Groups Disagree With Latest Global Tactic To End The HIV Epidemic

President of the U.N. General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft, right, listens as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon address the opening of the General Assembly high-level meeting on ending AIDS last Wednesday

Some local civil-society groups are infuriated by a recently adopted 'Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS' that aims to end the epidemic by 2030.

The local groups charge that the declaration focuses more on practising abstinence and faithfulness instead of targeting key populations in the fight to end HIV/AIDS.

A government delegation headed by Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton and a small contingent of civil-society groups represented Jamaica at the just-concluded United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, where the declaration was adopted.

It includes a set of targets that must be reached by 2020 to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. These targets have been accepted by heads of government from around the world.

But the declaration, which is being touted as bold and progressive in some quarters, has been called "a globally sanctioned death warrant" by the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC).


MOVING BACKWARDS

The coalition in a release last Wednesday said while the draft declaration had some positive elements, it believes that the exclusion of key populations might help to push the global HIV epidemic backwards.

"Civil-society organisations worldwide are alarmed by its major and unacceptable deficiencies and have rejected the draft due to its glaring exclusion of key populations, such as gay men and other men who have sex with men, sex workers, people who use drugs, migrants, transgender people, and prisoners," said the CVC.

"There will be no ending AIDS by 2030 without a concerted effort to address the needs and human rights of those groups currently marginalised and stigmatised," noted the organisation, which was represented by Dr Carolyn Gomes and Ivan Cruickshank at the high-level meeting.

Executive director of the Jamaica AIDS Support for Life, Kandasi Levermore, said she, too, is very disappointed with the declaration as the language around comprehensive sexuality education is not satisfactory.

"We are kind of disappointed that here we are now, five years after 2011, and we are still talking about abstinence and being faithful strategies, and we are not talking about combination HIV prevention and looking at treatment as a true means of prevention, and focusing on the population that are most at risk for contracting HIV," said Levermore.

MORAL HIGH GROUND

"It's not that we are being immoral or anything; it is just that we are saying those strategies don't appeal to people because they are not taking the moral high ground when they are having sex.

"People are ruled by their physical attractions and emotions and we have not seen that level of maturity in people when they are making sexual decisions about needing to abstain or needing to be faithful," added Levermore.

Executive director of the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG), Dane Lewis, told The Sunday Gleaner that the declaration is weak and is, therefore, unlikely to have much of an impact on the work his organisation does.

"It is disappointing that after more than three decades of research and programmes, which have provided us with unquestionable evidence about the crucial role of human rights in getting us closer to an AIDS-free generation, and the recently agreed Sustainable Development Goals agenda which speaks to leaving no one behind, that this 2016 political declaration is so weak in this regard," said Lewis.

"One would think that by now, all governments would appreciate that this is fundamental to fast-tracking the end of AIDS," added Lewis, who also attended the meeting in New York.

TUFTON'S INTERVENTIONS

Despite his disappointment, Lewis said J-FLAG was pleased that Tufton and the minister of foreign affairs, Kamina Johnson Smith, have committed to forging partnerships to ensure that the country achieves its goal of reducing the impact of HIV.

According to Lewis, he was very impressed with Tufton's interventions at the meeting.

Tufton, in his plenary statement, noted that while Jamaica has made marked progress in reducing HIV infection and eliminating the AIDS epidemic, there is a lot of work to be done.

"While we reaffirm this commitment, Jamaica emphasises that continued attention must be given to comprehensive prevention and treatment - free from discrimination," Tufton told the meeting.

Editors' note: See the full 'Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS' at:

http://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2016/2016-political-declara.

Meanwhile MSMGF had a thing or two to say:

the Global Platform to Fast-Track the HIV and Human Rights Responses Among Gay and Bisexual Men and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men, the United Nations High-Level Meeting to End AIDS (HLM) opened Wednesday amidst a storm of controversy with UN member states approving a very weak political declaration to set global HIV policy priorities for the next 5 years. While the political declaration claims to commit UN member states to “fast-track targets” to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030, the document’s repeated omissions, exclusions, and misrepresentations of gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men, sex workers, people who use drugs, and transgender people as key populations affected by HIV worldwide, lack of commitments to key populations programming, and failure to address legal and policy frameworks that stigmatize and criminalize key populations all raise new barriers and obstacles to achieving targets to end AIDS.

As occurred in May, when a political bloc of conservative UN member state delegations, including Russia, Egypt, and Iran prevented 22 LGBT and drug user advocacy community groups from registering to attend the HLM in New York City, coverage of yesterday’s controversy was picked up by multiple global media outlets, including the Associated Press (reprinted in over 130 publications worldwide including The New York Times and ABC News), The Guardian, Deutsche Welle, and Poz Magazine, among many others.

A Weak Declaration, With a Few Minor Positive Points

While the overall political declaration fails to make adequate commitments on key populations, the final text does include several paragraphs that can be used by advocates to push for stronger programming and inclusion of key populations in HIV epidemic responses. None of these paragraphs are ideally phrased, and advocates will in many cases need to work hard to ensure that policymakers apply these points in a comprehensive and meaningful, rather than tokenistic and insufficient manner. These include:

Paragraph 42, which defines men who have sex with men, sex workers, people who inject drugs, transgender people, and prisoners as key populations globally affected by HIV;

Paragraphs 62a and b, which call for a focus on evidence-based and non-discriminatory access to HIV information and prevention services;

Paragraph 62e, which states the need to “promote the development of and access to tailored HIV comprehensive prevention services” for key populations; and

Paragraph 62j, which commits to “eliminate barriers, including stigma and discrimination in health-care settings” and “to ensure universal access to comprehensive HIV diagnostic, prevention, treatment, care and support.”

Read more 

Transphobic & paranoiac nonsense from The Breath of Change ConnectPray radio show

firstly let us make that clear .........

It’s amazing how some persons and groups who profess Christianity yet are so bitter and spew most times hate and division ever so easily while celebrating vain salvation. 

So it is bad enough we had to stomach a so called concerned citizen statement on May 15 International Day of Families from Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society, JCHS and others based on some fora held at churches targeted in part to bringing down transgender visibility. When said anti LGBT groups run out of targets they simply move to something else; now comes transgender advocacy internationally; of course the usual embellishments are included or lies and such relying on the their own deceptive strategy that of the bloated magnitude of unsubstantiated charges in order to make said charges and accusations appear convincing, then these same religious crackpots claim the LGBT lobby collectively are dishonest but find it necessary to do the very strategy they accuse us of.

After listening to the show the tenets presented goes against the very tagline that groups such as JCHS carry: "Straight Without Hate" which for all intents and purposes sound ridiculous to me.

