en the epidemic began in the early 1980s, AIDS was known as the disease of homosexuals and was referred to as "the gay cancer" or "the gay plague". When reports of an emerging heterosexual AIDS epidemic started to circulate a few years later, they were met, in the beginning, with skepticism.
While this may have led to speculations that an HIV epidemic based on heterosexual transmissions alone was probably not possible, the epidemic was creating havoc in sub-Saharan African countries, now home to almost two-thirds of total HIV cases worldwide. In these countries, most infections are attributed to heterosexual transmissions, with a rapidly growing number of women becoming infected with HIV.
Meanwhile, an increasing number of women reported with HIV attributed to heterosexual contact was also recorded in various countries, thereby supporting earlier reports of an emerging heterosexual AIDS epidemic. In fact, as more and more new cases of HIV occurred among discordant couples, marriage was referred to as "a leading source" of new HIV infections in developing countries.
Yet despite the great advancement in our understanding of HIV, a number of "basic" questions remain unanswered.
Why did the epidemic reach such devastating proportions in sub-Saharan Africa while it was quickly subsiding in most advanced countries? This question, for example, continues to stir debates.
Various theories however have been proposed, in particular the practice of "concurrent sexual partnerships" in many sub-Saharan African countries, uncommon in other parts of the world. One of the ensuing controversial questions is: Are black people genetically more vulnerable to HIV infection?
Another nagging question is: Why are there so few known cases of woman-to-man sexual transmission of HIV, if such transmissions are as common as they are understood to be? Clearly, a heterosexual epidemic is going on, but perhaps somebody "forgot" to mention that the virus was mostly passing from men to women.
As for women giving it to men sexually, one can hardly ignore the draught of documented literature on the subject.
It certainly looks like scientists might have shied away from getting to the bottom of this "politically incorrect" subject. Perhaps they are purposefully ignoring the possibility that such transmissions may actually be highly unlikely unless under very specific circumstances, considering that "safe sex" messages may lose much credibility if such a scientific discovery was announced to the public.
Naturally, there might also be a hidden agenda to actually nurture the widespread belief that women can transmit the virus sexually to men just as easily as men can pass it sexually to women and to other men.
Experts claim that commercial sex is a significant risk factor in the spread of HIV. HIV prevalence rates among sex workers are indeed generally high. Except for the studies in Kenya and Thailand, however, little is known about HIV prevalence rates among men who buy sex from women. A number of questions relating to HIV-positive men who say they have contracted the virus from sexual contact with women, mainly female sex workers, also remain unanswered.
For example, have these men had sex only with the women or also with male sex workers and/or other men? Have they experimented with injecting drug use some time in their lives? How do they perceive stigma? How knowledgeable are they about HIV?
"Clients of sex workers" have been called an emerging risk group that may serve as a bridge for transmissions of HIV to the general population.
However, while prevention programs targeting this group were called for, experts did not explain how, specifically, most clients of sex workers could be reached in countries where prostitution was illegal, such as Indonesia.
In the developing world, women bear a heavier brunt of the AIDS-stigma compared with men. In countries such as India, for example, women are blamed for their husbands' illnesses and deaths. In many countries, women have been ostracized, shunned, and quarantined. Indeed, women are often blamed for the infection of their partners although there is little evidence to support the allegation.
Researchers agree that most women in developing countries have little control over their social and sexual relationships with men. But there has been an increasing awareness that programs focusing on women alone will not improve gender relations, as such programs tend to ignore the needs of men. Therefore, if the endpoint is "women empowerment", programs need to involve men as well, given that men's attitudes towards sex and sexuality remain little understood.
Quite possibly, cases of woman-to-man sexual transmission of HIV are few, indeed, as it is likely that such transmissions may only occur under very specific circumstances. So perhaps, as a start, we should ask men why they say they got HIV from women, considering that risk factors linked to HIV-infections are based on self-reports.
While self-reports may be substantiated, they are also subject to biases, such as problems of recall, self-deception, perceived stigma, social desirability, etc. By involving men, more effective HIV prevention methods may be produced. Perhaps then, we will also gain a better understanding on how to address the broader inequalities that pose a threat to sexual health.
