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CREA's 7th Sexuality, Gender, and Rights Institute: Exploring Theory and Practice

Applications are due on or before 30 March 2013. To apply online, click here. If you experience difficulty with the online method, download the application from CREA's website (www.creaworld.org) and e-mail the completed form to Sushma Luthra at sluthra@creaworld.org or to CREA at crea@creaworld.org. Send any queries to Ms Luthra as well.

CREA's Sexuality, Gender, and Rights Institute is an annual residential course--begun in 2007--which focuses on a conceptual study of sexuality and its application to program interventions. The Institute examines the links between sexuality, rights, gender, and health, and their interface with socio-cultural and legal issues. Participants critically analyze policy, research, and program interventions using a rights-based approach.

Pahatan yang tercipta ribuan tahun lalu di wilayah terpencil region Xinjiang, barat laut Cina, menggambarkan adegan aktivitas transgender dan biseksual. Demikian klaim yang disampaikan penulis Mary Mycio.

Pahatan yang ditemukan sejak 1980-an ini berasal dari tahun 2000 sebelum Masehi dan diberi nama Kangjiashimenji Petroglyphs. Karya ini ditemukan kali pertama oleh Wang Binghua. Namun, belum ada kajian yang mengaitkannya dengan pornografi.

Baru Mycio yang pertama mengungkapkan gambar yang terdiri dari 100 sosok itu melukiskan adanya partisipan biseksual berjenis kelamin ganda lelaki dan perempuan. Kaum perempuannya digambarkan dengan torso segitiga yang maskulin, dilengkapi dengan pinggul, kaki, hiasan rambut, dan perhiasan.

Adapun lelakinya dipahat lebih kecil, kaki lebih kurus, dan tidak menggunakan hiasan apa pun. Kelompok ketiga, selain lelaki dan perempuan, diidentifikasikan oleh Mycio sebagai lelaki tetapi menggunakan hiasan rambut perempuan.

Salah satu penggambaran menunjukkan adanya pria yang tengah terangsang sambil merangkul pria lainnya. Pasangan pria ini sedang menyaksikan sembilan perempuan dan dua lelaki menari membentuk lingkaran. Di adegan yang lain, satu grup lelaki dan perempuan menari melingkari satu sosok biseksual yang tengah bersiap dipasangkan dengan satu perempuan.

"Tablo ini menunjukkan demonstrasi luar biasa bahwa seks adalah satu satu pendorong di balik terciptanya karya seni," ujar Mycio yang pernah menuliskan buku Wormwood Forest: A Natural History of Chernobyl. Jika memang kajian ini benar, maka Kangjiashimenji Petroglyphs menjadi karya pornografi tertua yang pernah ada.

Dikatakan Viktor Mair, pengajar Bahasa dan Sastra China di University of Pennsylvania, AS, penggambaran ini seperti "Hutannya lingga dan vulva yang diselimuti oleh simbol seksual." (Zika Zakiya/Kompas/National Geographic Indonesia)

Why Muslims should embrace same-sex marriage Omar Kuddus explains his belief that his religion should welcome the love gay and lesbian couples share with each other and allow them to have nikahs, traditional marriage contracts.

Marriage is not about me, me, me but a bond between two people who are in love and want to show the world their commitment to each other.

This is a something the opponents of gay marriage – religious or otherwise – do not seem to grasp. It’s why gay marriage is important and necessary, so we can be equal to our heterosexual friends and companions.
As GSN has pointed out there is a big difference between marriage and civil partnership. The difference between them in the UK illustrates the discrimination and inequality, faced by same-sex couples. That’s why I welcome the vote in parliament last night, opening marriage to same-sex couples in England and Wales. The bill has other hurdles to clear, but last night’s progress was historic.

And to those who oppose equal gay and lesbian marriage, the answer is simple – if you do not like gay marriage don’t marry someone who is gay. But don’t deny me the fundamental human right to marry who I chose and love.

In the eyes of the law, marriage is not a religious institution but a civil issue. Those who get married in religious ceremonies are not legally married until they sign a register that formalizes the union in law. That’s something else religious institutions tend to forget.

In the case of the UK, religious groups that oppose gay marriage have nothing to fear. A quadruple lock has been placed in the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill and they will be able to opt-in to conducting lesbian and gay weddings if they wish but will be protected from being forced to marry people.
Religious institutions including some in my own, Islam, have expressed their concern on the redefinition of marriage, but their arguments have no basis.

In my interpretation of Islam and understanding of the Quran, homosexuality is not a sin. And, as I have also pointed out many times, during the times of the first Caliphs, Muslims did not know what to do with individuals guilty of ‘liwat’ or ‘lutiyya’. No sahabi (companion) of Muhammad could quote a saying or decision of Muhammad relating to this question.

Have religious fanatics got so obsessed with homosexuality that they have forgotten the true meaning of our religion?

Islam is a personal religion between me and Allah. It is a set of guidelines open to interpretation and I believe homosexuality is not haram (forbidden). Allah, who created all mankind, is not cruel and would not create a group that was condemned from birth.

Our religion is about peace and love, it is their duty not to persecute, not to judge. Have they forgotten that?
I do not believe being homosexual is sinful, because Islam is an interpretation of what we as Muslims need to make of our lives.

So as a Muslim am I allowed to get married? I do not see why there should be any objection to a gay Muslim marrying, as we all understand it shall not occur in a mosque or as a religious ceremony, but as an act under civil law.