The usual on the fly terms as ‘sexual anarchy’ ‘sexual revolution’ (the latter which I thought had occurred so many times before) and so were repeated constantly on the Connect Pray show on the TBC radio hosted by Phillipa Davies linked to the JCHS, Lovemarch, Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship and other anti gay groups went to town for just under three hours on declaring transgenderism as insanity on the part of persons who declare that their brain sex differs in their minds from their physical sex and wild accusations and claims of paedophiles everywhere and reputable researchers work as part of some sneaky plan. Miss Davis also in her preamble sought to dismiss the bathroom bill push in the United States as an imposition, ‘being free with your sexual expression regarding of consequences’ and usual ‘exposing deceptions & lies’ Davies also claimed that gender neutral bathrooms will have predators in them to rape women (in a bathroom!); this is indeed sad and laughable but very serious indeed.

Absolutely no mention was made during the three hour show of trans/bi/homophobia (as if it does not exist) or the violence associated or discrimination with it; the vast time of the show was condemnation after condemnation (in the name of righteousness) sadly. Religious fanatics can destroy societies I swear. I was of the understanding that ostracism was never a part of Christ’s agenda lest some forget the alabaster box story. There was repeated referencing of ‘Stop War on Children’ but the documentary only seems to address so called feared sexual education and not the present day atrocities even committed by pastors were totally left out. As May is child’s month I would have thought more emphasis would have been placed on just the sheer numbers of Ananda Alerts (named after a murdered child in the 90s) that appear on television and announced on some radio stations; these religious fanatics are blind to the visible atrocities yet strive so hard to find conspiracies real or imagined in dark places; not to mention the kinds of money that is being spent in the respective campaigns including retaining lawyers for the ongoing buggery case in the constitutional court. Children’s’ homes, places of safety, psychiatric facilities and related outfits have been screaming for help in cash and kind and the assisted housing or relocation of wards of the state or abandoned mental health patients in places such as Bellevue but groups like JCHS or Miss Davies do not see or ignore these concerns. Sex change regrets were also discussed as it to suggest those who do engage such avenues are and will be mistaken.

I thought Christ’s message included inclusion and true tolerance but I am mistaken it seems or my expectations are too high with sheer idiots who make the rest of the church look as paranoid as they are.

Unsubstantiated paedophile accusations

Phillipa Davies

“So that the nature of the man; bisexual, supported paedophilia, engaged in sadomasochistic acts; created pornography films (she quoted Matt 18:7) so this is Kinsey the root, the ideological root of the sexual rights agenda and comprehensive sexual education ..... please understand that corrupt sneaky education came from this sick man; going into children’s homes and places of safety to spread the mind of this sick man; 

removing homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973 came from this sick man; repealing of the buggery law in the UK and the sodomy law in the US was influenced by this sick man; legalizing abortion was influenced by this sick man; calling for respecting sexual orientation arises out of this sick man; Digicel and other businesses in the ‘Respect Jamaica’ campaign want you to respect and endorse this sick man; the sneaking of sexual orientation into the civil servants staff orders for Jamaica civil service to prop up this sick man; the CVCC and the other groups and the University of the West indies firing Professor Bain to hide the truth and keep alive the lies of this sick man; 

the gay activist bringing the challenge to the buggery law is based on the lies from this sick man; and any politician from any party any government official of this sexual so called rights campaign he or she is propagating the madness of this sick man; and any referendum on the buggery law is this question, will you Jamaica endorse this dead pervert and let his warped philosophy become the basis of the laws or will your laws be based on the philosophies coming from the one true living God ....? Listeners I hope you’re catching my drift .............”

Listeners were also asked to pray for the bathroom bill in the US to fail (I find it strange that such a cal should be made when we have our own issues to address via said prayer) and pray for other things not worth annoying God in my view when we have a brain to gain understanding and to practically act. I was not surprised as her mentor Dr Wayne West of JCHS has schooled her well as she performed on point; the issue is though most of what were said in effect lies as she and others like to blast LGBT activists of telling. 

Then came the prolonged blasting of Dr Alfred Kinsey’s work describing his conclusions as ‘sexual fraud’ the fear if not hysteria is just astonishing to me; it is one thing to have a hardened position but totally another when it passes the norm to hyperventilation via the airwaves; then the guest attempted to link Dr Kinsey as a paedophile based on his work on realizing young children even toddlers can have orgasms; the guest also suggested that that was where the recommendation of buggery in schools began without making the link as to how buggery and orgasm in toddlers equate to homosexuality or anal sex at that age. He was accused by Davies and her guest one Dr Reizman (who made all kinds of spurious charges) of influencing the Wolfendale committee on changing the buggery law in the UK in 1957 (later in 1967 after the conservative govt was voted out) and also prostitution and abortion. Davis kept saying the buggery law was “repealed” when it was not but the act was decriminalized with a different age of consent as heterosexuals; the equalization came in the 80s onwards with advocacy from folks like Peter Tatchell. Reizman claimed that Kinsey died from “venereal disease and or damage to the genitals which he was doing all the time to himself; to violent effect on his organs, so that’s the man you have been learning from.”

“The fraud is meant to really cripple the children” Phillipa Davies claimed without proof that Kinsey was a paedophile and went on about the lies as disguised as comprehensive sexual education. Davis also claimed that children were not having sex at young ages in days gone by without qualifying her statement in anyway and again relying on the magnitude factor in order to sound convincing, sadly the few comments on Facebook as the show progressed showed how gullible some folks are. Of course with the advent of Facebook, sheer increase in the nation’s population and so on things once seemed hidden will come to light but apparently Miss Davies is too dumb to see these things.

Kinsey scale

I was of the thinking that a qualified clinical sexologist or related psychological expert would be the ones to determine a paedophile in the face of no victims coming forward and reporting the accused but paranoid antigay voices just wave wild allegations. Then came the shocker that Playboy magazine Hugh Hefner was a virgin until he was 22 until he read Kinsey then he received startup money to spread flawed sex education again without any proof, Davis then linked the home and family life HFLE book as an extension of the way to brainwash children. International Planned Parenthood is also a part of the ‘deception’ in her eyes. She then referenced the 2008 guidelines of sexual education and she named the Nation Family Planning board and accused even the Peace Corps of such good reputation as guilty as ferreting the comprehensive sexuality education; impugning coercion by the organization and some attached to it. I wonder what would the Peace Corps would say and do if they heard the nonsense from antigay religious groups who see conspiracies everywhere.

