Middle East funds Gambia as EU cuts aid over human rights concerns

The European Union has withdrawn millions of euros of funding for Gambia due to its poor human rights record, and after Jammeh signed into law an act that would imprison homosexuals for life. The Muslim West African nation will now rely increasingly on donors from the Middle East for development projects. The shift in soft power is of concern to Western governments in a region where Islamist militancy in northern Nigeria and northern Mali is fuelling instability, diplomatic sources said.

"West Africa has a large, impressionable youth population that have no access to jobs. Their loyalty might be bought through aid, sometimes by those sympathetic to the Islamification of the region," said one diplomat. Read More

UNICEF releases its first official, public position on sexual orientation, gender identity and children

The 6-page position paper is available now: All children, irrespective of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, have the right to a safe and healthy childhood that is free from discrimination. The same principle applies to all children irrespective of their parents sexual orientation or gender identity.

Both the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights make clear that human rights are universal. No person — child or adult — should suffer abuse, discrimination, exploitation, marginalization or violence of any kind for any reason, including on the basis of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Read More 

Reaching gay men: the next big test in HIV/AIDS prevention in China

In the last few decades medical advances have transformed AIDS from a death sentence into a chronic disease. It can be treated and controlled – provided, of course, that a person with the HIV virus is diagnosed. By far the fastest growing group of new cases in China is among male homosexuals, and it’s there that many health experts are concentrating their efforts to check the disease’s spread.

Government figures have revealed nearly half a million people are living with HIV and 25% of new infections are among gay men. For Wu Zunyou, director of the National Centre for Aids/STD Control and Prevention, the critical and most difficult task now to prevent or control the disease is reaching these men, in particular the students.  Read More 

Europe’s HIV response falls short in curbing the epidemic

Europe will miss its 2015 targets for curbing the spread of HIV, says the WHO, with an 80% increase in HIV transmission in 2013 compared with a decade earlier.  “Europe has not managed to reach the 2015 Millennium Development Goal target to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, and time is running out. While we are facing emerging health threats, this reminds us that we cannot afford to drop our guard on HIV/AIDS,” says Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

“Why we have not seen any significant progress in reducing HIV infections during the last decade? Looking at our data, we clearly see that across Europe the populations most at risk of HIV infection are not reached effectively enough, particularly men who have sex with men,” explains ECDC Director Marc Sprenger. In the EU/EEA, sex between men is still the predominant mode of HIV transmission, which accounted for 42% of newly diagnosed HIV infections in 2013.  Read More 

Gay dating app helps spread AIDS awareness in China

A gay dating app in China has received a $30m investment as it becomes increasingly popular among the homosexual community, with 15 million users to date.

In a country where homosexuality has been a taboo subject and authorities often restrict lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender (LGBT) groups, the Blued dating app has become hugely popularity without any restrictions.

In fact, some Chinese officials welcome the app because it is proving a useful tool in spreading information about AIDS prevention. Read More

The 15 shocking HIV and AIDS myths people still believe today

The myths about HIV and AIDS grow each year – making the fight against the virus even harder.
So here is the annual GSN myth buster, with help from our friends at National AIDS Trust.
It’s dedicated to breaking down the prejudices and rumors and giving you some surprises, however much you think you know about the virus. Read More

Google Play takes down homophobic game that had 10K downloads

Google is being criticized after hosting a homophobic app on their Google Play store.

The app, named "Ass Hunter," allowed players to shoot naked gay men that randomly appeared running across the phone's screen.

"This developer is despicable. I cannot comprehend how someone could create a 'game' so willfully ignorant, hateful, vile and violent," said Marcus Hamilton in a review left on the Google Play store. Read more

Transgender and transsexual policy launched by The FA Read

The FA has launched a first-of-its-kind policy on transgender and transsexual people playing football – as it continues its drive to make the game open to everyone.

On Tuesday Wembley Stadium connected by EE plays host to a LGB&T-focused workshop where the new guidelines will be discussed.

Any transsexual or transgender person wishing to play in their affirmed gender can seek to do so by contacting The FA to obtain clearance. Read more

Why 'The Gay Athlete' should be Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year

No story dominated the sports year from January to December like conversations of LGBT issues in sports, and no one embodies the year of 2014 in sports like gay athletes. No individual or group of people deserves to be named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year more than The Gay Athlete.

In January, Conner Mertens made headlines when he came out publicly, making him the first publicly out LGBT active college football player. He went on to finish second on the team in scoring and second in the conference in field goal percentage - all as a freshman.

February was a seminal month for the movement, with the coming out of Michael Sam, Jason Collins' first NBA game after coming out and the Winter Olympics that made LGBT issues a centerpiece of our national sports conversation. Ireen Wust, the out Dutch speedskater, led all athletes with five medals.

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