From the UN: UNAIDS announced that it is working with China to help people living with HIV continue accessing their treatment despite travel restrictions put in place to contain the COVID-19 outbreak. In a survey, over 30% reported they were at risk of running out of HIV medication.
This year for Zero Discrimination Day (1 March) UNAIDS is bringing attention to the challenges faced by women and girls. These include laws that limit sexual and reproductive health, laws criminalizing transgender people, and laws that criminalize sex work all prevent women and girls from accessing the services they need. Check out the campaign to raise awareness and mobilize action on these and other issues impacting women and girls today.
The UN in India collaborated with the National Institution for Transforming India and local civil society groups to hold a national consultation on LGBTQI+ rights. The meeting was one of many held with vulnerable groups as India prepares for its national review of progress towards achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
ILGA-World released two new reports—one for 2017 and another for 2018—analyzing references to sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics made by UN expert committees (known as “Treaty Bodies” for how they relate to international human rights treaties). The analysis reveals progress made by the committees to address human rights issues of LGBTI people. It shows that committees are making more nuanced investigations of LGBTI issues and are offering more recommendations to help communities.
Writing for Devex, Amy Lieberman investigated the complaint that “competing political agendas” are preventing some human rights and LGBTQ organizations from gaining “Consultative Status” to the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). This status allows NGOs to make substantive and sustained contributions to the UN.
HIV, Health, and Wellness: In Thailand, a social media post from an HIV-positive person went viral after hundreds of thousands objected to his message that you can have safe sex without a condom. The resulting controversy made national headlines as many attacked the video creator as a public threat. Renowned HIV doctors appeared on TV, defended the person, and further explained the U=U (undetectable = untransmittable) science that people living with HIV who achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load, cannot transmit HIV sexually. The backlash was swift with the doctors receiving death threats and threats from fellow doctors that their medical licenses would be removed. In response, several organizations issued statements endorsing the science of U=U and supporting condom use including a joint press release from the Ministry of Public Health Thailand, UNAIDS, and the WHO. APCOM, and several Asia and Pacific Island groups also issued statements including the IAS which said:
“Only by expanding truths and challenging long-held myths about HIV prevention – on the basis of established science – will inroads be made to end this epidemic.”
In Russia, health officials announced plans to use the popular video sharing app TiKTok to spread awareness and reduce stigma around HIV. A two-hour long video about HIV from popular Russian blogger Yury Dud sparked mass interest in HIV testing and has been viewed almost 15 million times on Youtube. In the film, Dud addresses stigma, HIV and drug use, activism, myths about transmission, the poor state of sex education in Russian schools, and authorities’ response to the epidemic.
In Canada, the HIV care center Casey House launched a new campaign #SmashStigma. For the campaign, a team created manipulated episodes of the popular TV shows "The Office" and "Friends" to give them new plotlines featuring HIV topics. Creators aimed to “harness the power of pop culture” to fight stigma and change perceptions. (A copyright infringement claim quickly shut down the “Friends” episode—the Office episode is still available to watch on their website.)
From China, a new study of gay men and other men who have sex with men found that among newly HIV diagnosed men over 23% experienced intimate partner violence. The study, published in BMC Public Health, found that stigma around sexuality and stigma towards HIV was significantly associated with physical, psychological, and sexual violence.
From the US, a new study in Pediatrics of boys aged 13 to 18-years-old who identify as gay, bisexual, or queer found that only 23% had ever been tested for HIV. And although over 67% had a regular doctor, few had spoken to their doctors about sexual orientation, same-sex behaviors, or HIV testing. Teens who discussed these topics with their doctor were much more likely to be tested than their peers. The authors offer evidence-based practices that can make these conversations easier to have.
Also from the US, two new studies used the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS) to evaluate suicide rates and mental health among young people who identify as a sexual minority. A Pediatrics study found that these adolescents were over three times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. A study from the Trevor Project found that young adults between 18 and 25-years-old were three times as likely to report a major depressive episode than their peers.
A new study published in the Journal of Community Health found that young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men living in New York City knew little about HPV infections and incorrectly perceive HPV to be an issue that primarily affects women. The WHO says that the most sexually active women and men will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives. Certain HPV types are known to cause oral, cervical, anal, and other cancers.
New research published in JAMA Dermatology examined the risk of skin cancer among sexual and gender minorities. In one study researchers found that gay and bisexual men had significantly higher odds than heterosexual men of having experienced skin cancer. Another study comparing health history based on gender identity found that gender non-conforming people had higher self-reported prevalence of skin cancer than either cis or transgender people. In an editorial, doctors reflect on the difficulty in evaluating cancer in relation to sexual and gender minorities due to a lack of data. They emphasize that many important research and clinical questions remain.