If marriage is between two people in a loving relationship, and Islam does not condemn homosexuality in the Quran, there is no reason for denying gay Muslims the chance to marry.
Islam promotes family values. As such if two people, even of the same sex, are in a loving union or marriage, and they live their lives according to the guidelines set in the Quran, they are not committing a sin.
Last night all six Muslim Labour Members of Parliament (MPs) voted for same-sex marriage. By doing so they sent a positive message of support to the LGBT community. It shows how liberal, progressive Muslim values are changing.

The same cannot be said about all the Christian MPs who voted against or abstained due to their religious convictions. The islamophobes should take note.

And I believe that a gay Muslim getting married should be able to enter into a ‘nikah’, a traditional matrimonial contract.

Whilst nikahs have until now usually been the reserve of heterosexual Muslims, I am aware other gay Muslims had followed this route previously, even when they have entered a civil partnership or as an alternative to marriage.

To perform a nikah you don't have to have an official imam, but just someone who is knowledgeable enough about the Quran to preform it.

To deny gay Muslim couples the right to a religious union goes against the teachings in the Quran.
According to Imam Daayiee Abdullah: ‘Since Islamic legal precedence does not allow same sexes to wed, Muslim societies make it a legal impossibility within Islam. But by not allowing same-sex couples to wed, there is a direct attack on the Quran’s message that each person has a mate who is their “comfort and their cloak”.’

As a gay out proud man I am entitled to equality and not to be treated as a second-class citizen. As I cannot find a justification that bars me from marrying someone of the same sex in my interpretation of my religion, Islam, the state and the law should recognize this fact and allow me this right.

[Source: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/why-muslims-should-embrace-same-sex-marriage060213]

“SEX AND THE MARKETPLACE

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?”

IX IASSCS CONFERENCE

We are glad to announce that scholarships submission for the ninth biennial meeting of the International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society (IASSCS) has already started today. The Conference, entitled “Sex and the Marketplace: What’s Love got to do with it?”, will take place from 28^th to 31^st August 2013 in Buenos Aires-Argentina. This conference is co-organized by the Study Group on Sexualities (GES for its initials in Spanish), Institute Gino Germani, School of Social Sciences, University of Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina.

The main focus of the upcoming IASSCS International Conference will be the increasing commodification of social and sexual relationships, in both sexual/erotic and emotional dimensions. IASSCS will award a limited number of competitive scholarships to assist as many people as possible with the limited resources available, thanks to the support from our sponsors: The Ford Foundation, Hivos and Open Society Foundations.

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS HAVE ALREADY STARTED!

Applicants will have to create a Conference profile. This profile is the only gate through which users will be able to submit an abstract, to apply for post-conference training or apply for a conference or post-conference scholarship. To create a profile, please click here http://www.iasscs.org/profile/public/

TYPES OF SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE:

1. IASSCS Conference Scholarships: Available to all applicants. Priority will be given to young researchers, activists and students whose abstracts have been selected. DEADLINE: MARCH 1^st 2013.

2. Open Society Foundation (OSF) Conference Scholarships: Available to those individuals who have demonstrated previous advocacy activities or linkages to grassroots organizations of transgender and sex worker movements. DEADLINE: MARCH 1^st 2013.

3. IASSCS Post-Conference Training (PCT) Fellowships: Available to anyone interested in attending the seven-day Post-Conference Training Program following the IASSCS Conference. Available only to those applicants who have been selected to present their work at the conference. Applicants may apply to both the IASSCS Conference Scholarship and the PCT Fellowships, if they wish so. DEADLINE: MAY 15^th 2013.

Funding will not be granted to those participants who received grants for the past conference. If you have received a grant to participate at the Madrid VIII Conference, please do not apply. Individuals from developing countries and the Global South are strongly encouraged to apply.

To find out more on submission guidelines, eligibility, and selection criteria, please visit our website: http://www.iasscs.org/2013conference/scholarship.htm

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION IS STILL OPEN!

REMEMBER THAT THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING YOUR ABSTRACT IS MARCH 1^st 2013

Pink Dot Okinawa

We are going to hold 'Pink Dot Okinawa' in order to show our solidarity with a same will/wish to realize more tolerant and inclusive society for LGBT. We think the color of pink is a symbol of love, peace and inclusiveness. LGBT & Allies communities in Singapore started 'Pink Dot' in 2009, and same events has been held in cities in the U.S. or other countries. The color of pink also reminds us of 'PinkShirtDay' which call for anti-bulling in schools. The day originated from an action by 4 students. They bought and distributed 50 pink shirts after a male student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt on the first day of school. Having been inspired and moved by these activities, we decided to hold 'Pink Dot Okinawa.' We hope to enlarge more tolerant and inclusive society in / from Okinawa with global LGBT & Allies communities. 'Pink Dot Okinawa' is to on 14th July in a park in Naha city, Okinawa. We release further information as details are fixed. Okinawa is one of the most famous tourist areas in Japan and well-known for its mixed atmosphere with Japan and other asian areas. We hope that a great number of LGBT & Allies participants from all over Japan and foreign countries visit Okinawa and gather in 'Pink Dot Okinawa.'

Mosque for gay Muslims to open in Sweden

Mr Bibak-Abadi is the director of Homan organisation for gay rights. He is originally from Iran. He says the idea behind this mosque is to create a better, more friendly environment for gay people in Sweden.

“We need a space where gay people can feel free to be who they are…we can gather in this space, talk, and support each other…this centre welcomes people from any religion or sexuality,” Bibakabadi said.

Hundreds back civil unions at first public hearing in Bangkok

Over 200 LGBT rights supporters turned-out on Friday to Thailand's first public hearing into granting partnership rights to same-sex couples.