Only then, there is hope that society will be able to appreciate that women are often blamed as the vectors for HIV infections when they are, in fact, unsuspecting victims.
The writer has a Master's degree in Social Behavior Studies in HIV/AIDS from the University of South-Africa. The above article is based on her PhD thesis proposal. She can be contacted at apelint@bit.net.id
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Gay activists to march in India's biggest ever gay pride parades
Hundreds of gay activists prepared to march in three Indian cities Sunday in the largest display of gay pride in the deeply conservative country where homosexuality is illegal, organizers said.
Gay rights supporters planned to take to the streets of Calcutta, Bangalore and New Delhi with rainbow flags and banners calling for an end to discrimination and pushing for acceptance in a society where intolerance is widespread.
"We are saying for the first time we feel safe enough and strong enough to come out to the streets and say we have our rights and we demand them," said Lesley Esteves, 32, a gay rights activist who helped organize the New Delhi parade.
While small groups have marched in the eastern city of Calcutta in recent years, Sunday's events are the first gay pride parades in Bangalore and New Delhi.
The marches come just days before the Delhi High Court is expected to hear arguments about overturning a law against homosexual sex that dates to the British colonial era. The law, which forbids acts "against the order of nature," carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison.
The law is rarely enforced, but activists say it sanctions discrimination.
"Discrimination is widespread because there is no protection or law or societal understanding," said Esteves. "There's discrimination in the workplace, there's discrimination in the family - it's on every level."
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, a senior leader of India's main Hindu nationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, called homosexuality "unnatural" and said he opposed the gay activists' march.
"I don't think it will be accepted in our country. Most of the people are traditional people, religious people and it will not be accepted in Indian culture," Naqvi said.
Naqvi said BJP supporters would not protest the march because "we are not going to give importance to such behavior."
Still, there are signs that homosexuality is becoming more accepted in India, at least in big cities. In New Delhi, gay and lesbian groups hold biweekly movie screenings and parties, and
organizers say attendance is rising. Newspaper editorials have called for revisions to the law, and prominent writers and activists have signed petitions expressing their support.
Activists say marginalizing gay people is also a serious health concern because it drives them underground and makes them more likely to engage in unsafe sex.
More than 5 percent of gay men are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, compared to 0.36 percent of the general population, according to statistics compiled by the Ministry of Health. An estimated 2.5 million people in India are infected with HIV.(**)
Gay rights supporters planned to take to the streets of Calcutta, Bangalore and New Delhi with rainbow flags and banners calling for an end to discrimination and pushing for acceptance in a society where intolerance is widespread.
"We are saying for the first time we feel safe enough and strong enough to come out to the streets and say we have our rights and we demand them," said Lesley Esteves, 32, a gay rights activist who helped organize the New Delhi parade.
While small groups have marched in the eastern city of Calcutta in recent years, Sunday's events are the first gay pride parades in Bangalore and New Delhi.
The marches come just days before the Delhi High Court is expected to hear arguments about overturning a law against homosexual sex that dates to the British colonial era. The law, which forbids acts "against the order of nature," carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison.
The law is rarely enforced, but activists say it sanctions discrimination.
"Discrimination is widespread because there is no protection or law or societal understanding," said Esteves. "There's discrimination in the workplace, there's discrimination in the family - it's on every level."
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, a senior leader of India's main Hindu nationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, called homosexuality "unnatural" and said he opposed the gay activists' march.
"I don't think it will be accepted in our country. Most of the people are traditional people, religious people and it will not be accepted in Indian culture," Naqvi said.
Naqvi said BJP supporters would not protest the march because "we are not going to give importance to such behavior."
Still, there are signs that homosexuality is becoming more accepted in India, at least in big cities. In New Delhi, gay and lesbian groups hold biweekly movie screenings and parties, and
organizers say attendance is rising. Newspaper editorials have called for revisions to the law, and prominent writers and activists have signed petitions expressing their support.
Activists say marginalizing gay people is also a serious health concern because it drives them underground and makes them more likely to engage in unsafe sex.