More HIV, Health, and Wellness
From the World of Politics: In Switzerland, over 63% of the public voted to expand the law that bans discrimination based on race or religion to include sexual orientation. The Swiss government passed a ban on homophobia and transphobia in 2018. However, critics argued that the law was a violation of free speech and forced the issue to a public referendum. (Protections based on gender identity were not included in the recent referendum.) Although the new law bans public denigration in text, speech, and image, the government has said that jokes and opinionated debates on issues such as marriage are not included in the ban, as reported by the AFP.
In Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro announced he supports the Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights initiative to promote sexual abstinence as a method of contraception. During the press conference he also disparaged people living with HIV, saying they have a “serious problem” and are “an expense for everyone in Brazil”.
From Belarus, Radio Liberty reported that the Ministry of Health is supporting changes to the civil code to punish those responsible for disseminating information that “discredits” the institution of family and marriage. It is also supporting an increase in the age of consent from 16 to 18 years old—though only for sexual acts between gay, lesbian, and bisexual young people. Aleh Hulak of the human rights group Belarusian Helsinki Committee remarked that the Health Ministry should be focused on health and research and not criminalization.
In Senegal, President Mckay Sall met with Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau told reporters that he briefly raised the issue of the criminalization of same-sex sexual relations with the president. Sall told reporters that the ban on homosexuality is part of the Senegalese culture and is not homophobic. Sall noted that “society does not accept it”, adding:
“Society will evolve, it will take the time it will take. Each country has its own metabolism.”
Ahead of the parliamentary elections in Slovakia, Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini called on the government to withdraw Slovakia from the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention. President Zuzana Čaputová has refused, saying that it is not an urgent matter and should not be debated ahead of the election. A demonstration of a thousand people called on the president to step down as they protested against the Istanbul Convention which they say has a “treacherously hidden harmful gender ideology”. The Istanbul Convention, created in 2011, is intended to combat violence against women. Opponents often say it seeks to “end sexual differences between men and women” and would led to accepting same-sex marriage and third gender and transgender people. The Council of Europe has rejected these misconceptions.
As Guyana prepares for the upcoming general election, the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) released a manifesto of changes it wants to see in the new government. Among their top concerns: ending bullying of LGBTQ+ students in education settings and introducing Comprehensive Sexuality Education.
In France, ahead of the municipal elections, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo released her platform that includes phasing out motor vehicles, increasing affordable housing, and creating a municipal police force that will be trained to fight racism, anti-semitism, sexism, and homophobia and transphobia. Hidalgo has declared Paris an “LGBT+ refuge city” with resources dedicated to LGBT+ homeless youth, seniors, and refugees fleeing criminalization.
Ireland's first openly gay prime minister, Leo Varadkar, has resigned from office after the new parliament became deadlocked over the choice of prime minister. With no political party having a majority in the recent election, he did not receive the required number of votes.
In the US, the race towards the presidential elections is heating up as states hold their primaries to select who will run against President Trump. Pete Buttigieg, a former mayor from Indiana, became the first openly gay person to win a state primary. With his growing popularity Buttigieg has become the target of anti-gay slurs. Although some LGBTQ activists have found Buttigieg’s policy platform too moderate to support, columnist Daniel Summers explored why it’s still important to recognize his historic win:
“There are many reasons to question whether Buttigieg is the best person for the Democratic Party to nominate, from his experience to his record to his policies...But when his sexuality is weaponized against him, it’s not just an attack on him; it’s a reminder of how tenuous our acceptance is.”
More from the World of Politics
The Politics of Union: In Russia, the State Duma (lower house of parliament) gave preliminary approval to President Putin’s proposed changes to the constitution. The Duma is collecting more proposed changes ahead of the second of three required votes. In addition to changes that revolve around rearranging the power structure in Putin’s favor, one proposal would redefine marriage to between one man and one woman. During a recent meeting on the changes, Putin reiterated his position against gay marriage and added that he would never support policies for same-sex parents.
In December, officials in China acknowledged that the legalization of same-sex marriage was the most popular topic commented on during the public feedback period on the Civil Code—over 190,000 people asked legislators to approve it. Many consider it a positive sign that the government has yet to make an official statement in favor or against the public feedback. Writing for Sixth Tone, Fan Yiying spoke to gay and lesbian young people about how this has impacted their relationships with their families.
More from the Politics of Union
Let the Courts Decide: In Thailand, the Constitutional Court ruled that the Future Forward Party must be disbanded. The court found that the party violated a law by accepting a loan to fund the electoral campaign. FFP argued that other parties have taken loans without legal ramifications and that campaign finance rules are ambiguous. Although members can create a new party, the current senior leadership will be banned from politics for 10 years, as reported by the New York Times. Several openly LGBT+ people including the first non-binary candidate were elected last year as part of FFP’s impressive showing in the national elections. In December FFP legislators submitted a proposal for marriage equality.
