UK: NHS England reconsiders PrEP drugs after legal threats

The NHS will reconsider a decision to abandon the roll-out of HIV-preventing PrEP drugs to gay men in the UK–after a legal threat. The drug has been endorsed by the World Health Organisation and is already routinely available to at-risk men in a number of countries, including the United States, Canada, France and Israel.

In the UK, a recently concluded two-year study found the drug was greatly effective at reducing the risk of HIV transmission – but in a surprise U-turn last month, NHS England kicked the issue into the long grass today by ordering a further two-year study instead of a roll-out.

The decision had infuriated HIV groups, who have warned that it puts people at risk of HIV transmission and puts the UK well behind other countries. However, after the National AIDS Trust launched legal action over the decision, it today received a response from NHS England confirming that “NHS England will carefully consider its position on commissioning PrEP in light of [NAT’s] representations”.  The body will now meet in May to decide whether to put PrEP back into the decision-making process – just months after opting to stop it. Read more via PinkNews

South Africa: An African first – LGBT business network to be launched

In a major boost for South African LGBT businesses and entrepreneurs, an agreement to start an LGBT business network has been struck with the US National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). Headed by The Other Foundation, a task team has been set up to begin the process of establishing the network – an African first. It will promote, empower and give a voice to LGBT businesses, advocate for LGBT supplier diversity and inclusion among corporates and provide networking opportunities for its members.

Speaking at the event, openly gay MP Zakhele Mbhele (DA) commented that many of the issues facing the LGBT community, including the heightened vulnerability of black lesbian women in particular, could be directly linked to the country’s socio-economic inequalities. He said that the economic development of all South Africans is vital, adding that, “We have to get the basis of this country fixed to tackle these manifestations of homophobia”.

Xhanti Payi, a trustee of The Other Foundation, told the audience that prejudice and discrimination has often kept LGBT people out of work in South Africa; affecting their ability to make a living: "We need to create spaces where people can create their own businesses and succeed,” he said, describing the founding of the network as “a very important initiative”.  Read more via Mamba Online

Greece: Civil Partnership Rights, LGBT claims and human rights agenda in times of crisis

Stella Belia is a Greek activist for LGBT rights. She is the President of Rainbow Families organization, which represents Greek families of same sex parents and their children and strives for equal opportunity policies. She works as a kindergarten teacher in Athens and raises five children with her partner.
 
The introduction of a civil partnership law in Greece (December 2015) brought to the forefront  the question of  LGBT rights in the Greek society, and it is in this framework that Rethinking Greece* asked Stella Belia to answer questions on the current status of LGBT people in Greece, the human rights agenda in times of pauperization and crisis, the perception of homosexuality in Greek public opinion as well as possible conflicts between more traditional values and the liberal mindset that permeates the international LGBT agenda.
 
The recent enactment, with a broad parliamentary majority, of the of same-sex partnership law is regarded as an important milestone in the history of LGBT claims in Greece. How do you assess this development? Read more via Greek News Agenda 

Australia: Gay CEOs unmoved by church pressure on marriage equality

Fairfax Media reported that the Archdiocese contacted Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce and SBS chief executive Michael Ebeid, urging them to reconsider their public endorsement of same-sex marriage.

Both companies were among hundreds of Australian corporations to pledge their support for the Australian Marriage Equality campaign last year, and both chief executives addressed a high-profile breakfast hosted by the AME in May.

Shortly after the AME campaign was launched, the Archdiocese addressed letters to many of the organisations involved, including Qantas, SBS, Telstra, the Football Federation of Australia and law firm Maurice Blackburn.

"I wonder whether you have questioned whether it is the role of a corporation such as yours to be participating in such an important matter that impacts all of Australian society now and into the future," wrote Sydney Archdiocese business manager Michael Digges. 

Read more via Catholic News

Australia: Transgender woman raped ‘over 2000 times’ in men’s prison

Mary was still as the car pulled closer towards the threatening prison gates and a place that was soon to become her hell on earth. As she stepped into the reception area of the jail, she felt all eyes fall upon her as she continued to walk closer to her cell.

See Mary, not her real name, wasn’t just any “normal” prisoner — she was a transgender woman who was about to be locked behind bars with men. Mary was sickened by what happened to her in that Queensland prison, Boggo Road, as it was known in the 90s.