A representative from the Ruth Institute also added more paranoia to the show which I decided to listen just to prove to myself the nonsense I have been hearing about on the show. The RI guest by phone claims the UN has been infected by those who have an agenda to change societies and cultures and the ‘natural order.’ The interview waded between misconstrued feminism, sexual identity and fear-mongering on terminology such as gender based policies and that such terms are forgetting boys and linking neutrality to the present societal challenges as if LGBTQ and reproductive health agitations are anti Christian and anti family. Not to mention the interspersed selling of either books or previous shows on CD that came too repetitiously for me to stomach.

Then came the usual victimhood ploy claiming the church has been affected by the sexual revolution and the moralizing effect has been or is being polluted if not weakened by the LGBT push with the latest being the transgender visibility agenda; in other words the usual freedom of speech choking deception that these very anti gay religious groups (who make the whole church look bad) a strategy from the Professor Bain matter has worn itself out so the target has now changed. Want more fear-mongering then came the twinning of HIV prevention messaging with so called sneaky ways to impose homosexuality in particular, a penchant Miss Davis the host has and verbalizes it at every chance she gets. Then the repeated and implied fallacy that Jamaica is at war with big countries/ such as the US, EU, Canada et and that they are trying to suppress ‘free speech’

A so called former transgender individual named Walter Hyatt guest joined the show by phone who claimed he realized although he was assigned male he had the surgery but regretted it as he found out it was a disorder (gender dysphoria) and that his grandmother dressed him up as a girl so that caused him to feel feminine, then came the unqualified diagnosis or Bruce Jenner now known as Catilyn Jenner who had issues since his brother’s death after he handed the keys to him and so on. The kind of misinformation that is going out there as legitimate is disturbing and even both persons on the show that Caitlyn is not actually transgender or transsexual as he has not done the surgery; then came the references again to Dr Kinsey and again he was described as a paedophile activist without giving any proof or justification for the listeners. Then came the re-description of LGBT to mean “lambasting God’s biblical truth” and that such persons need to be stopped (he did not say how).

Davies went on another rant claiming the family is being destroyed and to think the entire thing ends in prayer! Even after spewing such hatred, somebody needs help.

Then the repeated “homosexual lifestyle" references which dotted the show, frankly envy of the apparent freedom of LGBT people could be called ‘freedom envy’ in my view. The role of freedom envy in the anti LGBT crusade is confirmed by the repeated and emphatic reference to “the homosexual lifestyle.” This is left a vague generality, as though it were something everyone already understands. The so called “homosexual lifestyle” is associated with a US view of homosexuality and dates back to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and stories of bath houses in places such as San Francisco; hence folks like Dr Wayne West of JCHS uses it as well to vectorise gays in his antigay advocacy. There is no such thing as a ‘homosexual lifestyle’ just as there is no such thing as “heterosexual lifestyle” heterosexual live on a “lifestyle” continuum just as homosexuals do. The continuum includes people in decades long monogamous relationships, people who live in social isolation, people who in into bar scenes etc people who move from relationship to relationship.

Let us put to rest the silliness about “homosexual lifestyle” once and for all; as a phrase it is pure propaganda, a gossipy generalization and completely unworthy of a Christian who, following the counsel in Proverbs seeks understanding and insight into life and people. As Christians some will have to decide if we are going to partake of divisive “party spirit” that racked the church at Corinth or follow Christ as discerning attentive principles – to that still small voice and sharpen concerns for the ostracized instead of creating more strife.

Bear in mind that there is a reference in Luke 17:34 where Jesus in a teaching on the rapture makes what appears to be a neutral non-discriminatory reference where it read (King James Version):

I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

Let me end here for now but I did this post just to show the madness coming from ignorant folks who in an information age refuse to accept the reality. If I may use the JCHS’s own biblical quote they end their newsletters with:

“The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” Isaiah 9: 2 KJV

Bearing in mind King James in whose name the most popular English translation of the Bible is in was actually bisexual; pity the goody King would not have foreseen the work put in would be used as a destructive weapon hundreds of years later.

although the Catholics have a lot to answer for in terms of clerical abuse (more anon) but the message is clear thus far.

Peace & tolerance needed indeed.


H

also see:

Impossible to be gay and Christian

I don’t want to peep in your bedroom ... oh really now

Gays are welcomed! oh really now

More madness from Miss Davies' mentors? then check this one: Lawyers' Christian Fellowship's Shirley Richards says lesbian sex should be criminalized as buggery ....... 2012

Activists target anti-LGBT bias in Caribbean

Attorneys and activists met this week in Grenada to discuss strategy for litigation and advocacy seeking an end to anti-LGBT discrimination in countries in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). This is a press release from United and Strong Inc., Saint Lucia, and GrenCHAP, https://www.facebook.com/groups/grenchap/Grenada, describing the work:

Is litigation around the criminalisation and lack of recognition of the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, currently possible in the countries of the eastern Caribbean?

This was the main question under interrogation as lawyers joined activists representing the rights of LGBT people from September 21–23, 2015, in Grenada.

Veronica Cenac (Photo courtesy of LinkedIn)

Addressing the very real stigma and discrimination faced by LGBT citizens is at the heart of the OECS Litigation and Advocacy Strategy Meeting, co-organised by United and Strong Inc., Saint Lucia, and GrenCHAP, Grenada, with direction from Saint Lucian Attorney-at-Law Veronica Cenac.

Issues facing trans people were among the subjects of the Sept. 21-23 meeting of LGBTI rights activists and attorneys

“We must address the human rights of LGBT citizens in the OECS and we are on a path to full recognition of these human rights through litigation and advocacy,” says Janice Stephen, Vice-President of the Board of United and Strong. She says of the process, “It was a positive experience. The first two days were informative for me as an activist as it highlighted some of the contradictions in the constitution, and opportunities and barriers in the law. But it was not only about the law over these few days it’s clear that the LGBT community has individuals that can stand up for us.”

Participants have experience working in or with human rights-based organisations in countries that include Dominica, Antigua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and Barbados, They have, through their work, direct knowledge of the deleterious effects of criminalisation on adult same-sex relationships and gender non-conforming people, and are well-placed to identify challenges and map the way forward. Also among the thirty-three participants were persons sharing experiences of litigation in Jamaica and Belize. Representatives of CVC[Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition], Heartland Alliance, Arcus Foundation, Human Dignity Trust, Open Society Foundation and the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network brought a wealth of knowledge on, and resources for, litigation and advocacy within the Caribbean.

Damarlie Antoine, GrenCHAP’s Director of Research, states:

Damarlie Antoine (Photo courtesy of GroundationGrenada.com)

“There’s no argument, not religious nor legal, that can justify the continuous discrimination and de-humanisation of OECS citizens including Grenadians based on gender identity or sexual orientation. It is due time for our governments to take a stand against the prejudice and discrimination meted out to our citizens based on gender and sexual orientation.