The Thai government began to look into legalizing same-sex marriage last year. A committee of policy experts, lawyers and LGBT rights activists, including Anjana Suvarnananda, began to draft legislation a few months ago.

The hearing on Friday, held at Chandrakasem Rajabhat University in Bangkok on Friday, was the first of a series to gather public opinion on same-sex marriage.

The next public hearing will be in Chiang Mai in the northwest of Thailand on Friday (15 February) and Khon Kaen University in the northeast on 22 February. After that the public opinions gathered at the hearings will be scrutinized by the cabinet.

LGBT rights supporters say that if the cabinet rejects the bill then they will collect 10,000 supporting signatures of eligible voters and 20 MPs, Bangkok Post reports.

If the bill becomes law Thailand will become the first country in Asia to recognize same-sex partnership rights.

Governments in Taiwan and Vietnam are looking into similar legislation, but no plans to legalize same-sex unions are imminent in those countries.

Last June a Thai design company created an infographic outlining the issues that face same-sex couples in Thailand by showing how two university graduates, one gay and one straight, have different rights.
'Even though Eak pays tax and has the same citizen responsibilities as Ton. Yet Eak still cannot get married, even if he wants to,' said the narration to the animation.

[Source: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/hundreds-back-civil-unions-first-public-hearing-bangkok110213]

Findings from the Global Men’s Health and Rights Study

We’ve very pleased to announce that fact sheets summarizing findings from the 2012 Global Men’s Health and Rights Study (2012 GMHR) are now available in the following languages:

The fact sheets present findings from the MSMGF’s recent report, “Access to HIV Prevention and Treatment for MSM,” featuring information on access to HIV services among MSM globally. The fact sheet also details barriers and facilitators that were found to impact access to HIV services for MSM, offering potential targets for interventions to increase access to services.

We hope that the information contained in this fact sheet will aid advocacy and programmatic efforts to increase access to HIV services for MSM in diverse contexts. Additional reports and fact sheets are forthcoming as analysis continues.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments.

Kind regards,

The MSMGF

French parliament votes to legalise same-sex marriage

French MPs on Saturday approved the main clause in a bill to legalise same-sex marriage, despite huge protests earlier in the month that saw hundreds of thousands of people in Paris oppose the measure.

France's National Assembly has approved a key article of a controversial bill that would allow same-sex marriage and grant gay couples the right to adopt children. Members of the lower house on Saturday voted 249-97 – with most deputies from the ruling Socialist Party voting in favour – to drop the legal requirement that a marriage in France must be between two people of the opposite sex.

To become law, the measure must now be approved by France's Senate. The motion is supported by President Francois Hollande of the Socialist Party.

The draft law, the first major social reform of Hollande's presidency, has sparked major protests as several hundred thousand people massed at the Eiffel Tower in Paris last month to protest against the plan. The latest news has further prompted fresh protests in several towns on Saturday.
The BBC reports that opinion polls suggest that around 55-60% of French people support gay marriage, though only about 50% approve of gay adoption.

The bill marks one of France's biggest social reforms since the abolition of the death penalty in 1981.
Since November 1999, France (then also under a socialist government) introduced Pacs (Pacte civil de solidarite) mainly to allow same-sex couples to register their civil unions although opposite-sex partners are not barred from it. The system accords some but not all of the joint tax and financial privileges of their married counterparts but does not provide parenting rights. Reuters reported that in 2010, there are 251,654 heterosexual marriages and 205,558 civil unions, 94 percent of them between opposite-sex couples.

The final vote is scheduled for February 12.

Same-sex marriage is also up for debate in neighbouring Britain this week although senior local Conservatives are urging the prime minister to delay any parliamentary decision on gay marriage until after the next election. Currently, civil partnerships for same-sex couples are legal in the UK, and provide the same legal rights as marriage. However, gay marriage supporters say the distinction implies that gays and lesbians are inferior.

The Cultural & Religious Debates on HIV/AIDS in the Muslim World By Dominic Bocci*

On December 8, 2012, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) hosted a Red Gala Dinner at the Fairmont Hotel in Cairo, Egypt to raise awareness about the virus and how it affects the lives of over three hundred thousand people across the Arab world.

The by-invitation-only event featured high-profile celebrity attendees, including satirical television show host Bassem Youssef, and focused on the theme of supporting women and children affected by HIV.
The event showcased items made by local designers and even featured artisanal cupcakes from a trendy Cairo-based bakery. These items were later auctioned off and the proceeds were donated to Alexandra-based NGO, Friends of Life, which aims to provide comprehensive support to people living with HIV.

The gala fundraiser was covered by local media and may soon be featured in a photo spread in a prominent regional fashion magazine.

Missing from the evening’s programming, however, were stories about those communities most vulnerable to the virus, as well as discussion of the on-going cultural and religious debates happening at a global and regional-level surrounding HIV/AIDS.

This article is meant to encourage that conversation.

HIV/AIDS in the Muslim World – Scholarship and the “Facts”

Until recently, studies focusing on the intersection between HIV/AIDS and Muslims or Muslim-majority countries have been scarce.

Scholarship from the 1980s and 1990s focused on HIV-infection rates in Africa and examined Muslims as a statistical demographic group, if at all. Those articles that did touch on the Muslim world examined the fact that the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in the Middle East was dramatically lower than other parts of the globe, leaving one author to ponder in 1997, “Will Egypt Escape the AIDS Epidemic?”
It was not until much later that discourses on the relationship between religion and growing public health concerns began to emerge, producing enduring stereotypes. Religious pamphlets distributed throughout the Middle East and abroad detailed the writings of Muslim scholars, who portrayed HIV/AIDS as an illness pertaining to European and American homosexuals and who characterized HIV as a non-Muslim disease.

