US: North Carolina enacts law to allow LGBT discrimination

Republican leaders of the North Carolina General Assembly rushed through a bill to repeal all local LGBT non-discrimination ordinances in the state and ban transgender people from certain restrooms. Republicans had unveiled the legislation Wednesday morning, arguing the measure was needed to protect women from transgender people and sex predators. They were reacting to an ordinance in Charlotte — which was scheduled to take effect April 1 — that would protect LGBT people from discrimination in housing and public accommodations.

Despite the focus on Charlotte, the state’s preemption law does more than stymie that city’s ordinance. House Bill 2 mandates that state law supersedes all local ordinances concerning wages, employment, and public accommodations. It also restricts single-sex public restrooms and locker rooms in publicly run facilities to people of the same sex on their birth certificate.

In addition, it bans transgender students from school restrooms that correspond with their gender identity — teeing up a potential legal clash with the federal government, which has found civil rights laws ban transgender discrimination in schools. Read more via Buzzfeed

Canada: Worried about PrEP-resistant HIV? The Doctor who discovered it has some advice

Last week, David C. Knox, a physician and researcher based in Toronto, caused a small earthquake in the world of queer sexual health. He revealed the first known case of a patient contracting HIV despite confirmed adherence to PrEP—the HIV prevention strategy that currently comprises taking a daily pill (Truvada) that blocks the virus from taking hold after an exposure. Although PrEP has been proven to prevent the transmission of HIV with 99 percent efficacy, this particular case has been discussed as the unfortunate one percent: The highly uncommon strain of HIV the patient encountered showed various levels of resistance to many drugs, including those in Truvada.

But is the one percent figure—and the relative confidence it still affords—totally accurate? What variables are in play? And if the percentages are not as simple as they seem, how would that information help PrEP users take further control of their sexual health? I spoke with Knox to find out.  Read more via Slate 

Switzerland: Deferred Hep C therapy in MSM with HIV increases risk for mortality

Hepatitis C (HCV) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people who live with HIV. In many countries, access to drugs to treat HCV is restricted to individuals with advanced liver disease. Using the Swiss HIV Cohort longitudinal study, the research goal was to estimate the long term impact of deferring HCV treatment for men who have sex with men (MSM) who are coinfected with HIV and often have multiple risk factors for liver disease progression.

The study found that early treatment of Hepatitis C could reduce replication of the disease, thereby reducing the risk of transmission. Additionally they determined that delayed treatment increased liver-related morbidity and mortality. Read more via Journal of Hepatology  

Instagram launches #VisibleMe channel dedicated to LGBT youth

Instagram has launched its first channel which is dedicated to LGBT youth. Users were encouraged to include the hashtag #VisibleMe in their posts to tell their story over the social media platform.

Raymond Braun, who organised the campaign, says he intends to shine a “spotlight” on diverse, compelling stories from LGBT youth.

“People are more likely to support the LGBTQ community when they know someone who identifies as LGBTQ, so I hope this project provides a platform and voice to young people, helping them feel empowered and supported.” 

 Read more via Gay Times
 

UK, Hong Kong, US: Pride and Prejudice 24-hour rolling event

'Pride and Prejudice,' challenged policymakers and industry leaders to rethink the future of the global LGBT movement and its impact on business. Attitudes towards LGBT people have changed with remarkable swiftness across much of the Western world. Gay marriage, a bellwether of progress towards equality, is increasingly being written into law. Businesses see competitive advantage in creating a reputation for inclusiveness. Yet global acceptance of LGBT people is not evenly distributed.

Worldwide, the situation ranges from mild intolerance to hostile rejection and violence. In many businesses, the “glass closet” remains a formidable barrier to advancement or authenticity. Discussion about same-sex relationships is controversial in many countries, but in a globalised world, gay rights are now a significant issue.

Participants in Hong Kong, London and New York will take part is a series of globally oriented conversations and tackle the thorny questions pertinent to their region, with a common question in mind: what is the cost of LGBT discrimination? Read more via the Economist

Austria: Families fight Austria's gay marriage ban

The latest case to challenge the same-sex marriage ban in Austria on the grounds that it makes children in the family illegitimate was heard in court this week. Following a change in the law in January 2015, same-sex couples are now allowed to adopt the children of their partners in Austria, although they are still not allowed to marry.