More than 5 percent of gay men are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, compared to 0.36 percent of the general population, according to statistics compiled by the Ministry of Health. An estimated 2.5 million people in India are infected with HIV.(**)
Monday, October 6, 2008
On the ""gay cowboy"" movie
It's appalling to see how Jakartans have reacted to the ""gay cowboy"" movie (and that phrase does not describe this film properly at all), to say the least. Jakarta being a metropolitan city with quite an advanced media, I was expecting Jakarta's community to be more open-minded to individuality and the existence of other and beliefs.
How wrong was I. Turns out some members of this community are quite superficial and merely imitate Hollywood hype. They hail a white-supremacist superiority of the rich and ""normality"" -- whatever that term might mean. Allow me to relate my recent experience at the movies. Almost eighty percent of the audience were antagonistic and their behavior resembled that of barbaric people with homophobia -- lashing out at the least intimacy on screen.
The peevish two behind me kept showing their horror by squealing ""Oh my godsh""s (it sounded exactly like that, it seemed an intended cross between Oh my God and Oh my gosh ... well, I've got news for you, honey, ""despicables"" might just pray to the same God(s) as you.) It's two guys in love, get over it. I am sure you knew what you were getting when you stood in the long line and paid for those tickets. If you didn't, then by all means, exit the theater and negotiate for a refund. It would be way better to see your silhouette on that screen briefly than hear your revolting, intolerable shrieks.
I request of you, do not waste good money just to have the most painful movie-watching time of you lives, you have phony charities to give money to pointlessly.
My advice to the above mentioned and their like is, if you want to see Ledger and scream your hearts out, watch The Ring. And Gyllenhaal fans, you can go and catch Jarhead. Bottom line, watching Brokeback Mountain in a public theater here is very irritating and will get on your nerves. I'm just glad Ang Lee isn't Indonesian; his home might be burned or vandalized, he might be scorned, or his family black-mailed and his citizenship removed, or he might get the RUUs upon him too, on the suspicion of having vulgar male-related thoughts.
How wrong was I. Turns out some members of this community are quite superficial and merely imitate Hollywood hype. They hail a white-supremacist superiority of the rich and ""normality"" -- whatever that term might mean. Allow me to relate my recent experience at the movies. Almost eighty percent of the audience were antagonistic and their behavior resembled that of barbaric people with homophobia -- lashing out at the least intimacy on screen.
The peevish two behind me kept showing their horror by squealing ""Oh my godsh""s (it sounded exactly like that, it seemed an intended cross between Oh my God and Oh my gosh ... well, I've got news for you, honey, ""despicables"" might just pray to the same God(s) as you.) It's two guys in love, get over it. I am sure you knew what you were getting when you stood in the long line and paid for those tickets. If you didn't, then by all means, exit the theater and negotiate for a refund. It would be way better to see your silhouette on that screen briefly than hear your revolting, intolerable shrieks.
I request of you, do not waste good money just to have the most painful movie-watching time of you lives, you have phony charities to give money to pointlessly.
My advice to the above mentioned and their like is, if you want to see Ledger and scream your hearts out, watch The Ring. And Gyllenhaal fans, you can go and catch Jarhead. Bottom line, watching Brokeback Mountain in a public theater here is very irritating and will get on your nerves. I'm just glad Ang Lee isn't Indonesian; his home might be burned or vandalized, he might be scorned, or his family black-mailed and his citizenship removed, or he might get the RUUs upon him too, on the suspicion of having vulgar male-related thoughts.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Gay groups angry at Pope remarks
Gay groups and activists have reacted angrily after Pope Benedict XVI said that mankind needed to be saved from a destructive blurring of gender.
Speaking on Monday, the Pope warned that blurring distinctions between male and female could lead to the "self-destruction" of the human race.
The comments were "irresponsible and unacceptable", the UK's Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) said.
Vladimir Luxuria, a transgender former Italian MP, called his words "hurtful".
The row erupted as news emerged that the pontiff is to pay his first visit to the Holy Land in May next year.
It was not "out-of-date metaphysics" to "speak of human nature as 'man' or woman'", he said. It came from the "language of creation, despising which would mean self-destruction for humans".
Gender theories, he said, led to man's "auto-emancipation" from creation and Creator.
"Rain forests deserve, yes, our protection but the human being... does not deserve it less," he said.
LGCM head Rev Sharon Ferguson said the Pope's remarks justified "gay bashing" and bullying.
