US: Promoting the PrEP pill for HIV prevention among Latinos

Latinos are disproportionately affected by HIV, making up about 21% of new infections nationally, though they represented about 17% of the population. Latinos are more likely than non-Hispanic whites and blacks to get diagnosed later in the course of their illness, raising the risks to their health and the likelihood of transmission to others.

In California, New York, Texas and elsewhere, health workers are trying to get more high-risk Latino men to use the pre-exposure prophylaxis drug, Truvada--shown to be more than 90% effective when used correctly. But health workers are encountering barriers among many Latinos.

Among them are a lack of knowledge about the drug and the stigma attached to sleeping with men or perceived promiscuity. Many Latinos also have concerns about costs and side effects. For instance, a study with gay and bisexual Latino men in Texas, finds 58% of those surveyed see themselves as good candidates for PrEP, compared to 82% of non-Hispanic whites, according to preliminary data. Read More

US: Obama signs Executive Order for new National HIV/AIDS Strategy

Updated to 2020, a new HIV/AIDS details principles and priorities to guide the collective national work to address HIV in the US over the next five years. Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy, Douglas Brooks said that the level of HIV infection in the U.S. is “stable overall, but the risk to gay men remains severe. We still have an HIV epidemic, especially for young black men.”

Brooks said HIV “remains a major health crisis for the United States.” Despite successes in treatment and prevention, certain groups, highlighted by Brooks, remain a priority in the new strategy. This includes gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men of all races and ethnicities, black women and men, Latinos and Latinas, people who inject drugs, people between the ages of 13 and 24, people living in the Southern United States, and transgender women.

Brooks noted the particularly high burden of HIV among black transgender women and black gay and bisexual men, especially among young men. Read More

UNAIDS chief: Today's HIV epidemic is 'completely different'

The health community is celebrating a victory at the Third International Financing for Development conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this week: the successful completion of the 6th Millennium Development Goal for combating the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Speaking on the sidelines, UNAIDS Executive Director was asked on the challenges moving forward to bring an AIDS-free generation. 

One concern raised was that HIV programing and funding has expanded beyond HIV. Michel Sidibé noted that the epidemic is 'completely different' than it was 30 years ago, noting that there are multiple epidemics and multiple 'driving forces of death.' He continued: 

"It’s the same for reforming laws. With bad laws you know that people will just go underground. Gay people are not anymore reached in many places because of homophobic laws. I don’t think they are going beyond their mandate, because giving only pills is not changing the face of the epidemic. We are talking also about restoring [the] dignity of people."  Read More

UN says major strides have been made to eradicate HIV and AIDS

The world has exceeded the UN goal of reversing the spread of HIV around the world by the end of 2015, according to a new report from UNAIDS, titled: How AIDS changed everything.

The 515-page report says that since the Millennium Development Goals were set in 2000, unprecedented strides have been made to eradicate HIV and AIDS: 15 million people with HIV are now on antiretroviral treatment, up from fewer than 700,000 people in 2000, and new HIV infection rates have fallen by 35%. The number of deaths related to AIDS has fallen by 41%. Combating AIDS, malaria and other diseases was one of eight goals UN member nations and other organizations pledged to address by this year.

There's still much work left to be done in the fight against HIV/AIDS, especially in relation to LGBT people, sex workers, and intravenous drug users around the world, who are often ignored and discriminated against. And nearly half of people living with HIV do not know their status.

"HIV prevention efforts need to be adapted to respond to the new realities and needs of men who have sex with men," the report says. It adds that transgender people are typically excluded from public policy discussions as well as social services for HIV/AIDS and measures should be taken to eliminate gender-based violence and inequality. Read More

Access the report, infographics, and other tools here.

France: First out gay MP gets married

Luc Carvounas has become the first gay French parliamentarian to tie the knot since same-sex marriage was legalized in May 2013. The Socialist Party senator said yes to his partner Stéphane Exposito to cheers and applause at the town hall in Alfortville, where he is also the mayor.

‘This is a great day for me and I’m happy to share it,’ Carvounas, 44, said. 'The people of Alfortville know who I am. For ten days, I have had nothing but positive feedback that counterbalances what is happening on social networks.’ Carvounas filed two complaints of homophobic threats to himself and his partner, which led to the arrest and conviction of a man on Friday.

The wedding was also an occasion that brought a divided left together. Prime Minister Manuel Valls, President of the National Assembly Claude Bartolone and First Secretary of the Socialist Party Jean-Christophe Cambadélis were among the nearly 300 guests.

‘This is both normal and symbolic. This is the implementation of a law, a breath of liberty and of tolerance,’ the PM said. Although more than 8,000 gay couples have married in France, gay marriage opponents – including former president Nicolas Sarkozy – are calling for the ‘marriage for all’ law to be repealed.  Read More

Russia: From Burning Hearts To Civil Unions: The Unlikely Evolution Of Dmitry Kiselyov

Somewhere around the 98th minute of his weekly news roundup and commentary for Russia's Rossiya television channel this week, Dmitry Kiselyov got around to saying something truly unexpected.

In his coverage of the US Supreme Court, the head of Rossia Segodnya, Russia's massive state-controlled media conglomerate, came out in favor of same-sex civil unions: "We can figure out how to make life easier for adult people who want to take upon themselves -- including in a contractual way -- the obligations to care for one another. After all, love can work miracles," he added. "Who is against that?"