“Quiet diplomacy hasn’t worked and democracy has arguably regressed in the Caribbean, so now human rights have to be demanded through legal challenges.”

The discussions were anchored by Cenac, with over 17 years’ experience in related legal work and a long history of contribution to the movement. She said the discussions were “the beginning of a move among LGBT activists in the OECS and Barbados to demand the extension of basic human rights protections to them. There is no rational basis for the exclusion of citizens under Constitutions that seek to protect all citizens. Documented violence and abuse against LGBT persons or any other minority is unjustifiable in democratic societies founded on the rule of law and principles of human dignity.”

Participants take a break from planning LGBTI rights strategy to enjoy the scenery at the Flamboyant Hotel in Grenada.

The three-day meeting is expected to be the beginning of a long process that includes extensive research and development, ultimately leading to legal protections from discrimination against same-gender loving and gender non-conforming citizens of the Eastern Caribbean and recognition of the human rights of all.

Is ‘The Most Homophobic Place on Earth’ Turning Around?

So Time magazine has covered the work of Angeline Jackson of Quality Citizenship Jamaica, QCJ given the acknowledgement from President Obama during his visit to Jamaica in April 2015. 

The timing of this article could not have been more opportune as anti gay voices have long used the old 2006 article and still do up to a day ago on a recent radio show from the same magazine which supposed to be a question was made to become a label as us being the most homophobic place on earth, when really while we have our unique version there are places elsewhere that are far worse.

 

Time carried this:

Attitudes toward civil rights in Jamaica are changing — but more needs to be done

not included in the article

In 2006, Time magazine called Jamaica “the most homophobic place on earth.” The country was experiencing excessive violence and hate crimes against gays and lesbians. Three years later, a friend and I were robbed and sexually assaulted in Jamaica. We are both lesbians. When I first reported the incident to the police, an officer told me I should “leave this lifestyle and go back to the church.” But I didn’t. I reported the incident and testified against my assaulter. I became an advocate for other women like me.

In April, at a town hall meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, President Barack Obama included my story when he spoke about a generation that cares “less about the world as it has been, and more about the world as it should be and can be.” These two moments—when an official insulted me and when the U.S. president acknowledged me—show how far Jamaica has come in the last few years.

Although the LBGT community in Jamaica still faces challenges on many fronts, attitudes are changing, as detailed in a recent report from Human Rights First. Given this momentum, international partnerships and pressure on the government have the power to help change the lives of LBGT Jamaicans.

Jamaica’s “anti-sodomy law,” a holdover from British colonial rule, criminalizes “the abominable crime of buggery” and acts of “indecency” between men. Few have been convicted under the law, but many use it as pretext for unfairness and violence. Broadcasting companies have cited it when refusing to air ads promoting tolerance and respect for LGBT people. Dancehall music artists have used it to justify violent homophobic lyrics.

Many LGBT youth are forced to live on the streets after being kicked out of their homes. People can lose their jobs because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Many avoid healthcare centers, even for HIV treatment, for fear of mistreatment. Mobs have attacked and even killed LGBT people. Few are investigated for these crimes, and even fewer are convicted.

Those with intersecting identities, such as lesbians, bisexual women, and transgender people seem to get a double dose of gendered violence and prejudice.

Overturning the “anti-sodomy law” requires not just a legal case but a transformation of social attitudes. Last year, threats forced activist Javed Jaghai to withdraw his challenge to the law. A 2011 poll found that about 76% of Jamaicans oppose amending the law. Even larger majorities believe that homosexuality is immoral.

But against this grim backdrop, there is hope. Officials including Public Defender Arlene Harrison Henry, Minister of Justice Mark Golding, and chair of the Jamaican National Family Planning Board Dr. Sandra Knight have spoken boldly in favor of the human rights of LGBT people. Reverend Margaret Fowler of United Church ministers to homeless LGBT youth and urges her congregation to do the same. Anglican priest Father Sean Major-Campbell has welcomed LGBT people into his church.

Just last month at a Human Rights First reception for International Day Against Homophobia, I stood next to reggae singer Etana, as she told a room full of people on Capitol Hill that we must work to make Jamaica a place that is safe for all people. Another prominent reggae singer Tanya Stephens has created constructive dialogue around the issue, and her song “Do You Still Care?” humanizes the experience of members of the LGBT community in Jamaica. 

A range of groups—including Quality of Citizenship Jamaica, J-FLAG, the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition, Pride in Action, Aphrodite’s PRIDE, and the Colour Pink Group—also support the change.

Together, these leaders are changing the narrative around LGBT human rights in Jamaica.

Now is the perfect time for the United States to act. President Obama is very popular in Jamaica and could have a huge influence in promoting the rights of the country’s LGBT people. Newly appointed Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBT Persons Randy Berry traveled to Jamaica last month. He should work to partner with Jamaica to combat homophobic violence and unfairness. The tourism industry and other U.S. businesses in Jamaica should also make changes to ensure that their LGBT customers and employees have access to a safe, supportive environment.

There’s a Jamaican phrase, “Every mickle mek a muckle,” which means “Every little bit adds up.” I am looking forward to the day when LGBT Jamaicans can live freely thanks to the combined efforts of civil society and our partners to bring about “the world as it should be.”

ENDS

I know this appearance alone may not be enough to change the label perception but at least the headline indicates the magazine is aware of the trajectory though ever so slowly the change is happening.

also see:

Angeline Jackson on Obama Effect?

Obama Hails Jamaican Lesbian Advocate's Work

LGBT Envoy Wants To Get By With A Little Help

No Buggery Law Removal says Justice Minister

Healthy coalition nonsense! indeed

J-Flag Says It Wants More Done For LGBT People

PM scolds gay-rights protesters in New York ..

Aphrodite’s P.R.I.D.E. Jamaica Seismic Project wraps

Aphrodite's P.R.I.D.E Jamaica is four years old

Another LGBT Group launches with a mature lesbian focus ........................... (my post on QCJ & Angeline from 2013)

Quality Citizenship Jamaica ............ One Year on

Aphrodite's P.R.I.D.E Jamaica's World Conference on Youth 2014 Participant Report

Aphrodite’s P.R.I.D.E. Jamaica Seismic Project Summary 2014

Peace & tolerance

H

Stop Denying Homophobia! (Gleaner Letter)

The letter writer refers to an article from JFLAG's Programs persons and Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition CVCC (yes the group who funded the JFJ Sex Ed course that has only landed the struggle in more problems than solving any) board member Jaevion Nelson, you decide on this one readers, sometimes I have to wonder where some folks live? 

The referred article is in orange:

THE EDITOR, Sir:

This letter is in response to Jaevion Nelson's article 'Jamaica not as homophobic as portrayed' (Gleaner, July 3, 2014).