Mark Dowd, strategist for Christian environmental group Operation Noah, said the comments betrayed "a lack of openness to the complexity of creation".
And Ms Luxuria, who recently lost her seat in the Italian parliament, said suggesting people like her were destructive was very hurtful.
"I'm someone who was born as male and has a spiritual and female soul, and it's contradictory that a Pope just thinks of people just made as flesh and not made of a spiritual aspect."
The Catholic Church opposes gay marriage. It teaches that while homosexuality is not sinful, homosexual acts are.
Earlier this month, the Vatican said that a proposed United Nations resolution decriminalising homosexuality went too far.
"Unjust discrimination" against gay people should be avoided, but the use of wording such as "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" in the text would "create serious uncertainty in the law", it said.
This article has been amended to make it clear the Pope made no direct reference to homosexuals or transsexuals.
'Self-destruction'
Pope Benedict made the comments in an end-of-year speech to senior Vatican staff.
Defending God's creation was not limited to saving the environment, he said, but also about protecting man from himself.
Speaking on Monday, the Pope warned that blurring distinctions between male and female could lead to the "self-destruction" of the human race.
The comments were "irresponsible and unacceptable", the UK's Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) said.
Vladimir Luxuria, a transgender former Italian MP, called his words "hurtful".
The row erupted as news emerged that the pontiff is to pay his first visit to the Holy Land in May next year.
It was not "out-of-date metaphysics" to "speak of human nature as 'man' or woman'", he said. It came from the "language of creation, despising which would mean self-destruction for humans".
Gender theories, he said, led to man's "auto-emancipation" from creation and Creator.
"Rain forests deserve, yes, our protection but the human being... does not deserve it less," he said.
LGCM head Rev Sharon Ferguson said the Pope's remarks justified "gay bashing" and bullying.
Mark Dowd, strategist for Christian environmental group Operation Noah, said the comments betrayed "a lack of openness to the complexity of creation".
And Ms Luxuria, who recently lost her seat in the Italian parliament, said suggesting people like her were destructive was very hurtful.
"I'm someone who was born as male and has a spiritual and female soul, and it's contradictory that a Pope just thinks of people just made as flesh and not made of a spiritual aspect."
The Catholic Church opposes gay marriage. It teaches that while homosexuality is not sinful, homosexual acts are.
Earlier this month, the Vatican said that a proposed United Nations resolution decriminalising homosexuality went too far.
"Unjust discrimination" against gay people should be avoided, but the use of wording such as "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" in the text would "create serious uncertainty in the law", it said.
This article has been amended to make it clear the Pope made no direct reference to homosexuals or transsexuals.
'Self-destruction'
Pope Benedict made the comments in an end-of-year speech to senior Vatican staff.
Defending God's creation was not limited to saving the environment, he said, but also about protecting man from himself.
Clay is gay: Aiken comes out of the closet
The revelation that Clay Aiken is gay hasn't fazed Simon Cowell.
The "American Idol" judge reacted in typically sarcastic form, telling the entertainment news show "Extra": "Wow. That's a shock. It's like being told Santa Claus isn't real. Unbelievable."
Getting serious, Cowell said: "Good for him. If he said it, it's the right thing for him. ... I don't think anyone cares. Let's face it. It's 2008. You know. Who cares?"
The 29-year-old former "Idol" runner-up, multiplatinum recording artist and Broadway star acknowledges his sexuality in an interview with People magazine. He appears on the cover of the latest issue holding his infant son, Parker Foster Aiken, conceived by in-vitro fertilization with friend and producer Jaymes Foster. The headline: "Yes, I'm Gay."
Cowell representative Anne Finn said he was unreachable for further comment Wednesday. His fellow "Idol" judges were not able to be reached: Paula Abdul's spokesman, Jeff Ballard, said she was unavailable, and Randy Jackson's representative, Brit Reece, didn't immediately return phone and e-mail messages.
Cowell might not bat an eyelash, but Aiken's hardcore fans — known as Claymates — are taking the news very seriously. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were reportedly more than 2,000 entries on the message board for Aiken's official Web site.
"We'll `talk' more later, but, suffice it to say, for the first time in recent memory, I am speechless," Aiken writes on his Web site's fan page ClayOnline, according to People. "I'm so proud to know and love all of you."