Reflecting on the lower-rates of infection in the Muslim world, American academics began to posit whether, in fact, Islamic regulations on sexuality, usage of intoxicants, and male circumcision contributed to a certain degree of immunity from HIV transmission for the Muslim community.
Only within the past two years have comprehensive scientific studies focusing on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region been published, attempting to fill the widely acknowledged knowledge and data-gap in the HIV/AIDS world map.

In 2010, the World Bank released Characterizing the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in the Middle East and North Africa: Time for Strategic Action, a report highlighting data collected from twenty-three Muslim-majority countries.
This groundbreaking work concludes that action must be taken by governments in the MENA-region to prevent the emergence of a widespread HIV epidemic. As reflected in the report, HIV infections exist in every country in the region with governments failing to control the virus’s spread.

As scholars and public health practitioners have warned, if no increased data-collection, prevention campaigns, or treatment programs are implemented, epidemic-level HIV outbreaks will likely occur among injecting drug users (IDUs), men who have sex with men (MSM), and female sex workers (FSMs) throughout the region.

Today researchers are asking, once again, why it is that Muslim communities appear to have lower rates of infection. Some recent articles have gone so far as to conclude that rates are lower in developing Muslim-majority countries because Muslims are less likely than Christians and Jews to have premarital sex.
While recognizing the influence of culture and religion on sexual and reproductive health, studies such as these add little value to discourses on Islam and run the risk of characterizing the religion as a universally standardized set of practices. To the contrary, Muslims throughout the world exhibit differences in both the practice and understanding of the teachings of Islam.

Notwithstanding advances in data collection and analysis on HIV/AIDS in the Muslim world, current academic work in the field of public health and sociology would greatly benefit from even richer data and ethnographic depth. While sustained interested in HIV-related scholarship should be encouraged and commended, more emphasis should be placed on both sexuality and reproductive health education, as well as anti-stigma and discrimination efforts to protect those already infected with the virus.

IDUs, MSM, FSWs – Susceptibility, Vulnerability, and Beyond

As noted above, the three groups – injecting drug users (IDUs), men who have sex with men (MSM), and female sex workers (FSWs) – are not only increasingly susceptible to contracting HIV, they also are more vulnerable to infection than the general population.
Each group, often seen as morally corrupt, antagonistic to traditional values, or simply a threat to the social fabric, faces heightened levels of discrimination that are aggravated by unfavorable state policies.
The following section details the challenges faced by each of these groups and some corresponding religious issues that increases their susceptibility to infection.
Injecting Drug Users (IDUs):
As a major source, route, and destination for the global drug trade, MENA countries—including Iran and Afghanistan—have witnessed an increased rate of HIV-prevalence in IDU-communities.

Through the use of non-sterile injecting equipment, IDUs often become infected with HIV. The network structure among injecting users additionally encourages risky sexual behavior, which may lead to infection.
Discussions around injecting drug users have focused on the authoritative sayings and traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (hadith) and Qur’anic verses associated with intoxicants (khamr). Some Qur’anic verses detail avoiding intoxicants, which are seen as temptations by Satan, so that one may live a prosperous life.

While IDUs are often denied compassion and viewed as sinners, the larger objectives of Islam can be read to encourage treatment for drug users. Scholars have argued that the principles of Islamic law (maqasid al-shariah) encourage harm reduction programs—public health strategies that tolerate otherwise risky or illegal behavior in order to reduce the consequences of certain behaviors—that may be justified on the basis of a drug-user’s personal struggle (jihad).

Men who have Sex with Men (MSMs):

In addressing men who have sex with men (MSM), it is worth noting the distinction between MSM-sexual practices and identification with those acts. Some have argued that terms like homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, gay, etc. are Western identity-categories, which have been imported from Europe and the United States.
Regardless, MSM should not be treated a synonym for gay or homosexual. Rather, MSM includes those individuals who may or may not identify as heterosexual, be married to a woman, or be a sex worker and have sexual relationships with other men.

Much like in Christianity, issues emerge from textual interpretation and conservative understandings of homosexuality and, more generally, sodomy. Current debates on homosexuality and Islam are prevalent, particularly regarding the degree, if any, to which Islamic law condemns or penalizes same-sex sexual behavior.

It is important to note, however, that the Qur’an does not contain the word homosexuality and, like the English language, there is no universally accepted term in the Arabic language to refer to individuals in the LGBT-community.

The story of Lut is a common reference point for many Islamically-oriented condemnations of same-sex relationships and, specifically, sodomy between men. Scholars have also noted hadith references in which the Prophet cursed men who engaged in sodomy and others that stipulate severe punishment for sodomy.
An alternative view of homosexuality in Islam is held by Dr. Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle via Muslims for Progressive Values, a global community grounded in inclusive and tolerant understandings of Islam. Rooting his analysis in the distinction between a sexual act and an individual’s sexuality, Kugle encourages those reading the Qur’an to distinguish between literal, semantic, and themeatic readings of the Story of Lut.

Female Sex Workers (FSWs):

HIV among commercial female sex workers is on the rise. The clandestine nature of sex-work, however, poses difficulties for those interested in collecting data about and researching the risks associated with such networks.

The frequency of client contact, often accompanied by lack of condom use and attendant drug usage, increase the likelihood of FSWs becoming infected with the virus. Two particular issues associated with increased vulnerability to HIV among female sex workers are existing power imbalances and the lack of comprehensive sexual and reproductive rights education for women.

