity Trust, reflected:
“Today’s decision from the Court of Appeal is part of a growing international trend recognising that discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation is fundamentally rooted in gender stereotyping. The court rightly applied international human rights law to its interpretation of the Constitution.”
In Japan, the Tokyo District Court ruled that the government was wrong to restrict a trans employee from using the women’s restroom at work. This is the country's first workplace discrimination ruling on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, as reported by Japan Times.
In China, a court in Hangzhou city heard the first workplace discrimination lawsuit regarding transgender rights. Xiao Ma was fired from her position at a media production company shortly after she transitioned. Writing for ABC, Cecily Huang explored how the unique case was made in court. Although a decision is not expected until the summer, the case gained attention across China with many on social media voicing their support. Xu Bin, head of the NGO Common Language, said that trans people are being encouraged by more dialogue for LGBT rights and noted:
“In the past five years, there have been [LGBT] individuals constantly standing up and using law as a weapon to advocate for equal rights.”
Russian theatre director and artist Yulia Tsvetkova was fined 50,000 rubles (US$ 780) for charges of "gay propaganda" to minors. Tsvetkova, who has previously been questioned by authorities for her work, was arrested this time for her social media posts about LGBT issues, feminism, and menstruation. Amnesty International reported that she is currently under house arrest and continues to face charges of pornography which could result in up to 6 years in prison. Writing for Mean Happy, Gareth Johnson looked at how censorship continues to impact Russia’s LGBTQ community.
Regarding Religion: United Methodist Church leaders from Europe, Africa, the Philippines, and the US announced a plan to move forward with the long-feared division of the Church. If approved at their May conference, the “Traditional Methodists” will leave to maintain their beliefs on LGBTQ issues. The division among Methodists was brought to a head last February when a slim majority of conference participants voted to accept a plan that said “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching”.
From the Vatican, one of the priests tasked with fighting sex abuse in the clergy, Father Jordi Bertomeu Farnós released an essay condemning the idea that gay clerics are responsible for the crisis. He emphasized that "there is no direct relationship between homosexuality and pedophelia".
Bishops of the German Catholic Church held a conference to discuss what issues should be addressed during the Church's upcoming "synodal way"—a two-year period of consultation and reform. Members of the public were invited to express opinions on topics such as women in the church, sexual morals, and separation of powers. Following a meeting on how to discuss human sexuality, the bishops committed to re-assessing the Church’s teaching. In a statement they asserted that the bishops agree that:
"Both [heterosexuality and homosexuality] belong to the normal forms of sexual predisposition that cannot and should not be changed by any specific socialization. In the Church’s thinking, this means that any form of discrimination against homosexuals must be rejected..."
Writing for Taipei Times, Noah Buchan reported in-depth on a conference held in Taiwan, China for the Global Rainbow Crosser Alliance—a meeting of fundamentalist Christian groups from 23 countries who encourage LGBT people to become “rainbow crossers” and “convert” to heterosexuality.
Journalist Paul Boakye spoke to Adriaan van Klinken, author of the book "Kenyan, Christian, Queer: Religion, LGBT Activism, and Arts of Resistance in Africa". The book showcases creative and artistic forms of LGBT visibility to demonstrate how Kenyans are effecting change in society.
Fear and Loathing: The holidays brought reminders that around the world violence against LGBTQI people continues to be a significant issue facing the community. In the US, Alaskan LGBTQ activist Tammie Willis was targeted multiple times and ended up in the hospital after a violent attack. In Spain, three men used a dating app to lure, rob, and assault a young man. In South Africa, a “sweet and quiet” lesbian woman was mutilated and murdered. In France, two trans women were violently assaulted in the Puy de Dôme region over the course of a week.
Meanwhile in Haiti, activists say there has been no serious investigation into the death of prominent gay rights activist Charlot Jeudy nearly a month after he was found dead. And in Canada, long time trans activist Julie Berman was murdered. Olivia Nuamah, the director of Pride Toronto, reflected that Berman had been targeted with violence in the past and praised her for speaking out:
“It's important that we remember her advocacy in [being] open and willing to talk about what happens inside the trans community. Her ability to advocate for rights of all members made the community better.”