Two senior journalists - Gary Spaulding of The Gleaner and Karyl Walker of the Jamaica Observer - made some salient points at the press conference which was held last month by the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition about the portrayal of Jamaica as a rabidly homophobic place.

We supposedly come from and live in "the most homophobic place on earth". However, while there are scales to measure the people's negative attitudes towards non-heterosexuals, there is no real or accepted way - as far as I know - to determine if or how homophobic a country is.

What makes a country the most homophobic? Is it the murder of LGBT people (in one of the most murderous countries worldwide)? The impunity perpetrators enjoy (which is not uncommon to any one incident)? Is it the number of LGBT people who have had to seek refuge abroad? Is it the stories they tell (this is really what Karyl was getting at)? Is it the existence of an antiquated legislation that peers into the bedroom of consenting adults or the strident activism of an anti-gay movement that seeks to limit the rights and dignity of LGBT Jamaicans?

Unfortunately, what many people know about Jamaica is violence and that is often limited to homophobia. In 2012, I met a young man in York, England, who was terminally ill and had not been out of his house much in the last few years. He felt empowered to apprise me of how, in Jamaica, there is nothing but machete-wielding mobs lynching gay men. I tried desperately to convince him that there is another reality - not for everyone - but I was seemingly inept at doing so. Apparently, I didn't know what I was talking about. I've met so many others like this young man man who believe being LGBT in Jamaica is a death sentence.

DIFFERENT REALITY

I am not denying that many Jamaicans who are or perceived as LGBT are not subject to hostility on a daily basis. I'm not denying that many have had to seek refuge abroad or that a great many living in Jamaica aren't dying for an opportunity to escape. Many LGBT Jamaicans I know are imprisoned with fear and extremely anxious about being a victim of anti-gay hostility or violence. However, there are many who do not identify with the horrific stories that are told every day. I wish foreigners could hear this reality, too.

It doesn't help that we have been inundated with news reports and documentaries of people who have been harassed, beaten, displaced, made homeless, and murdered, among other things, over the last 10 years or so. There is a large community of LGBT people living in the gully in New Kingston. Almost a year ago, a homeless young man, Dwayne Jones, was murdered for not dressing as a biological male. This year, Tiana Miller, who is transgender, was denied entry into a soca party because the security said, "No cross-dressers are allowed".

However, in the middle of the hoopla, there is growing resistance - a fascinating resilience that shows Jamaicans are committed to working towards engendering the kind of society we want to live in and enjoy as human beings with dignity and with rights.

Many people have been enlisting themselves in a protest; are actively engaged in a movement that sees everyone as equal - that says sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression does not determine how we treat each other.

There is progress and we must acknowledge it. We must promote this as a sort of passive resistance to the stereotype about Jamaica. There is value in ensuring that LGBT people, especially those who are young, are not victims of our insatiable appetite for the most horrific of gay experiences. And I am not saying there is no value in sharing these stories, but they can be inimical to our efforts, in that they can further imprison people and keep them in the shadows. I am not suggesting homo-negativity is a thing of the past in Jamaica, but proffering that there is a complexity; a multifaceted process that requires our appreciation to move forward with dignity and right.

Nelson is right that the every member of the LGBT community does not have a homogeneous, death-unto-you experience marked by violence. And true, there is no one way to measure homophobia.

However, here is the problem with his article. There is an implicit denial of the shared experience of fear members of the LGBT community undergo.

No matter how much you resist it, no matter how strong you try to be, if you are gay or bisexual in Jamaica, at some point, you are afraid. You are afraid of what your parents, or friends, will do. You are afraid of what the public will do. You police yourself to ensure you conform with the sex-role stereotypes. And, importantly, most LGBT persons cannot openly claim their sexual orientation without some reprisal.

Our society defends and supports such reprisals and this culture of fear. That is the indication of homophobia. It is foolish to look for violence.

We know there are laws that deny rights to this community. We know there are persons who actively support this system of discrimination and we know the community is marginalised. It is culturally accepted and defended. To say we are not as homophobic because there is nothing to measure it is just blind. It is foolish.

I do not think saying "all gay men and women don't have the same experience with violence" is the same as saying we are not a homophobic country.

What it does say is that the homophobia takes many forms, that it varies according to class and education. Ian Boxill has a study that proves this. Homo-negativity is alive and well and publicly showing itself. So for those gay men and women who do not experience it, good for you, but it does not alter the reality I have described and Jamaica's cultural position on sexual difference.

GLENROY MURRAY
jacques_lebeau@hotmail.com
Kingston

ENDS

It seems the younger ones who come into these organizations somehow get "infected" by the very mindset of the older heads. Where one would expect a change of new approaches we see a continuation of old ideologies pushed through new faces. 

Peace and tolerance

H

(UWI) Vice-chancellor E. Nigel Harris - UWI Didn't Bow To Gays

Erica Virtue, Senior Gleaner Writer

University of the West Indies (UWI) Vice-chancellor E. Nigel Harris said the decision to terminate the services of Professor Brendan Bain as the head of Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training Centre Network (CHART) was not a response to pressure from the homosexual or any other community but made after careful consideration and wide discussions with a variety of stakeholders.

"The decision was not made as a result of the gay groups forcing us to make a decision," Harris told The Gleaner last week.

Bain has filed a suit in the Supreme Court challenging the termination of his contract as director of the Regional Coordinating Unit of CHART. The professor is contending that the action of the UWI breached his constitutional rights of freedom of expression and thought.

Church and other groups have been protesting against the dismissal of Bain for four weeks, which yesterday culminated in a mass rally in Half-Way Tree following a motorcade from the UWI's main gate on Mona Road, St Andrew.

But Harris has insisted that the decision to terminate Bain's contract was "a very thoughtful one".

Carefully considered

"I think one of the difficulties with the perception with how UWI acted was that we were responding merely to the gay community. That is not true. This was a carefully considered decision and based on the discussion with public health officials dealing with HIV/AIDS, we also spoke with people in the clergy, people who were gay; we spoke a lot of straight people, and several conversations with Professor Bain himself," Harris added.

Bain, who is a retired professor but who wrote the model and was contracted to run CHART has sued the university for his removal as head of the organisation following his expert testimony in a case involving a Belizean homosexual who is challenging the constitutionality of the buggery law in that country.

Following his testimony, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition, headed by former Jamaicans for Justice executive director, Dr Carolyn Gomes, wrote Harris calling for the removal of Bain, arguing that Bain had lost the confidence of a significant sector the community he served.

In the meantime, Harris has offered the university's corridors to the various churches, civil society and other individuals as well as organisations to dialogue on the controversy and the wider debate of rights and responsibilities of all citizens, including homosexuals.