Highly controversial and almost universally condemned, female sex work in the Muslim world exhumes discourses on the nature of sexual practices as regulated by the teachings of Islam. Unlawful sexual intercourse (zina) is heavily frowned upon in Muslim communities, and often strictly outlawed by the state.
Other debates around FSWs have focused on the Islamic permissibility of condom usage. Believing that condom usage promotes promiscuity, many Muslim organizations and leaders have spoken out against condoms and their inclusion in Islamic approaches to HIV/AIDS.

For sex workers—as with all individuals—condoms are an important way to protect against HIV transmission. There have been suggestions from some Muslim thinkers that condom usage may be permissible. Others argue that condoms may be justified through the Islamic jurisprudential maxim that the individual should always choose the lesser of two evils. Still other discussions on condom-usage and Islam suggest that if the Muslim individual knew of his HIV-positive status, it would be preferable for him to use a condom than to willfully inflict harm on another individual.

HIV/AIDS as a Religious Issue – the Cairo Declaration and Beyond
In late 2004, Muslim and Christian religious leaders from around the Arab world gathered in Cairo at the Regional Religious Leaders Colloquium, which included attendees like the Egyptian theologian, Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Ali Goma’a, and the former Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Mohamed Sayed Tantawy.

The meeting resulted in high-level Arab religious leaders signing the Cairo Declaration of Religious Leaders in the Arab States in Response to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic (Cairo Declaration), which encourages a faith-based approach to both HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

While reiterating that both abstinence and faithfulness should be the cornerstone of prevention efforts, the declaration places emphasis on out reach to vulnerable groups, particularly IDUs, MSM, and FSWs.
The signing of this document was a welcomed developmemt. Too often, religious scholars have chosen to focus on the supposed immorality of those individuals infected with HIV. One prominent and representative example of this can be found in the work of the Sudanese-born Islamic thinker and Professor at the International Islamic University, Malik Badri.

In a pamphlet based on lectures held during the late 1990s, The AIDS Dilemma: A Progeny of Modernity, Badri decries AIDS as a result of the modern sexual revolution, which facilitated the spread of the disease in the American homosexual and drug-using communities.

By 2009, however, Badri had adopted a less accusatory tone and focused instead on promoting an Islamic HIV/AIDS prevention model. Indeed, a religious trend seems to be emerging, one that focuses on compassion instead of condemnation.

Now living in Malaysia, a prolific Afghan scholar of Islamic law, Mohammed Hashim Kamali,** has promoted this theory of compassion in examining issues associated with HIV/AIDS. While he does not advocate a particular program for treatment or prevention or comment on whether or not condoms should be utilized, he does focus on the need to eliminate prejudice and stigma associated with HIV/AIDS.
Kamali is not alone in supporting a more compassionate Islamic approach to the disease. Positive Muslims, a South African-based NGO, is one example of a faith-based organization using religiously grounded initiatives to combat stigma and discrimination. Founded in 2000, Positive Muslims works to support South African Muslims living with HIV/AIDS, to increase awareness of the disease, and to encourage compassion among the entire Muslim community for those suffering from the emotional and physical effects of HIV.

Conclusion

In July 2012, the Global Commission on HIV and the Law released Risks, Rights, and Health, a report that provides evidence-based analysis on the ways in which the law has both mitigated and exacerbated the spread of HIV.

The report also calls on governments to outlaw all forms of discrimination, repeal punitive laws, and reform ineffective approaches to drug-use and intellectual property regimes, among others.

The Commission’s report should be taken as a frank admission that when it comes to HIV/AIDS, faith and religion matter. Throughout the report, the word sharia appears roughly fifteen times. Additionally, there is an abundance of references to religion, religious figures, and cultural traditions.

Whether espousing compassion for the sick or condemning perceived immoral behavior, religion has an intimate relationship with HIV/AIDS patients, particularly those living in Muslim communities. Civil society actors must not forget to engage with religious figures and consider the ways in which religion impacts those groups most susceptible to the disease.

*Dominic T. Bocci is Muftah’s Religion Editor and currently works at a foreign policy think-tank.
** This article was updated on January 16, 2013 to correct for the nationality of Mohammed Hashim Kamali. The article originally described Mr. Kamali as being of Indonesian origin.

Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights (APCRSHR) Do you want to attend the 7th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights (APCRSHR)?

Abstract submission guidelines are as follows

300-500 word abstract addressing any of the topics of the parallel sessions of the planned 7th APCRSHR program. The abstract should include the objectives, methods/strategies, results, and future directions (beyond 2014).
Formats can include paper or poster presentation.
In the selection of the papers and posters for presentation, priority would be given to those that address the objectives 1-4 of the conference.
Standard presentations are usually between 10-15 minutes and this would be followed by a ten-minute open forum.
All submissions will be anonymously reviewed by a panel of international reviewers/experts. Scholarships will be provided to the selected paper presenters.