To read Aiken's newest blog and post a message, the site requires you to join his fan club. Membership fees range from $14.99 plus tax to $29.99, plus shipping and handling for a Clay Aiken tote bag, lip balm and set of Clay Aiken buttons.
Meanwhile, the Aiken fan site ClayManiacs was open for viewing. Response in a thread on the site's "ShoutBox" was generally supportive, though at least one fan was shaken by Aiken's public confession.
"This is really shocking news as I had no idea he was gay," read a comment posted by "Sheridansq." "And now I have to deal with this. I am not sure what to say to people who know I was a fan. ... I didn't go to work today and am not answering the telephone."
In his People interview, Aiken credits baby Parker with making him realize that he could no longer hide his homosexuality from the world. The magazine cover features Aiken holding his son, who was born in August.
"It was the first decision I made as a father," Aiken told the magazine, which arrives on newsstands Friday. "I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things. I wasn't raised that way, and I'm not going to raise a child to do that."
Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, said he hopes Aiken's announcement will help promote tolerance for families headed by gay parents.
"If you're gay, once you have a kid, it's everybody's business, whether you want it to be or not," Jennings said. "All of our members who are gay parents say that what they didn't anticipate was as soon as they had a kid, staying in the closet was impossible. Because what do you say when you go to parents' night?"
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation also applauded Aiken's public admission.
"We congratulate Clay for making this decision and for setting an example for others and his family," said Neil Giuliano, GLAAD's president. "As we're seeing, more and more gay people, including celebrities, are living openly and honestly, and this has tremendous impact in terms of creating awareness, understanding and acceptance."
Aiken, who rose to fame on "Idol" in 2003, has long been the subject of rumors and tabloid fodder that he was gay, but usually refused to acknowledge them. In an interview with The Associated Press two years ago, he said of the talk, "I don't really feel like I have anybody to answer to but myself and God and the people I love."
Aiken said he only told his family that he was gay four years ago. He recalled a tearful discussion with his mother in a car after dropping off his brother, who was being sent to Iraq, at a military base.
"It was dark. I was sitting there, thinking to myself. I don't know why I started thinking about it ... I just started bawling. She made me pull over the car and it just came out," he said. "She started crying. She was obviously somewhat stunned. But she was very supportive and very comforting."
Aiken, who considers himself a born-again Christian, said he knows he may turn off some fans with his admission and his decision to have a child outside traditional marriage.
"I've never intended to lie to anybody at all," he said. "But if they leave, I don't want them to leave hating me."
Aiken recently released the CD "On My Way Here." He made his Broadway debut in January in "Monty Python's Spamalot" and left in May. He has since rejoined the show as the perpetually petrified Sir Robin, one of three roles he plays in the musical.
The "American Idol" judge reacted in typically sarcastic form, telling the entertainment news show "Extra": "Wow. That's a shock. It's like being told Santa Claus isn't real. Unbelievable."
Getting serious, Cowell said: "Good for him. If he said it, it's the right thing for him. ... I don't think anyone cares. Let's face it. It's 2008. You know. Who cares?"
The 29-year-old former "Idol" runner-up, multiplatinum recording artist and Broadway star acknowledges his sexuality in an interview with People magazine. He appears on the cover of the latest issue holding his infant son, Parker Foster Aiken, conceived by in-vitro fertilization with friend and producer Jaymes Foster. The headline: "Yes, I'm Gay."
Cowell representative Anne Finn said he was unreachable for further comment Wednesday. His fellow "Idol" judges were not able to be reached: Paula Abdul's spokesman, Jeff Ballard, said she was unavailable, and Randy Jackson's representative, Brit Reece, didn't immediately return phone and e-mail messages.
Cowell might not bat an eyelash, but Aiken's hardcore fans — known as Claymates — are taking the news very seriously. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were reportedly more than 2,000 entries on the message board for Aiken's official Web site.
"We'll `talk' more later, but, suffice it to say, for the first time in recent memory, I am speechless," Aiken writes on his Web site's fan page ClayOnline, according to People. "I'm so proud to know and love all of you."