She has lived in fear for decades, with regular flashbacks to the disturbing things she lived through while in jail.  Read more via news.com.au

Kuwait: 41 men arrested in 'gay raid' of massage parlor

41 allegedly ‘gay men and trans women’ have been arrested for prostituting themselves in a massage parlor in Kuwait.

Police sent an undercover officer to the parlor in the capital of Kuwait City to pay for a ‘massage’, a cost of 10 dinars ($33, €30) and then negotiated for the sexual services.

Homosexuality is effectively illegal in Kuwait. Breaking the law of ‘debauchery’, which is most often used to target the LGBTI community, is punished by prison time of up to six years. In 2015, police launched a crackdown on what they branded as ‘cross-dressers’. Prostitution is also illegal, but is very common.   Read more via Gay Star News 

UK: 'Super-gonorrhoea' is spreading and will become untreatable, doctors fear

An outbreak of highly drug-resistant "super-gonorrhoea" is sweeping across Britain and could become untreatable, medics fear. A national alert was triggered by Public Health England last September after the rare strain of the sexually transmitted superbug was detected in 15 people. However, Public Health England (PHE) is understood to have acknowledged that efforts to contain the spread have been of "limited success". 

The alert comes after Chancellor George Osborne warned resistance to antibiotics will become "an even greater threat to mankind than cancer" without global action. PHE said an increase in cases of super-gonorrhoea was a "further sign of the very real threat of antibiotic resistance to our ability to treat infections".

The British Association for Sexual Health and HIV issued an alert to clinicians urging them to follow up cases of high level drug resistant gonorrhoea and trace their sexual partners. Its president, Dr Elizabeth Carlin, said: "The spread of high level azithromycin-resistant gonorrhoea is a huge concern and it is essential that every effort is made to contain further spread. 

 Read more via the Telegraph 

South Africa: Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom gives keynote at the annual International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association global convention

The 33rd Annual Global Convention of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) is the first business conference of its kind to be held on the African continent. Excerpt from the keynote:

...Perhaps we are now better described as a “Kaleidoscope Nation” – where things are constantly changing and shifting, and sometimes even colliding. But the beauty is all still there. The different colours are still wondrous. The shape and form of our nation shifts continuously, but it is up to us to define the dream, and to shape it.

I have no doubt that our shared dream is of a world where you can love who you choose to love, without fear or embarrassment; where the colour of your skin does not matter; where you can worship in your way, or not worship, if that is your choice. A world where our sameness is more important than our differentness – where you can be you and I can be me and we care for each other.

We became the first country in the world to include a sexual orientation protection clause in our Constitution to ensure the rights of all people. Consequently, LGBT people took pride of place as full and equal members of our society. It filled many of us with immense pride, but it was a hard battle and there was considerable opposition to it from some quarters.  Read more via eTN Global Travel Industry News

Why LGBT and sex worker rights go hand-in-handsex worker rights go hand-in-hand

The fact that many LGBT people end up in sex work is an issue often overlooked rather conveniently by many activists and charities. Sex work is still talked about in moralizing terms, and the LGBT community has sought to paint the picture of LGBT identities as being respectable as a way to win rights such as marriage.

The image of the LGBT world in recent campaigns has been that of white cisgender gay people in long term relationships, often with children. It’s a one dimensional idea that aims to show queer people as heteronormative and matching the moral virtues of conservative bigots. That kind of tactic does little to recognize the humanity of LGBT identities and it also leaves a lot of people behind.  Read more via Huffington Post

China: Gay people pledge not to enter into sham marriages

A social media campaign has taken off among China's LGBT community which sees members pledging not to enter into sham marriages with straight people. Since last week, a number of users on popular microblogging network Sina Weibo have been posting selfies of themselves with the hashtag #I'm gay and won't marry a straight person#.

Several parents of LGBT people have also posted pictures of themselves with signs declaring they would not pressure their children into marriage.

The campaign was started by LGBT rights group Pflag China. Spokesman Zhou Ying told the BBC they had come up with the idea after noticing greater discussion in the media and online on gay rights and the issue of marriages in recent weeks.  Read more via BBC