Deadline for receipt by Secretariat: June 15, 2013

For more information, contact:
7th APCRSHR Secretariat
Philippine NGO Council on Population, Health & Welfare, Inc.
E-mail address: 7thapcrshr@gmail.com
Telefax: (632) 852-1898
Website: http://www.7apcrshrmanila.org

Positive Life Survey

Please share these flyers widely and help us improve support for gay, bisexual men and transgender people living with HIV. Kami mengharapkan bantuan anda terkait dengan permasalahan gay, lelaki sex lelaki dan waria yang hidup dengan HIV positif (ODHA GWL). Proyek ini dihadirkan oleh B-Change Foundation untuk mengajak ODHA GWL dapat saling memberikan dukungan, bantuan dan pemahaman bahwa mereka tidak hidup sendirian. Join our survey via web/mobile: http://survey.b-change.org/positivelife

The registrations and call for abstracts for the worldOutgames Antwerp 2013 Human Rights We have great news for you! The registrations for our Human Rights Conference are now open. Furthermore, you can apply for outreach or submit an abstract. Please bear in mind that applying for outreach or submitting an abstract needs to be done before 31 January 2013. You can find all the information you need via the links below: - General information about the conference - Registration for the conference - Applying for outreach - Submitting an abstract We look forward to your presence during the Human Rights Conference. With gratitude The worldOutgames 2013 Antwerp team

Progressive Muslims Launch Gay-Friendly, Women-Led Mosques In Attempt To Reform American Islam

At first, the devout Muslims who gathered in a Washington, D.C., conference center seemed like they could have come from any mosque. There were women in headscarves and bearded men who quoted the Quran. But something was different. While mingling over hors d'oeuvres, they discussed how to change Islam's future. A woman spoke about fighting terrorism; she had married outside the Islamic faith, which is forbidden for a Muslim woman. A Pakistani man mentioned his plans to meet friends for drinks, despite the faith's ban on alcohol. In a corner of the room, an imam in a long gray tunic counseled a young Muslim with a vexing spiritual conflict: being gay and Muslim. The imam, also gay and in a relationship, could easily sympathize with the youth's difficulties. On this brisk Monday night in late October, members of Muslims for Progressive Values, a nascent American reformist organization, had gathered from around the country to celebrate a milestone: In four years, the group had grown from a few friends to a thousand members and spawned a string of small mosques and spiritual groups that stretched from Atlanta to Los Angeles. Today, as America's Muslim leaders debate controversial topics like political radicalism inside mosques and states' attempts to ban Shariah law, this growing network of alternative mosques and Islamic groups is quietly forging a new spiritual movement. They're taking bold steps, reinterpreting Islamic norms and re-examining taboos. While far from accepted by mainstream clerics, these worshippers feel that the future of the religion lies not solely with tradition but with them. Women are leading congregations in prayer, gay imams are performing Islamic marriages, and men and women are praying side by side. Read full article...

Making their voices heard

by Ika Krismantari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta It seems in Indonesia you need to be queer to help homosexuals. Gusti Wahyu (not his real name) is a young gay man, his deep voice and lively gestures demonstrating confidence and poise. Since 2011, the 25-year-old has been an active volunteer at Our Voice Indonesia, an NGO promoting LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) issues through online media. He said his involvement with the organization had made him what he is today. “I feel more relaxed and I have so many friends here with whom I can share everything,” the college graduate explained. Gusti said he realized he was gay in 2009. With no place to go or friends and family to talk to, he kept everything to himself. His only respite at that time was an online forum. But everything changed when Gusti participated in a journalism training held by Our Voice last year. The program, the man said, gave him more than he wanted, not only journalism skills but information as to how to deal with his sexuality as well as knowledge about rights and the LGBT movement. Now, Gusti is more vocal and open when discussing the issue, despite the fact that he has not told his parents that he is gay. The man is always present at LGBT campaigns and events that Our Voice holds to promote LBGT rights. This year, he attended another journalism training held by the institution and was the most active person in the class, always asking the mentors questions. In Indonesia, a country with the world’s largest Muslim population and where talk of homosexuality is taboo, empowering gay people is initiative usually only taken by LGBT activists and communities. With the central government’s tendency to keep its mouth and eyes shut with regards to the issue, with some regional authorities denouncing homosexuals and seemingly no good will from political leaders, LGBT activists have no other choice but to take matters into their own hands when it comes to fighting for their rights. According to a report in kompas.com citing an estimate from UN agencies, the gay male population in Indonesia is believed to have been more than 3 million last year, a huge increase from the data from 2009 at 800,000. Unfortunately, there were no figures on lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals. Yet, despite the increasing number of people coming to terms with their own sexuality, the authorities have done little to acknowledge their presence and moreover to protect them, making those individuals more prone to abuse and intimidation. A slight hope, however, has emerged from newly elected Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, who recently remarked on the widespread existence of transgender individuals in the capital. But activists doubt that Ahok’s encouraging and positive statement will further the acknowledgement of LGBT rights anytime soon. Indonesia’s LGBT rights champion, Dede Oetomo, criticized the government’s current stance that deals with the issue from a health perspective only, considering homosexuals as nothing but individuals with a high risk for HIV/AIDS. This has forced LGBT communities and activists to try filling the loophole with programs and trainings to empower people who are sidelined politically and socially due to their different sexual orientations and gender identities. Decades ago, Dede started GAYa Nusantara, believed to be the first publication for LGBT people. Founded in the 1980s, the magazine has become a means for lesbians, gay men and transgenders to build networks. “We started with light topics like how to get in touch with each other or other useful tips, then slowly we became more serious, discussing gay rights and LGBT movements,” he said over the phone. The empowerment of LGBT people is important so those with different sexual orientations and gender identities can understand their rights, said Sri Agustine, the director of the Ardhanary Institute, an organization that aims to support the elimination of discrimination against LBGTs. “This capacity-building is also a strategy to motivate our communities to be able to contribute to the fight for LGBT rights,” she said. Gender activist Soe Tjen Marching says LGBT empowerment in Indonesia is on the rise, in line with the increasing number of institutions concerned with the issue. GAYa Nusantara recorded that more than 94 LGBT communities were spread throughout the country, a drastic increase compared to one or two decades ago. Among those LGBT groups is Our Voice, with its main focus media work. One of the organization’s missions is to fight the stigma against LGBTs in the mainstream media with its news portal ourvoice.or.id Currently there are 20 volunteers working for the website, including Gusti. Our Voice secretary-general Hartoyo said the institution planned to recruit more people through its regular journalism trainings. Looking at the progress of the LGBT movement in Indonesia, Dede said the Internet and social media had changed the methods of LGBT empowerment programs. Many LGBT communities have gone to Facebook or the web to reach out to people who may still be clueless about their sexual orientation and identity. The Ardhanary Institute, according to Sri, has gathered more than 2,500 members through its Facebook group. Meanwhile, a transgender group based in Jakarta has been organizing events and discussions through the Facebook account Sanggar Swara Waria (Swara Waria School). Twenty-year-old Yoga Triana (not his real name) is among those who turned to the Internet to seek help when he first thought he might be gay. “I found out I was gay when I was in the 11th grade,” shared the soft-spoken guy who is a friend of Gusti’s at Our Voice. Gusti and Yoga started from the Internet. But it was that first step that brought them into the gay community and there they learned more about gay rights and the LGBT movement from their interactions with gay activists. It was an experience that gave them a wider perspective in which the two men realized that they both have the same mission, promoting LGBT rights in the country.