To read Aiken's newest blog and post a message, the site requires you to join his fan club. Membership fees range from $14.99 plus tax to $29.99, plus shipping and handling for a Clay Aiken tote bag, lip balm and set of Clay Aiken buttons.
Meanwhile, the Aiken fan site ClayManiacs was open for viewing. Response in a thread on the site's "ShoutBox" was generally supportive, though at least one fan was shaken by Aiken's public confession.
"This is really shocking news as I had no idea he was gay," read a comment posted by "Sheridansq." "And now I have to deal with this. I am not sure what to say to people who know I was a fan. ... I didn't go to work today and am not answering the telephone."
In his People interview, Aiken credits baby Parker with making him realize that he could no longer hide his homosexuality from the world. The magazine cover features Aiken holding his son, who was born in August.
"It was the first decision I made as a father," Aiken told the magazine, which arrives on newsstands Friday. "I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things. I wasn't raised that way, and I'm not going to raise a child to do that."
Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, said he hopes Aiken's announcement will help promote tolerance for families headed by gay parents.
"If you're gay, once you have a kid, it's everybody's business, whether you want it to be or not," Jennings said. "All of our members who are gay parents say that what they didn't anticipate was as soon as they had a kid, staying in the closet was impossible. Because what do you say when you go to parents' night?"
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation also applauded Aiken's public admission.
"We congratulate Clay for making this decision and for setting an example for others and his family," said Neil Giuliano, GLAAD's president. "As we're seeing, more and more gay people, including celebrities, are living openly and honestly, and this has tremendous impact in terms of creating awareness, understanding and acceptance."
Aiken, who rose to fame on "Idol" in 2003, has long been the subject of rumors and tabloid fodder that he was gay, but usually refused to acknowledge them. In an interview with The Associated Press two years ago, he said of the talk, "I don't really feel like I have anybody to answer to but myself and God and the people I love."
Aiken said he only told his family that he was gay four years ago. He recalled a tearful discussion with his mother in a car after dropping off his brother, who was being sent to Iraq, at a military base.
"It was dark. I was sitting there, thinking to myself. I don't know why I started thinking about it ... I just started bawling. She made me pull over the car and it just came out," he said. "She started crying. She was obviously somewhat stunned. But she was very supportive and very comforting."
Aiken, who considers himself a born-again Christian, said he knows he may turn off some fans with his admission and his decision to have a child outside traditional marriage.
"I've never intended to lie to anybody at all," he said. "But if they leave, I don't want them to leave hating me."
Aiken recently released the CD "On My Way Here." He made his Broadway debut in January in "Monty Python's Spamalot" and left in May. He has since rejoined the show as the perpetually petrified Sir Robin, one of three roles he plays in the musical.
Friday, October 3, 2008
A gay life
It's a great story that makes the world go 'round -- apart from love and money. A story that feeds the insatiable human need for information on the condition of others.
And in Indonesia, the material for such tales never ends. A corruption report every day, death by firing squad, celebrity unions, divorces and a serial murder by an unassuming part-time teacher, with extra bodies unearthed every other day.
Oh, and he is gay!
So said the suspect's neighbors, fueling even greater creativity for the big headlines and convincing quotes from authorities.
"Victims of crimes by homosexuals have been proved to be killed in a more sadistic manner," said one detective.
"Gays won't let go of the man they love," a criminologist was quoted as saying. "If he can't have the guy, then no one can," he added, saying that the only option would be murder.
Counterviews, if any, were drowned out.
Once again, our media is guilty of grave errors, perpetuating widespread discriminative views against gays. The media failed in its basic tenet to do its utmost to be fair and balanced, not to mention it failed to be accurate.
On Thursday several gay groups and other human rights activists conveyed their protest in a joint press conference, decrying what has become the finger-pointing at gays in the serial murder case involving victims in Jakarta and East Java.
"We feel more intimidated and scared," said Hartoyo of Our Voice, saying that all the news and views pinpointing gays, instead of the murder suspect, came on top of the fact that homosexuality is already stigmatized in this country.
Prejudice and ignorance is something we share in this highly diverse country. Every now and then people rally against someone, or another group, who is "different", "un-normal," and it feels the logical thing for many to seek answers and pass judgment.
Politically correct has not quite caught up here. The stigmatized or those who speak for them know they're in for a long, grueling struggle to be taken as equal humans with equal human rights.
