US: Black pastors launch African tour to counteract Rick Warren’s anti-gay movement

Spearheaded by The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, Bishop Rev. Dr. Yvette Flunder and Bishop-Elect Pastor Joseph Tolton, the organization’s international outreach ministry has launched a month long tour of key African nations where LGBTI communities continue to experience extreme discrimination and persecution. These countries include: Uganda, Rwanda, Cote D'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya. 

Until April 30, 2015, Pastor Tolton will be on the ground working to provide an uplifting alternate Christian narrative. The message advocates for inclusion, economic justice and the reconciliation of all people of African descent globally.

“As black gay Christians who identify with Pentecostal worship and as people of social justice, we are countering the work of conservative, mostly white American evangelicals who are doubling down on their attempt of spiritual colonization of Africa,” said Pastor Joseph Tolton.  Read More

New Zealand: Urgent attention needed on trans and intersex healthcare

Parliament’s Health Select Committee has heard that the lack of healthcare services for trans and intersex people is a priority public health issue where urgent intervention is needed. 

Auckland counsellor and advocate Tom Hamilton told gathered MPs that trans and intersex people and their whanau find wide variety of care standards. Lack of expertise results "in frustration for the community, which leads to further delay in treatment, possible mental health deterioration and extra costs being met by the individuals … or individuals actually educating the health professionals to improve their experience of care.”

Hamilton’s submission follows a petition urging the government to take action “to address the inadequate supply of publicly funded gender reassignment health services, including counselling, endocrinology and surgical services, in New Zealand”.   Read More

Brazil: HIV-Specific criminal law introduced amid media frenzy and moral panic over ‘barebacking’ gay subculture

A simply worded amendment covering ‘heinous crimes’– which currently includes murder, extortion, rape, child exploitation and spreading an epidemic that results in death – adds individuals who “transmit and infect consciously and deliberately others with the AIDS virus. (sic)” was presented to the Brazilian Parliament by the populist Congressman, Pompeo de Mattos.

The bill has considerable support thanks to an outbreak of moral panic that began with an article in the daily newspaper, O Estado de S. Paulo, that uncovered the gay ‘barebacking’ subculture and further suggested that some men were deliberately passing on HIV to unsuspecting partners. Days later, it was reported that police were now looking into the allegations.  Read More

Ireland: Catholic Church ‘will pay price’ for stance on gay marriage

A conference discussing the religious case for marriage equality has heard there will be “a price to be paid” by the Catholic Church for its stance in relation to the upcoming referendum. Marriage Equality: The Religious Case for a Yes Vote was hosted by Faith in Marriage Equality at Trinity College Dublin.

Vice-provost Prof Linda Hogan said: “Theologically speaking, there are no impediments to gay and lesbian people marrying in a civil ceremony. People of faith can exercise their freedom of conscience to vote yes to lesbian and gay people marrying in a civil ceremony. This debate is being framed as religious people being no voters with everyone else voting yes. This couldn’t be further from the truth. People of all faiths support sharing the freedom to marry with gay and lesbian couples."

Church of Ireland bishop Michael Burrows said he was supporting a yes vote in the referendum: "I have come to believe that the rights of gay people have become, very properly, the great justice issue of our time just as the abolition of slavery and the emancipation of women were in the past. I could not vote against this proposal because of my utter abomination of homophobia."  Read More

Cuba: Lesbians receiving unequal treatment from health services

A new report finds that in addition to other forms of discrimination, lesbian and bisexual women in Cuba face unequal treatment from public health services and their specific sexual and reproductive health needs are ignored.

Lesbians receive less information about STI prevention than other population groups and they have fewer welcoming institutional spaces where they can socialise and discuss their problems, said the report. The research study debunks the myth that engaging in lesbian sex avoids all infection risks, although these are indeed much lower than for other sexual behaviours.

Women represented 18.5% of the 2,156 new HIV-positive cases diagnosed in Cuba in 2013, bringing the total number of people living with the virus to 16,400, according to the Ministry of Public Health. Read More 

Brazil: Politician claims 'gay blood' should be separated

A Brazilian Congressman Jair Bolsonaro claimed patients receiving blood transfusions should be able to demand ‘heterosexual blood’.

The congressman said his party, the far-right Progressive Party, wants to introduce a policy which would see people be made aware if they are receiving blood from a gay donor. Patients should also be allowed to ask to not receive the blood if it makes them uncomfortable and, instead, request blood donated by a heterosexual person.

Blood donations from men who have sex with men were previously banned completely, but in 2013 the ban was lifted allowing MSM to donate if they are in a long term relationship or if they have not had sex in the past 12 months. Read More

France: National ethics body rules for indefinite ban on gay blood donation

France's National Consultative Ethics Committee (CCNE) believes maintaining a ban is not a matter of gay rights, but a health issue as there are still “scientific uncertainties” on the risks of using blood from homosexuals.

“Giving blood is not a right. What matters most is the health and the protection of the receiver,” said Jean-Claude Ameisen, president of the CCNE. The committee says that lifting it now “could expose people to medical risks, which should be taken into consideration from an ethical point of view."

The ban covers people who habitually practice same sex relations, and those who confessed to even a singular gay contact during preliminary interviews for potential donors.

President of the LGBT Federation, Stephanie Nicot, called it absurd: "It's risky behavior that should lead to exclusion, and only a temporary one, not the fact that you are gay or you had a homosexual relationship 20 years ago. This is an extremely worrying sign," he said. Read More

Bhutan: UNDP study on stigma, discrimination, & Universal Access in the gay and trans community

The new report looks at barriers Bhutanese gay men and other men who have sex with men and transgender people have in accessing health services. In addition to the strengths, limitations and needs of the health services dealing with marginalized peoples' sexual health, the study puts forth a set of concrete recommendations. Find the report here 

Eastern European and Central Asian MSM and transgender people are absent from HIV dialogue

A new report from the Eurasian Coalition on Male Health finds men who have sex with men and transgender people are not involved in strategic discussions around HIV in most nations of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Lack of reliable epidemiological data, high stigma, and policies that restrict the access of MSM and TG to information on HIV are key factors that preclude the two key populations from meaningfully participating in the country dialogue processes, contributing to HIV/AIDS program planning, and otherwise cooperating with the Global Fund.

 “The absence of key populations of MSM and transgender people in the country dialogue challenges the legitimacy of these processes in our region,” says Vitaly Djuma, ECOM’s Executive Director. Read More 

Dominican Republic: I apologize if I insulted anyone but I am not a homophobe

Former Dominican Republic president and current presidential candidate Hipólito Mejía pushed back against reports that his use of derogatory words were against LGBTs.

"I never meant to make fun or belittle human beings who have been marginalized and harassed," Mejía said in a statement. "If that was misinterpreted as an insult, I have no problem offering my apologies and reiterating that it was not, nor is, nor would be my intention; that's not how I behave."

Mejía used the Spanish word "mariconcito" which translates to "little faggot" last week during an event when he joked that a campaign consultant suggested he practice sitting down like a "mariconcito" when doing media appearances if he wanted his poll numbers to increase. Read More