Australian soldiers allowed to march in uniform at Mardi Gras

For the first time Australian army soldiers will be allowed to march in uniform at Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) announced this week that it has given permission for its soldiers, sailors and air men and women to march in uniform at next year's Sydney Mardi Gras parade. For the first time members of the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force can show their support of LGBTQI rights and their allegiance to the ADF. Gays and lesbians have been allowed to openly serve in the military for 20 years in Australia, and the ADF have allowed members to march in the Sydney Mardi Gras parade for five years, but 2013 will be the first year they are allowed to march in uniform. 'Many LGBTI personnel and non-LGBTI personnel have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to showcase the diversity within the Defence Force at Mardi Gras,' said ADF LGBTI information service chair, airforce squadron leader Vince Chong, Sydney Morning Herald reports. Chong told ABC News that the last request to march in uniform in 2006 was refused, adding: 'It is really a great time for Defence to be participating. What this tells the international community is that the Australian Defence Force is an inclusive organization.' Sydney Mardi Gras 2013 starts on 8 February with the 35th anniversary of the annunal parade on Saturday 2 March.

UK lawyers help Cambodia with LGBT rights

UK lawyers are helping a Cambodian human rights center draft proposals for law reform to protect LGBT people in the southeast Asian nation. Lawyers from Linklaters in the UK working for free for charity Advocates for International Development conducted comparative legislative research for the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR). CCHR are working on proposals for an anti-discrimination law to protect LGBT people in Cambodia from unfair treatment at school, work and accessing public services. 'Without legal protection that specifically protects them from discrimination based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, LGBT people in developing countries are less able to access the same human rights that everyone else takes for granted,' said CCHR's Theng Chamnan. 'We hope that through proper legal reform, LGBT people in Cambodia will receive greater protection and be able to play a full role in society.' Recently the Prime Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen told his citizens that they shouldn't discriminate against gays and lesbians. He appears to have evolved on the issue because in 2007 he told a university graduation ceremony that he was going to disown his daughter for having a 'wife'. Cambodia has held week-long Pride celebrations since 2009, including one in May this year, but the government wouldn't allow a parade.

Serba-serbi ILGA World Conference

ILGA World Conference kali ini berbeda dengan ILGA World Conference yang pernah diadakan. Biasanya setiap kali Konferensi hanya berisi workshop, plenary dan hal hal yang menyangkut ILGA. Kali ini konferensi yang diadakan di Stockholm di musim salju dengan suhu rata rata minus 5, memang luar biasa. Setiap hari selalu saja ada acara yang menarik. Salah satunya adalah Queer Salsa. Kelas dansa Salsa yang diadakan ketika jam makan siang. Karena banyaknya peserta yang mencapai 450 orang dan terbatasnya daya tampung restoran. Maka para peserta yang malas antri makan siang bisa mengikuti kelas dansa Salsa. Panitia mendatang pelatih-pelatih dansa Salsa untuk memberikan kursus kepada peserta. Tidak hanya itu bagi peserta yang tidak suka dansa bisa mengikuti Queer sighthening. Tour keliling Stockholm melihat tempat tempat yang menarik dengan Bis khusus. Di dalam Bis tempat duduknya tidak seperti bis pada umumnya. Mereka menggantinnya dengan sofa dan di dalam bis juga ada DJ Music nya sehingga yang suka bergoyang mengikuti irama lagu juga bisa. RSFL sebagai tuan rumah memang ingin memberikan sesuatu yang berbeda kepada peserta konferensi. Di lorong lorong depan ruang workshop kita bisa mendapatkan berbagai macam buku panduan atau informasi tentang LGBT, gender, seksualitas, HAM dan tentu kondom dengan berbagai macam kemasan tersebar dimana mana. Memang konferensi kali bisa dikatakan sukses luar biasa dan tak terlupakan. Meskipun pada awalnya ada keraguan, mengingat dinginnya udara di Stockholm. Tetapi cuaca dingin tidak menghalangi teman-teman aktifis darivseluruh dunia menikmati rangkaian acara konferensi.