Once in a while they speak up, as many did Thursday. Mostly those who are stigmatized live in silence and try to live as normal as possible while others glare -- at the "different" sexual orientation, the strange creed, the black skin, the white skin and so forth. Women, and the disabled, who must repeatedly make us understand that they are "differently abled," know the feeling.
One might say there is the genuine ignorance of a kampung-like, fairly homogeneous community which gapes at every weird thing coming its way -- though this is a lame excuse for residents of our metropolis.
But there can be no such justification for the media which is entrusted to do its bit in educating audiences on the wide world beyond their narrow outlooks.
Here then is fertile ground for propaganda, proof that we have moved little beyond the days of the New Order. There was no need for all that pressure -- people here were, and are, so gullible anyway.
Throw in a few authoritative statements and we seek no further; we have the truth.
These days the gay community suffers from the glares and the whispers around them. But it is a people so willing to be fed "the truth" that will sooner or later endanger us all; the "truth" that we are all uniform and that any deviation is wrong.
So much for a pluralist society. We have a long way to go in nurturing respect and compassion in this supposedly friendly country.
And in Indonesia, the material for such tales never ends. A corruption report every day, death by firing squad, celebrity unions, divorces and a serial murder by an unassuming part-time teacher, with extra bodies unearthed every other day.
Oh, and he is gay!
So said the suspect's neighbors, fueling even greater creativity for the big headlines and convincing quotes from authorities.
"Victims of crimes by homosexuals have been proved to be killed in a more sadistic manner," said one detective.
"Gays won't let go of the man they love," a criminologist was quoted as saying. "If he can't have the guy, then no one can," he added, saying that the only option would be murder.
Counterviews, if any, were drowned out.
Once again, our media is guilty of grave errors, perpetuating widespread discriminative views against gays. The media failed in its basic tenet to do its utmost to be fair and balanced, not to mention it failed to be accurate.
On Thursday several gay groups and other human rights activists conveyed their protest in a joint press conference, decrying what has become the finger-pointing at gays in the serial murder case involving victims in Jakarta and East Java.
"We feel more intimidated and scared," said Hartoyo of Our Voice, saying that all the news and views pinpointing gays, instead of the murder suspect, came on top of the fact that homosexuality is already stigmatized in this country.
Prejudice and ignorance is something we share in this highly diverse country. Every now and then people rally against someone, or another group, who is "different", "un-normal," and it feels the logical thing for many to seek answers and pass judgment.
Politically correct has not quite caught up here. The stigmatized or those who speak for them know they're in for a long, grueling struggle to be taken as equal humans with equal human rights.
Once in a while they speak up, as many did Thursday. Mostly those who are stigmatized live in silence and try to live as normal as possible while others glare -- at the "different" sexual orientation, the strange creed, the black skin, the white skin and so forth. Women, and the disabled, who must repeatedly make us understand that they are "differently abled," know the feeling.
One might say there is the genuine ignorance of a kampung-like, fairly homogeneous community which gapes at every weird thing coming its way -- though this is a lame excuse for residents of our metropolis.
But there can be no such justification for the media which is entrusted to do its bit in educating audiences on the wide world beyond their narrow outlooks.
Here then is fertile ground for propaganda, proof that we have moved little beyond the days of the New Order. There was no need for all that pressure -- people here were, and are, so gullible anyway.
Throw in a few authoritative statements and we seek no further; we have the truth.
These days the gay community suffers from the glares and the whispers around them. But it is a people so willing to be fed "the truth" that will sooner or later endanger us all; the "truth" that we are all uniform and that any deviation is wrong.
So much for a pluralist society. We have a long way to go in nurturing respect and compassion in this supposedly friendly country.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Gay men the focus of AIDS awareness campaign
Concern about unsafe sexual activities among gays and male sex workers prompted Hendy M. Sahertian to dedicate his life to raising their awareness of the danger of HIV/AIDS.
His compassion was a result of meeting his gay partner -- an activist who works for the Axis of AIDS (ASA) -- in 1999.
The two established the Pelangi Kasih Nusantara Foundation (YPKN), a non-governmental organization that focuses on HIV/AIDS among gays and male sex workers, in Jakarta on Nov. 7, 1999.