"What one would have wanted, and we still want, is that we would be a platform for peaceful discussion for some of the very contentious issues that seemed to be dividing us at this point," he said.

"I believe that the irony of all of this is that the university should be a place where there should be an opportunity for free speech, free debate and discussion of peoples with differing points of view."

ENDS

also see and hear podcasts:

Buggery, Bain, Bullshit & Buffoonery in Jamaican LGBT Discourse 

The Hypocrisy of Jamaican Anti Gay Groups & Selective Actions of Societal Ills 

The Hunt for Blood Continues ..... JFJ/CVCC Children’s Homes Sex-Ed Programme Under Police Investigation part 2

More Overreaction to the Jamaicans for Justice Sex Education Course & Media Senationalism

Why did CVCC & JFJ not Fund a Project/Home for Homeless LGBT Youth in New Kingston instead of the Children’s Home Fiasco that now obtains?

Professor's Bain's Testimony Threatened Foreign Funding (Gleaner letter)

Lessons to learn from The Professor Bain Matter?

Ian Boyne: Bain exercised terribly poor strategic judgement

Anti gay religious voices where are they? .... Pastor charged with sexual assault

'UWI had no choice but to dismiss Prof Bain' says Professor Rosemarie Bell Antoine (OAS Rapporteur)

Pro-Bain Protesters To Meet With UWI Today

Buggery the only thing that makes church butts sore?

Interesting times lie ahead folks

Peace and tolerance

H

Rev Devon Dick calls for Dr Carolyn Gomes (CVC/JFJ) to resign re Bain Issue, another ally lost here?

So the Professor Bain conflict of interest HIV CHART matter continues to cause debate and voices from all angles have been sharing their opinions including ones who we do not regularly hear on about homosexuality as it were or the stifling of freedom of speech perception that has been deceptively manipulated by the anti gay groups and voices involved in recent days, protests and church meetings are still being planned and hosted to further push their fear-mongering agenda that somehow some hidden hand are out to get the church and foist homosexuality on the nation. Newsflash homosexuality has always been here.

We have been slowly loosing public tolerant support (private opinions may differ from that support as evidenced as of late) as more persons seem to have been turning or changing their minds in as far as tolerance or was it a show all along? News coming to hand as well that the Child Development Agency, CDA alongside the Ministry of Youth & Culture raising concerns that a Jamaicans for Justice, JFJ sexuality program (Dr Carolyn Gomes is past ED and a current board member) funded by foreign grant makers in places of safety and children’s homes was not approved by both as is required has only sought to strengthen the perception of deceptively by groups with some hidden agenda and hints of conflict of interest as well in some sense.

Reverend Devon Dick who has written on the subject of homosexuality before has been making a turn towards some understanding to even surprisingly include intersexuality issues as evidenced in the last appearance I saw him in person as he made a presentation at the Dr Ena Thomas Symposium Sexual Awareness November last year at the Pegasus Hotel, he among other things spoke on Sexual Healing and his opening remarks sought to be as inclusive as possible: “Good Afternoon ladies and gentlemen and persons of intersex gender” with some laughter coming from the audience and a short applause although a crack it shows some learning is happening but intersex does not suggest the umbrella description is another gender per say. 

However his misuse of the mythological and now stigmatising term ‘hermaphrodite” later in his twenty minute presentation to further describe intersex issues did not sit with me and obviously some other medical experts and sexologists in the room, he however referred to the Caster Semenya timeline where she was treated as an outcast, he then said “.... we must never allow things like that to happen to any other human being based on how their sexuality is viewed, she was prevented from being part of the female running community she should have experienced integration, the faith community becomes defaced for values and decisions that exclude and marginalise and define people as superior and inferior are destroyed, we ought to affirm the humanity of persons rather than defining them based on their sexual practices; it should be gay but persons who are in a homosexual relationship or persons who practice homosexuality; a person is more than what he or she does sexually ..... everybody is somebody first and foremost.” 

Coincidentally Mrs Gomes also made the same "H" word error earlier at the IACHR hearing: Jamaican human rights advocate uses the "H" word in submissions on intersex/lgbt issues at IACHR hearing

Now comes this piece in the Gleaner today with the Reverend calling for the present Executive Director of the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition who has been given the task of carrying on the agitation of challenging the conflict of interest of Bain imperative in that Belizean testimony/affidavit, this of course was started under Ian McKnight as ED but Miss Gomes is “damaged goods” in my view has a public persona problem as her image as an anti-police, anti government, upscale professional woman (of light complexion) with some flawed agenda that has followed her from her stint at Jamaicans for Justice is not helping this at all. She has tried to present the issues as they are but the public rebuff is clear and there seems to be an adage of pushing some “homosexual agenda” so much so that anti gay voice Betty Ann Blaine has asked what is the role of the CVCC bearing in mind the entity has been around for some ten years plus. Whether it has its own conflict of interest is another matter in and of itself as persons who sit on its board also cross sit on JFLAG, JASL and other agencies which makes one conclude that very delay and dithering on certain frontline work needed to meet urgent crisis cannot and have not happened.
Rev Devon Dick wrote:

On April 4, 2014, Carolyn Gomes, of Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition, wrote a threatening letter to E. Nigel Harris, vice-chancellor of UWI, calling for the removal of Brendan Bain as leader of CHART.

Gomes stated: "Professor Bain no longer holds the confidence of civil society in the integrity of his word and work means that we do not believe he can or should remain in a leadership position in the UWI programmes of response to HIV."

This is an exaggeration to claim that Bain no longer holds the confidence of civil society. She does not speak for civil society but for some groups in civil society. The membership of 33 groups would not be a significant membership when compared to the membership of the Church, and the Church is a part of civil society. Her comment about civil society could be regarded as misleading.
Gomes' letter continues, "We wrote asking that you demonstrate unequivocal commitment to promoting human rights for populations made vulnerable to HIV through structural factors by: removing Professor Bain from any leadership position in the CHART programme and all positions of representation of the University of the West Indies (UWI) on issues of HIV and AIDS". Where is the data to support this premise for his dismissal? In addition, there was a news report where she stated that the protest against Bain's dismissal would be futile.

CRUDE THREAT

Gomes appeared crude in threatening Harris: "Your lack of leadership in the exercise of your discretion regarding who heads and implements the CHART programme, and who represents UWI in decision-making spaces, leaves us with few options but to make our concerns known to the widest possible audience, including regional and international supporters, funders and leaders". Apparently, financial pressure was applied to Harris.

Gomes' action has setback tolerance toward men having consensual adult sex with other men. There is a backlash in Jamaica against the homosexual agenda.