In South Korea, the District Court of Suwon has asked the Constitutional Court to review Article 92-6 of the Military Law that criminalizes same-sex sexual activity. The District Court noted that the law is unclear and allows agencies and courts to arbitrarily interpret and apply it. Although same-sex sexual activity is legal for civilians, it is against the law for people in the military. A report from Amnesty International found that the law leads to violence and abuse against suspected gay and trans people in the military. The Suwon court denounced criminalization of consensual same-sex acts for those in the military:
“We are gradually moving away from the negative view that same-sex sexual behavior is abnormal and violates the social morality of society… In mature democratic societies, differences should be recognized, but discrimination without a good reason should never be tolerated.”
For the first time in Barbados, the Employment Rights Tribunal has been asked to review a complaint filed by a trans person discriminated against at work due to their gender identity. Alexa Hoffman, who was fired after legally changing her name to reflect her gender identity, stated that she has “the right to be left alone to do the work that I have been hired to do” and urged:
“If you have an employee, whether they are gay, straight, bisexual, trans, disabled, HIV positive or whatever the situation is…let them do their work in peace.”
In the US, three cisgender girls and their families have filed a lawsuit against the state of Connecticut for its policy that allows transgender athletes to participate in sports based on their gender identity. The lawsuit specifically identifies two trans girls, Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood, that the others have had to compete against. In a statement Miller said she does not take for granted that she lives in a state that protects her rights:
“So many young trans people face exclusion at school and in athletics and it contributes to the horrible pain and discrimination that my community faces. The more we are told that we don’t belong and should be ashamed of who we are, the fewer opportunities we have to participate in sports at all. And being an athlete can help us survive.”
Fear and Loathing: In Croatia, President Zoran Milanović, government ministers, Ombudsperson Lora Vidovic, and LGBT rights groups all condemned the burning of a sculpture representing a kissing gay couple and their child. The effigy was burned during a carnival in the town of Imotski. Croatia's Administrative Court recently ruled that same-sex couples have the right to foster children. After video of the burning went viral, Ombudsperson Vidovic remarked:
“I find it incomprehensible, devastating and sad. It teaches children that it is okay to hate. That’s unacceptable.”
Reporting on Tanzania, Human Rights Watch released a new report “If We Don’t Get Services, We Will Die” that analyzes how laws criminalizing LGBT people are impacting their ability to access healthcare. HRW found that the recent crackdown on LGBT people has led to the closure of 40 drop-in health centers that provided help to LGBT people, sex workers, and people who use drugs. Police have raided HIV education sessions, have imprisoned lawyers, and have subjected activists to forced anal examinations—a practice condemned as torture by the UN.
From Israel, The Aguda, an LGBT rights NGO, published new research which found that reported anti-LGBT incidents increased by 36% in 2019 compared to the previous year. It includes, though is not limited to, discrimination and harassment faced when dealing with government services, in education, and by family members. They also noted that online hate speech increased by 58% after the Education Minister announced his support for conversion therapy.
From Russia, the non-profit SOVA Center published a new report called “Criminal Activity of the Ultra-Right. Hate Crimes and Counteraction to Them in Russia in 2019”. They found that crimes against LGBT people and those perceived to be LGBT increased compared to the previous year. However, they warn that Russia does not carry official statistics of violence against LGBT people and so the true level of violence is unknown.
From Jamaica, J-Flag released its latest report on violence against LGBT people. In 2019 all of their recorded cases came from gay men and nearly all included physical assault.
Reporting on Uzbekistan, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) found that LGBT people routinely face violence, discrimination, and extortion. Activists say that police often blackmail victims and rarely investigate crimes even when videos are posted online. LGBTI activist Luiza Atabaeva said Uzbekistan is not ready to accept people that don’t fit with mainstream notions of gender and sexuality:
“The economic situation of society doesn’t allow us to think of sexual freedom. Who cares about discrimination against LGBTI in Uzbekistan when people cannot meet their basic needs?”
Winds of Change: ILGA World published a new report on so called "conversion therapy". The report is based on extensive global research into the laws banning these practices at both the national and subnational level. The report also looks at the many different techniques that have been used throughout the 20th century to attempt to alter a person's sexuality, gender identity, or gender expression. The report is available in both English and Spanish.
From Poland, Kacper Kubiak, Vice President of the Institute of Equality, spoke with Lubuska about the “LGBT Free Zones”, why they are being established, and how they are impacting communities. The Institute and other activists signed an open letter calling on local governments to end the zones which now cover 30% of the country—a size, they note, which is larger than all of Hungary. Meanwhile, in France, the town of Saint-Jean-de-Braye suspended the 25-year old “twin-city” partnership with the Polish town of Tuchow until Tuchow officials revoke the ban.