According to gay rights organisation Rechtskomitee Lambda, Austria is the only country in the world which has granted full adoption rights for same-sex couples but not allowed the parents of these children to marry. The lawyer representing a lesbian couple and their four-year-old child argued at the hearing that the ban infringes on the rights of the child because they are forced to grow up illegitimately to unmarried parents.

During the hearing, the judge told the couple’s lawyer Dr Helmut Graupner that he shared his point of view but suggested that it might be necessary to apply to the constitutional court for a change in law.

"Austria made the second, third, fourth and fifth step before the first", he said earlier this year. "The marriage ban must fall, for the sake of the children". Read more via the Local

Putting human rights at the centre of the AIDS response

The Human Rights Council held a special session to discuss progress in and challenges of addressing human rights issues in the context of the AIDS response. In his keynote speech, UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Luiz Loures, stressed that the AIDS response continues to be an instrument for challenging social injustice. He urged countries and all stakeholders in the AIDS response to place human rights and the voice of those most affected by HIV at the centre of the AIDS response.

Participants said that evidence clearly shows that a lack of respect for health-related human rights leads to poorer health outcomes and the transmission of HIV. Discrimination, stigma, violence and other human rights violations continue to undermine efforts to end the AIDS epidemic. The panel called for rights-based responses to AIDS, universal health coverage to ensure equitable access, availability of medicines for all, an end to discrimination in health-care settings and increased investment in human rights programmes.  

There were also calls to eliminate punitive and discriminatory laws that lead to violations of human rights and poorer health outcomes by driving key populations away from HIV services. The panellists stressed that without addressing deeply entrenched inequalities, including gender inequality, and ensuring full enjoyment of sexual and reproductive health and rights, the world will not end the AIDS epidemic. Read more via UNAIDS

Russian crackdown on ‘Gay Propaganda’ extends to Calvin Klein Ad

Here are some things that Russian authorities have labeled gay propaganda: holding & signs that say “Gay is OK”; rainbow balloons; a friendship between a captive goat and tiger; and reporting on gay rights. Now, a Calvin Klein ad is being investigated as a potential offender after complaints were filed in the northern town of Arkhangelsk by locals who watched it on YouTube.

The advertisement, which features two men riding on a motorcycle together and two women running behind a fence and flashing freeway drivers, is the subject of a three-week investigation into whether it violates a 2013 law that legally prohibited promoting “non-traditional sexual relationships” to children. The ad also shows two opposite-sex couples kissing.

The 2013 law has had a chilling effect on LGBT rights activists and LGBT people in Russia, who have reported increased levels of harassment and hate crimes. Last month, a proposal to jail LGBT individuals who are open about their identity found support in Russia’s legislature, though the proposal was ultimately rejected. Read more via Foreign Policy

Ireland: Rates of LGBT self harm, suicide are horrific, says McAleese

Former president of Ireland Mary McAleese has described the findings of a new report which reveals high rates of suicide and self-harm among gay teens as “horrific”. While Ireland revealed itself to be a country committed to equal rights in last year’s same-sex marriage referendum, she said it was clear that the “long-standing architecture of homophobia” will take years to dismantle.

The largest study to date of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Ireland shows gay teens experience elevated levels of suicidal behaviour and depression.

Speaking at the launch of the of the report, she said: “This scholarly report is as essential and revealing as it is horrifying. The ongoing damage is undeniable. That it involves so many young people is tragic. That it is solvable is the good news,” she said. Read more via Irish Times

UK: PrEP policy in disarray after NHS U-turn

Activists, individuals at risk of HIV, and clinicians have reacted with anger to an official U-turn on provision of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). NHS England officials have refused to allow a draft policy on PrEP to go forward for further consideration.

“By denying full availability of PrEP we are failing those who are at risk of HIV,” commented Ian Green of Terrence Higgins Trust. “PrEP has already been approved in the US, Kenya, South Africa, Israel, Canada and France. And yet, our own government refuses to take responsibility for PrEP.”

Although the stated reason for blocking PrEP was that NHS England should not be paying for it, officials did not present a clear path for a way forward. “Today’s statement makes it no clearer who is responsible – is it the Department of Health, local authorities, the NHS or Public Health England?” said Ian Green. “We need answers, we need access, and we demand both.”  Read more via AIDSmap