To be sure, it was a tepid statement from someone who is more famous for colorful pronouncements such as his March 2014 reminder that Russia is capable of turning the United States into "radioactive dust." In April 2012, Kiselyov raised eyebrows with this declaration on homosexuals: "[Gays] should be prohibited from donating blood or sperm. And their hearts, in case they die in a car accident, should be buried or burned as unfit for extending anyone's life." Read More

Germany: Angela Merkel says gay couples should not call their unions ‘marriage’

Angela Merkel has come out against gay marriage, revealing she agrees with civil partnerships but believes matrimony is just for men and women. The German Chancellor backed equal benefits for same-sex couples, such as tax breaks, and said discrimination should be ‘eliminated’.

But the committed Christian, who has been married twice, gave her personal definition of marriage as ‘a man and a woman living together’, in a YouTube interview. “We have come a long way; when I remember, 25 years ago, many people didn’t dare to say that they are gay or lesbian. Luckily we overcame this; you can enter a partnership, a civil partnership."

German interviewer Florian Mundt, pressed her: "So you could say: no to discrimination, but we’ll keep differentiating between the two." The Chancellor, whom US magazine Forbes has rated the most powerful woman in the world, replied: "No discrimination. Marriage is a man and a woman living together." Read More

Taiwan: In wake of US ruling, Taiwanese rally for gay marriage

Thousands of gay rights supporters marched through Taipei, months ahead of elections that are likely to usher in a pro-gay party and could make Taiwan the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage. Protesters waved rainbow flags, lit candles and shouted "gay votes are still votes" as they marched between parliament and the headquarters of Taiwan's two main political parties.

Taiwan is one of Asia's most gay-friendly places, boasting a vibrant social scene and little overt discrimination. Polls show a majority in favour of gay marriage, and a recent study commissioned by the Ministry of Justice advocated legislation. There is no formal recognition of same-sex couples, however, and many young people are still reluctant to come out to their parents.

"There's a huge generational split on the issue," said Mei-Nu Yu, main author of a stalled marriage bill. Yu's Democratic Progressive Party supports gay causes more than the ruling Nationalist party, whose fortunes have been in steep decline, particularly among young people who accuse it of cozying up to China. Large Chinese cities have thriving gay cultures & there's public discussion of gay rights, but the government has detained activists in a crackdown on civil society. Read More

Japan: LGBT group files human rights complaint in bid for same-sex marriages

Hundreds of members of the LGBT community filed an unprecedented request with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) in a bid to legalize same-sex marriages, saying Japan’s failure to recognize the practice constitutes a violation of human rights.

Coming on the heels of what lawyers behind the move called a gradual softening of traditional prejudice toward gays in Japan, the bid by 455 individuals is the first attempt to legalize same-sex marriages by appealing over human rights. The JFBA, the nation’s biggest bar association, will investigate the allegation and, if necessary, issue a warning to the central government to review its approach toward the matter.

“If issued, the warning will be quite comprehensive, formulated based on the bar association’s meticulous research and analysis,” lawyer Toshimasa Yamashita told a news conference in Tokyo. “It will likely be used as a reference in Diet sessions or trials whenever the topic of same-sex marriages arises.” Read More

Peru: Why Peru is a long way from same-sex marriage

Same-sex civil unions may have been rejected 7-4 in March by a Peruvian congressional committee, but it’s no longer uncommon to see same-sex couples holding hands in public. The latest legal loss has done little to dampen the resolve of those fighting for change. If anything, the massive, nationwide conversation it’s prompted is spurring them forward.

El Movimiento Homosexual de Lima (MHOL) calls itself Latin America’s oldest gay and lesbian organization. MHOL’s current executive director Giovanny Infante says it has grown to be a national force in the push for equality, especially protection, for Peru’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations.

Infante worries the international community is too fixated on Peru’s economic growth and its culture, less so on its human rights: “Latin America should be heading a different direction,” he says, referring to the direction taken by more and more gay-marriage proponents worldwide. “The urgency is that people are being murdered... We have to focus on conditions that allow people to live, such as access to health care, education, housing, work, protection against HIV and hate crimes.”  Read More 

Australia: Indonesia dismisses suggestion relations with Australia could be affected if same-sex marriage legalised

Indonesia's foreign ministry has dismissed the suggestion relations with Australia could be affected if same-sex marriage was legalised in Australia. Australian Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has said Asian countries could see Australia as "decadent" if same-sex marriage was legalised. And Senator Eric Abetz suggested that if Asian countries did not accept same-sex marriage then Australia should not either, pointing to the often-repeated phrase that for Australia this was the Asian century.

Spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said the issue was one for the Australian Government as it was an issue of Australian law: "As I understand it, is a national legislation, national rules and legislation ... and it has nothing to do with ... our national law."

He said Indonesia's law on marriage would stay the same. In addition to not allowing same-sex marriage, Indonesia doesn't allow people from different religions to marry, though some are attempting to challenge that law. Read More 

Spain: Dear America, Some advice from a country where gay marriage has been legal for a decade

In the summer of 2005, the socialist Spanish government legalized gay marriage in Spain. My overwhelmingly Catholic country, with a legacy of a 40-year-old fascist dictatorship that even banned divorce, surprisingly became the third European Union member to authorize same-sex unions.

Ten years and around 28,000 couples married later, a whole generation of LGBT people has grown up. We have developed our sexual and family choices in an environment where we are as free to marry as we are to eschew marriage as an old-fashioned option. As many in the US celebrated legalizing same-sex marriage across the country, I counted myself lucky to have lived with this freedom for a decade.

Here’s some of what that decade has taught us in Spain’s LGBT community, and some takeaways for our US counterparts: Equality is a daily, unfinished fight; the focus should be on helping the next generations; law can help change ingrained attitudes—up to a point; & legal equality does not mean societal equality. Read More