Nowhere in Bain's expert witness statement did he state that he was for or against the retention of criminalisation of men who have consensual sex with men.

Professor Bain has resigned from the PACC of PANCAP. Why was that not enough? Why hound him out of a job? Why not wait until his contract ends next year and not renew it? What harm can Bain do by training health workers and caring for persons with HIV?

Good work undone

Gomes' behaviour is similar to that of Butch Stewart and his treatment of three former senior employees. Stewart took them to court and the senior magistrate upheld a no-case submission. Stewart has undone the good work of the past by the treatment meted out to these former employees. Even if letters were backdated, it does not necessarily mean a criminal offence. Why treat loyal, competent persons like that? Similarly, why treat Bain, a loyal and competent worker like that? How kind will history be to Gomes and Stewart because of the way they have treated employees?

There is an allegation that French economist Thomas Piketty appears to have got his data wrong in his best-selling book, Capital in the Twenty-First Century, which argues that inequality is rising and calls for a global wealth tax. Scholars will differ. Unless Bain had deliberately falsified data in his expert witness testimony then he should not be dismissed. Based on Gomes' letter it appears that a grave injustice has been done to Bain and she should resign.

Rev Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church in St Andrew. He is author of 'The Cross and the Machete', and 'Rebellion to Riot'. Send feedback to columns@ gleanerjm.com.

ENDS

I do not like where all of this is going as we seem to be haemorrhaging allies or possible allies in the struggle and HIV prevention work as well as more persons conclude that the Bain issue was a bullying exercise more so than a principled stance and just when it matters most it all crumbles to shreds setting back years of work and sweat to get to where we got prior to May 18 2014 when the story broke.

Peace and tolerance

also see:

Homo-negative & homophobic feedback on the male jogger rape case continues

Professor's Bain's Testimony Threatened Foreign Funding (Gleaner letter)

Queen Ifrica calls on gay community to out paedophiles from amongst its midst

'UWI had no choice but to dismiss Prof Bain' says Professor Rosemarie Bell Antoine (OAS Rapporteur)

Pro-Bain Protesters To Meet With UWI Today

Buggery the only thing that makes church butts sore?

Ian Boyne: Bain exercised terribly poor strategic judgement 

Lessons to learn from The Professor Bain Matter

H

'UWI had no choice but to dismiss Prof Bain' says Professor Rosemarie Bell Antoine (OAS Rapporteur)

As sections of the LGBTQI community express some weariness on the Bain train matter as since May 18th when the story came to light from behind the scenes exchanges from as early as September 2013 the public debate continues. The real issue nearly got lost at one point in the noise since especially from religious voices albeit ignoring other societal atrocities smacking on a kind of selective hypocrisy. Now comes some reasoned pointers from someone in the know of it all.

Professor Antoine wrote:

"THE issue of the University of the West Indies' (UWI's) termination of the short-term contract of Professor Brendan Bain is not at all about academic freedom. Those who say that it is are misinformed, with perhaps a few who are simply being opportunistic.

It is not even about whether or not the statement in Bain's court testimony was true or untrue. At the core, it is about a programme leader publicly undermining the very programme and principles he was mandated to support. By his words and action, he voluntarily aligned himself with, and gave endorsement to, a diametrically opposed, unacceptable message on

an issue of grave import for the UWI.

The essence of the harm, therefore, more so than the content of the words that Professor Bain spoke, is the fact that an authoritative leader of the UWI spoke with one voice with a litigant party whose purpose and objectives are in direct conflict with

the policies of Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training (CHART) Network and the UWI.

This litigant clearly advocates the retention of a discriminatory regime that excludes persons from enjoying rights of equality on the basis of their sexual orientation. Consequently, the testimony instantly became associated with the UWI in deeply negative and enduring ways, placing deep question marks on the UWI's integrity and on its public commitment, not only to progressive notions of

public health and HIV programming, but more fundamentally, to non-discrimination, equal opportunity, justice, and human rights.

It is a fact that the elimination of discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation is a key ingredient of the UWI's HIV programming, which Professor Bain had the honour to lead for many years and about which he testified. Anti-discrimination training is a vital part of CHART's own programme, as conceded in the expert testimony.

Significantly, too, the mandate of PEPFAR and the Global Fund for AIDS, which funds CHART, is "to develop programmes aimed at reducing HIV-related stigma". The mission of UWI's HIV programming, HARP, as well as CHART, from the very beginning, has co-existed with a human rights agenda, a central plank of which is the need to abolish discriminatory laws on sexual orientation.

This is incontestable and no one associated with it can ever claim to have been unaware of this. I can speak authoritatively to this as one who has been intimately involved with the work of the programme from its inception. Further, as an HIV and Law consultant who has been actively engaged for over 20 years in policy development across the region for governments, international organisations and NGOs, including on important issues of human rights and justice, I understand why this must be so.

Having participated in several seminars, workshops and sessions on HIV with Professor Bain, I have witnessed first-hand that in each and every one, an important aspect of the discussions and recommendations has been the need to eliminate discrimination and stigma as a result of sexual identity, which co-exist with HIV concerns, making treatment more difficult.

This enlightened position has certainly become part of the UWI's core values. It is demonstrable, therefore, that UWI's HIV programming itself is closely aligned to and even dependent on, an egalitarian world view which rejects discrimination on grounds of sexual difference.

Professor Bain's long-standing and excellent work on HIV and public health is without question. Ironically, it is precisely because of his high profile that his remarks and chosen association are so damaging to UWI's reputation and credibility.

The retention of Professor Bain in such circumstances threatened to destroy much of the hard-fought gains and trust that UWI has won in the fight against the scourge of HIV and discrimination in general and seriously undermined its own institutional interests. In this context, such testimony cannot be viewed as a mere personal viewpoint, isolated and insulated from CHART and the UWI's policy position.

Indeed, typically, the very reason authorities like Professor Bain are called upon to speak is because of their professional capacity, which is inextricably linked with the institution, the UWI. Thus, Professor Bain cannot separate his personal views from these comments that have come to represent the institution that is the UWI, which is why they are viewed as harmful and irresponsible.

There is indeed room within an academic institution for individual intellectuals to pontificate about what they view as acceptable inequalities in our societies based on sexual identity, or even race, or religion, or any such thing and supposed scientific bases that support those views. However, the academic institution must draw the line when that individual opinion, intentionally or not, becomes associated with the view of the institution itself.

While intellectual freedom is to be protected and encouraged, the UWI has a duty to ensure that on issues where it holds itself up as perpetuating a particular policy for the benefit of the community, the persons who are chosen to take the lead on the matter are demonstrably in accord with that policy.