Author Christophe Broqua reflected on the history of Act Up-Paris, established in 1989 to bring awareness to HIV and the AIDS epidemic. Broqua noted that although it was based on the US group Act Up New York, it drew from a long tradition of French protests and progressive actions to find success.
Writing for Outlook, Ashok Row Kavi described the creation of the NGO Humsafar Trust, one of the oldest surviving LGBTQ organizations in India. He explored what has made Humsafar unique and the innovative projects it has provided the community since its founding in 1994.
The Thomson Reuters Foundation published a multi-media exploration of LGBT activism since the Stonewall Riots in New York City. With engaging videos and interactive maps, it looks forward to some of the top issues facing people in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe.
Activist and author Denis Nzioka launched KumbuKumbu, a new free resource that collects and preserves records documenting Kenya's sexual and gender diverse cultures from the 1800s to today. Still in its early stages, the growing collection includes newspaper articles, book and film reviews, and research to showcase stories with “historical depth and understanding”. Nzioka aims to generate interest so that queer stories are not erased:
“As someone who has been telling, differently, queer stories and experiences in Kenya and in Africa, and seeing the work of the GALA (formerly the Gay and Lesbian Archives of South Africa), I was keen to preserve the memory of our Kenyan queer history.”
From Ghana, Solace Initiative, a non-profit working at grass roots level to support LGBTIQ+ people, document violence, and empower people to become community leaders, released a new video that features Ghanaian LGBTIQ+ people speaking about the myths the community faces:
"We believe God himself made us. Got bored with the norm and sprinkled on us some glitter. He made us just a tad bit different but still in his image."
From Ukraine, Natalie Vikhrov spoke to LGBT+ military veterans who are using their public profiles to discourage homophobia. And Tetyana Ogarkova interviewed veteran and activist Nastya, leader of the group “Peer to Peer” that focuses on the psychological rehabilitation of LGBT military persons. They discussed what it's like being a woman on the frontline, PTSD, and living openly as a lesbian despite discrimination.
School Days: As part of the Council of Europe’s efforts to combat the rise of hate speech across the region, its Department of Youth and Department of Anti-Discrimination have organized a 3-month training course to improve educational approaches in addressing hate speech. The course aims to make European activists, educators, and others who work with young people fully aware of the Council’s standards.
Human Rights Watch published a new report called “My Teacher Said I Had a Disease: Barriers to the Right to Education for LGBT Youth in Vietnam”. Interviews with students from rural, urban, private, and public schools revealed that many face verbal harassment and bullying, and some face physical violence. The report found that the country’s sex education curriculum falls far short of international standards.
In Spain, the local government of the Murcia Region is fighting with the country’s central government over the “Parental Pin” policy created by the Vox party. The policy requires schools and other education groups to obtain parental permission before teaching any topics of social and ethical values, especially about gender and sexuality. The national government is taking judicial action against the Murcia government after the region failed to withdraw the parental pin. Writing for The Local, Conor Patrick Faulkner argued that the controversy is “indicative of the global ideological battle between populist and identity politics, symptomatic of conflicting conceptions of what it means to be Spanish”.
Sports and Culture: Although the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) issued new disciplinary codes to combat racism and homophobia during games last year, leagues have continued to struggle with controlling the behavior of spectators. FIFA implemented a procedure that enables referees to halt play when they become aware of discriminatory behavior. Spectators are warned over the public address system, and, if the behavior does not end, a referee can end the match. In September, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) implemented a similar plan to stop spectators shouting homophobic slangs. And the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) approved similar guidelines to combat discrimination and particularly racist incidents during matches.
Despite these efforts, unacceptable behavior persists. This past December a high profile match in the UK was paused and spectators warned three times for racist behavior. And in January in Mexico, the match was paused, players sent to locker rooms, and team captain Martín Nervo begged spectators to stop chanting homophobic slurs. When the game resumed, so did the chants. The FMF sanctioned the entire stadium and the match was played later with no spectators at all.
UK fans have said that anti-LGBT chanting is getting worse, not better, over the last year. The Scottish Football Association launched a campaign to educate fans that ant-gay language is an illegal hate crime—with stadium announcements, posters, and other advertisements. And Sports Media LGBT+ launched “Rainbow Ready”—a resource pack and strategy for sports media to use LGBT inclusive and appropriate language.
The UK’s first openly gay pro soccer player, Justin Fashanu, was inducted posthumously into the country’s National Football Hall of Fame. Fashanu’s niece accepted the award on his behalf:
“I always thought he was a brave man, doing this to respect who he was - but as time passes, I'm thinking 'wow'… we're still waiting for a current footballer to say 'this is who I am, and I'm going to follow in Justin's footsteps and I'm going to be real about my sexuality and who I am so I can live the best life I possibly can'.”
top image by Ashley Nicole Taylor