Funded by both the ASA and Family Health International (FHI), YPKN's agenda is to promote the use of condoms in places known to be frequented by gays and male sex workers.
""Every day we go to places where there are gays and male sex workers. We try to build a personal relationship with them first before we provide them with information on HIV/AIDS and finally encourage them use condoms,"" Hendy, who heads the YPKN, said on Saturday.
The focus is on helping them reduce the risk of being exposed to HIV/AIDS due to their sexual activities.
A recent study conducted by the YPKN and ASA revealed that gays account for 10 percent of the male population in Indonesia, and approximately 3 percent of them have HIV/AIDS.
Like female sex workers, male sex workers said they chose the profession for economic reasons, he said.
""It is a cliche reason. The fact is that many of them are gays, but are afraid of the label. They pursue the profession in order to find partners,"" Hendy told The Jakarta Post.
He admitted that persuading them to use condoms was not always easy as many of them regarded sex as a private matter.
""It's difficult because they think we are trying to meddle with what they do behind closed doors,"" he said.
Despite the obstacles, he said he would keep on encouraging them to change their high-risk sexual behavior.
One of his concrete moves will be a campaign on the use of condoms on Dec. 19 in a cafe in South Jakarta.
Hendy said YPKN cooperated with other NGOs such as Mitra Indonesia Foundation and Pita in May to provide counseling for gays and male sex workers.
YPKN also opened a health clinic in May along with ASA and the Indonesia Family Planning Association (PKBI) for gays and transvestites, to provide them with HIV/AIDS treatment, to conduct HIV tests, to distribute antiretroviral drugs and to provide medical care for other sexually transmitted diseases' (STDs).
When asked whether he was concerned that he would contract the virus due to his work with people with HIV/AIDS, he firmly answered: ""No.""
""I used to have that fear before I became an activist. Being an activist has given me a lot of knowledge about how to protect myself,"" he said.(Dewi Santoso - The Jakarta Post)
His compassion was a result of meeting his gay partner -- an activist who works for the Axis of AIDS (ASA) -- in 1999.
The two established the Pelangi Kasih Nusantara Foundation (YPKN), a non-governmental organization that focuses on HIV/AIDS among gays and male sex workers, in Jakarta on Nov. 7, 1999.
Funded by both the ASA and Family Health International (FHI), YPKN's agenda is to promote the use of condoms in places known to be frequented by gays and male sex workers.
""Every day we go to places where there are gays and male sex workers. We try to build a personal relationship with them first before we provide them with information on HIV/AIDS and finally encourage them use condoms,"" Hendy, who heads the YPKN, said on Saturday.
The focus is on helping them reduce the risk of being exposed to HIV/AIDS due to their sexual activities.
A recent study conducted by the YPKN and ASA revealed that gays account for 10 percent of the male population in Indonesia, and approximately 3 percent of them have HIV/AIDS.
Like female sex workers, male sex workers said they chose the profession for economic reasons, he said.
""It is a cliche reason. The fact is that many of them are gays, but are afraid of the label. They pursue the profession in order to find partners,"" Hendy told The Jakarta Post.
He admitted that persuading them to use condoms was not always easy as many of them regarded sex as a private matter.
""It's difficult because they think we are trying to meddle with what they do behind closed doors,"" he said.
Despite the obstacles, he said he would keep on encouraging them to change their high-risk sexual behavior.
One of his concrete moves will be a campaign on the use of condoms on Dec. 19 in a cafe in South Jakarta.
Hendy said YPKN cooperated with other NGOs such as Mitra Indonesia Foundation and Pita in May to provide counseling for gays and male sex workers.
YPKN also opened a health clinic in May along with ASA and the Indonesia Family Planning Association (PKBI) for gays and transvestites, to provide them with HIV/AIDS treatment, to conduct HIV tests, to distribute antiretroviral drugs and to provide medical care for other sexually transmitted diseases' (STDs).
When asked whether he was concerned that he would contract the virus due to his work with people with HIV/AIDS, he firmly answered: ""No.""
""I used to have that fear before I became an activist. Being an activist has given me a lot of knowledge about how to protect myself,"" he said.(Dewi Santoso - The Jakarta Post)
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