From Kenya, UHAI: The East African Sexual Health and Rights Initiative published a new report on violence faced by lesbian, bisexual, and queer women, transgender people, and female sex workers in Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and Tanzania. The report is organized around themes of female sexuality, patriarchy and social structures that oppress women and gender non-conforming people, and community-led advocacy efforts. It offers recommendations to governments, police, civil society, and fundraisers and donors.
A new paper in Social Psychological and Personality Science examined how expectations about gender influence attitudes towards gays and lesbians in 23 countries. Across nearly all countries people who had strong ideas about what traditional gender norms look like also had more negative attitudes towards sexual minorities. Interestingly, this was not true in South Korea, China, or India. Authors urged for more focused research on gender and sexuality in understudied populations.
From the US, researchers released results of the largest systematic review of studies examining anti-LGBT discrimination and health harms among US-based people. They identified a connection between discrimination and poor health in over 95% of the studies including increased risk of depression, anxiety, suicidality, and PTSD, among others. Writing for the Washington Post, they shared some of the most surprising and disturbing results and reflected:
“Whatever you may think about whether Americans should have the right to discriminate, it’s clear that exercising that right — whether by denying someone a job, refusing them a wedding cake or even making it harder for them to walk home safely — damages the health and well-being of LGBT people… As a society, we know how to dramatically reduce this suffering if we only have the will to do it.”
Winds of Change: Despite the ongoing violence and discrimination faced by many, activists continue to speak out into the new year. In Germany, activists are urging the government to offer compensation to trans people who were forced to undergo sterilization in order to legally change gender. In Lithuania, activists submitted a petition to the parliament demanding that gender identity and gender expression be protected from discrimination in the Labour Code.
In India, over 1,000 LGBTQ people joined the massive demonstrations against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that critics say is anti-Muslim, as reported by Al Jazeera. Many fear the CAA and the National Register of Citizens will force people to prove citizenship with documents they may not have. As one activist explained:
“Queer people are either disowned by their family or forced to leave homes. How would they acquire the documents that are necessary to prove citizenship?”
Following public pressure from over 50 LGBTQ and HIV groups, Facebook removed some ads with misleading information about PrEP that targeted the community. GLAAD warned that similar ads remain and must be removed.
Social media campaigns convinced the US-based romance network Hallmark to issue an apology and reverse a ban on advertisements featuring gay couples. Hallmark initially pulled the ads after conservative groups objected to “the LGBTQ agenda”; however, backlash from celebrities and the public was swift. CNN looked at the history of LGBTQ advertising and activism around it.
In Australia, a social media campaign led by activist Ivan Hinton-Teoh and journalist Peter Greste led to the release of two gay Saudi journalists who were being held in an Australian detention center after seeking asylum in the country. The Australian Senate called on the government to expedite their asylum cases after many around the world warned of the dangers they faced in the detention center. After being released one of the men praised:
“Definitely, definitely, definitely the gay community rallied around us in a way that was so endearing and so powerful that I really feel it was the gay community that did this.”
Sports and Culture: The Taipei-based GOL Studios hosted the first summit to discuss the future of streaming media and content creation for LGBTQ stories. GOL is the production arm of GagaOOLala—Asia’s only video on demand subscription channel for LGBTQ media.
From Argentina, Josefina Salomon wrote about the popular local soap opera Pequeña Victoria (Little Victory) that centers around people linked by the birth of a child, including a trans woman. Creator Erika Halvorsen said the show can help educate people against prejudices:
“Fiction can help create hope that another future is possible. In times of terrifying dystopia, to bet on a more loving and inclusive world was our ‘Little Victory.’”
Check out the trailer for the new 3D documentary about legendary dance choreographer Merce Cunnigham—a “a difficult genius, less interested in commercial success than pure artistic expression”.
Catherine Pilishvili explored the political and public backlash in the country of Georgia over the film And Then We Danced—a drama following a young male dancer in the Georgian National Ballet that explores themes of masculinity and sexuality. The film, which has been selected as Sweden’s entry for the “Best International Feature” for the Oscars, sparked violent protests in Georgia during its three-day screening. Director Levan Akin expressed dismay over the violence:
“It is absurd that people who bought tickets need to be brave and risk getting harassed or even assaulted just for going to see a film... With this story I wanted to reclaim and redefine Georgian culture to include all, not just some. But unfortunately these are the dark times we live in and the pending protests just proves how vital it is to stand up against these shadowy forces in any way we can.”
Top photo Photo by Eye for Ebony