I cannot think, for example, that UWI could ever appoint an academic known to be a racist, or supporting racist ideology, to head departments devoted to race studies or even history departments, or a person demonstrating that he or she believes or asserts that women are unequal and their place is in the home, to head the Gender Department!

There have been several 'scientific' studies that claim that blacks are lazy and intellectually inferior, or that women are the 'weaker sex'. Does this mean that in the name of academic freedom, the UWI should compromise its core principles of equality and allow its very integrity to be hijacked? I think not.

Professor Bain, as head of CHART, was in a fiduciary relationship, where one is placed in a position of great trust, which in turn, induces greater responsibility and duties of care. Professor Bain, and by extension, the UWI, with this testimony, violated these fiduciary duties owed to persons living with HIV, the LGBT community, and to the many who look to it for protection and guiding principle.

The bottom line is this: Having given this testimony, it would be impossible for this community, the very constituency that he is supposed to serve, ever to trust Professor Bain again. Thus, the UWI had no choice, after careful review, but to change the leadership of CHART.

Professor Rose-Marie Belle Antoine is dean of the Faculty of Law at the UWI St Augustine campus in Trinidad.

ENDS

also see from the Observer:

Jamaicans protesting at the University of the West Indies main gate against the sacking of Professor Brendan Bain on May 26.

Head hunters, Professor Bain and the gay agenda

(L-R) BAIN… treated harshly by UWI says some. QUEEN IFRICA… expressed her non-violent opinion supporting heterosexual only unions and has now been blacklisted

The LGBT community needs to be tolerant too

The latter article reflects the growing view of some that the lobby collectively has an intolerant view of intolerance and hence may not deserve any comfort or tolerance at all for that matter.

Meanwhile the PANCAP Statement released on May 28 2014 spoke to the matter:

STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION DRIVING THE HIV EPIDEMIC IN THE CARIBBEAN

PANCAP STATEMENT

The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) affirms that Professor Brendan Bain's testimony in the Orozco v. A.G. Belize (2012) case is not consistent with the stated goals of PANCAP to reduce stigma and eliminate discrimination and is in dissonance with PANCAP’s ongoing work to remove discriminatory laws and affirm human rights.

PANCAP is of the view that on principle, Prof Bain’s action was not compatible with a leadership position in PANCAP, although the Partnership is inclusive and members are free to have their individual views and beliefs. In adopting an active position of opposing the decriminalization of anal sex between two consenting male adults in private, Prof. Bain has undermined the public health and human rights goals of PANCAP. This view was communicated to Professor Bain during the Fifteenth Meeting of the Priority Areas Coordinating Committee (PACC), a technical committee of the PANCAP Executive Board, which was held via teleconference on 15 January 2014. Professor Bain subsequently resigned as a member of the PACC on 14 March 2014. PANCAP recognizes Prof. Bain’s significant contribution to the HIV response in the Caribbean including treatment and training and to the work of the Partnership and its governance bodies.

Our region is at a critical point where further progress towards an AIDS-free Caribbean is premised on mobilizing a strong and coordinated multi-sectoral effort to remove the legal, social and cultural obstacles that prevent universal access to a wide range of comprehensive and high quality health services. Currently, 11 CARICOM states have laws which criminalize consensual same-sex between adults in private. The Global Commission on HIV and the Law has found that countries that criminalize same-sex sexual activity have higher HIV prevalence rates among men who have sex with men (MSM) than countries that do not; that criminalizing HIV transmission harms HIV prevention and treatment; and that guaranteeing access to reproductive health services can help reduce HIV risk.[1] Specific to the Caribbean, stigma is named as the main reason for the lack of attention to marginalised groups in the prevention efforts, and their general lack of access to HIV-related services, and stigmatising and discriminatory legal and policy measures are common in the regional legal systems.[2] A 2012 Lancet study estimates MSM prevalence in the Caribbean to be the highest in the world at 25.4%.[3] This is in comparison to 1.0% in the general population. The UNAIDS Modes of Transmission (MOT) modeling tool estimates that 32% of new cases in Jamaica and 33% in Dominican Republic occur among MSM.

Recognizing these challenges, the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework (CRSF) 2014-2018 is premised on the understanding that ending HIV is not possible until the human rights of all people, and particularly those most vulnerable to HIV, are fully realized.

In response to the compelling epidemiological evidence that key populations continue to be vulnerable to HIV, PANCAP in collaboration with UNAIDS, is mounting a programme of activities under the theme,Justice for All. The aim of the programme is to promote activities consistent with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights to which all countries are committed. More specifically, it is intended to achieve one of the goals of the United Nations High Level Meeting Political Declaration (2011) to eliminate stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV by 2015 and to uphold the human rights and dignity of all. Phase 1 of the programme involved a series of national consultations in Guyana, Grenada, Jamaica, Suriname and St Kitts & Nevis and a Caribbean Consultation on Justice for All and Human Rights Agenda involving Parliamentarians, Faith, Youth, Private Sector and Civil Society Leaders. Outcomes of the Caribbean consultation are a PANCAP Justice for All Roadmap 2014-2018 and a PANCAP Declaration: Getting to Zero Discrimination through Justice for All. The Declaration will be presented to the Heads of Government for endorsement at their Conference in July 2014. PANCAP will adopt both a bottom up and top down approach to implementing the Roadmap in collaboration with its national, regional and donor partners.

PANCAP is convinced that HIV-related stigma and discrimination which contribute to the persistence of AIDS in our Region can be reduced and eliminated through collaborative programmes, partnerships and policies supported by governments, private sectors, faith-based organisations, non-governmental orgainsations, youth and our other social, regional and international partners. In this regard PANCAP views this current situation as an opportunity for the region to engage in a dispassionate, thoughtful and holistic discussion that accommodates differing views and promotes understanding and inclusion.

PANCAP is a Caribbean regional partnership of governments, regional civil society organizations, regional institutions and organisations, bilateral and multilateral agencies and contributing donor partners which was established on 14 February 2001. PANCAP provides a structured and unified approach to the Caribbean’s response to the HIV epidemic, coordinates the response through the Caribbean Regional Strategic Framework on HIV and AIDS to maximize efficient use of resources and increase impact, mobilises resources and build capacity of partners.

ENDS

There seems no end in sight yet and I am concerned about the cementing views of intolerance and bullies in the push for rights hence the pushback from the public or sections of the religious right movement.

Gay Marriage Smoke Screen, False Dichotomies and Religious Fanatics 05.06.14 

Beyond The Headlines Steven Golding, Dr Wayne West & Prof Rosemarie-Bell Antoine on Bain Issue 

today's cartoon by Clovis ......... oh dear

Peace and tolerance

H