ILGA ASIA Conference di Bangkok

Dalam ILGA World Conference ada workshop yang dikhususkan untuk regional caucus. Pertemuan khusus untuk Regional seperti Afrika, Latin Amerika dan Karibian (LAC), Asia, North America, ANZAPI, dan Europe. Untuk Pertama kalinya di pertemuan Asia kita bertemu aktifis dari timur tengah dengan jumlah yang lumayan banyak. Pada pertemuan Asia ini kita menceritakan sekilas kejadian Konferensi ILGA Asia di Surabaya. Menjelaskan beberapa prosedur tentang pemilihan Board member dan bagaimana terjadinya sub-regional di Asia. Kita juga membahas untuk Konferensi ILGA Asia berikutnya. Setelah menseleksi dan melihat kesiapan dari Negara yang akan menjadi tuan rumah untuk Konferensi berikutnya. Akhirnya terpilih Bangkok – Thailand sebagai tempat untuk Konferensi ILGA Asia ke 5 pada tanggal 29-31 Maret dengan thema “ILGA ASIA, The Phoenix Rising”

Indonesia di workshop ILGA World Conference 2012

Selama dua hari ini di Acara ILGA World conference peserta Indonesia ambil bagian dalam rangkaian workshop. Hari pertama Iriantoni Almuna dari Violet Gray melakukan presentasi dengan judul “Negotiating sexual Rights in Post Disaster and Conflict Area”. Bagi kita orang Indonesia tentu paham bagaimana kondisi Aceh dan bagaimana gerakan LGBT di Aceh. Bagaimana Syariah Islam berlaku disana dan adanya hukuman cambuk. Toni mempresentasikan penelitiannya dengan baik dan bisa menarik perhatian Audience. Toni juga bisa menjawab dengan baik setiap pertanya dari peserta yang penasaran dengan keadaan di Aceh. Mereka banyak bertanya tentang keadaan di Indonesia dan propinsi mana saja yang menggunakan hukum seperti di Aceh. Workshop sesi pertama ini juga dihadiri teman-teman aktifis dari middle east yang merasa senasib dengan hukum Islam. Pada hari kedua Indonesia kembali tampil dalam pemutaran film Waria Zone yang dibawakan oleh Merlyn Sopjan from FKWI. Juga diputar film Bye-Bye Surabaya yang dibuat oleh Wei Xiaogang aktivis dari China. Film semi documenter tentang pembubaran ILGA Asia Conference di Surabaya.

Pembukaan ILGA World Conference 2012

Upacara pembukaan konferensi ILGA (International Lesbian, Gay, Biseksual, Trans dan Interseks Association 2012 ), yang berlangsung semalam di ABF Huset dengan sangat meriah. Konferensi yang diadakan di Stockholm-Sweida ini adalah konferensi terbesar dengan jumlah peserta terbanyak yaitu 458 orang. Pada upara pembukaan ini juga diberikan penghargaan The Go Visible Award untuk pertama kalinya. Upacara pembukaan ini juga mendatangkan Perdana Menteri Swedia Fredrik Reinfeldt, perdana menteri pertama yang menghadiri acara pembukaan konferensi pada acara LGBTI. Perdana Menteri Reinfeldt menekankan langkah yang dibuat di negaranya untuk mendukung hak-hak LGBTI. Beliau mengakui masih banyak yang harus dilakukan untuk terus bekerja dan mendukung hak-hak LGBTI. Dia berkomitmen untuk mengambil langkah-langkah lebih lanjut terhadap hak asasi manusia bagi semua. Acara pembukaan ini juga menampilkan pidato Secretary General ILGA Gloria Careaga dan Renato Sabbadini. Dilanjutkan kemudian dengan pemberian penghargaan ILGA kepada Presiden Argentina Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Para peserta juga diundang untuk menghadiri makan malam di City Hall, tempat perjamuan pemberian hadiah Nobel. Yang dibuka oleh walikota Stockholm Sten Nordin. (Laporan Poedjiati Tan)

Peringatan Hari AIDS Sedunia 2012

GN di Peringatan HAS 2012 Kota Surabaya: Bersama kawan-kawan PERWAKOS

Majalah GAYa NUSANTARA No 07/Tahun 07

Berbicara tentang Pancasila tentunya tidak lepas dari semboyan Bhineka Tunggal Ika, berbeda-beda namun tetap satu. Jika dikaitkan dengan LGBTIQ, tentunya sangat jelas sekali bahwa LGBTIQ masih dibedakan oleh sebagian besar masyarakat di Indonesia. Orang masih lebih bisa menerima perbedaan SARA dibandingkan dengan LGBTIQ. Jadi tak heran bila sampai saat ini masih banyak stigma dan diskriminasi yang dialami LGBTIQ. Baca selengkapnya Majalah GN nomor 07 di sini

A shared concern over Malaysian checklist for “How to spot gay children” Bangkok, September 18, 2012 - The Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM) is backing community groups and organisations in Malaysia and elsewhere in their strong concern about recent guidelines released by the Malaysian Ministry of Education aimed at identifying young people who may be gay and lesbian.

Last week, an announcement from Kuala Lumpur described the Malaysian government holding seminars aiming to help teachers and parents spot “signs of homosexuality” in children, during which a checklist published by the Yayasan Guru Malaysia Bhd and the Putrajaya Consultative Council of Parents and Teachers Associations was handed out pointing to several so-called symptoms for identifying young people as being either gay or lesbian.

For gays, the “symptoms” listed include:

- Developing a muscular body and a fondness for showing off the body by wearing revealing clothing, such as V-necks and sleeveless tops
- A preference for tight and bright coloured clothes
- An inclination to be attracted to men
- A tendency to carry big handbags, similar to the kinds used by women

For lesbians, the “symptoms” listed include:

- Showing an attraction to women
- Distancing themselves from women other than their girlfriends
- Having a preference for hanging out, sleeping and dining with women
- An absence of feelings for men

“It is important that the Malaysian government promotes messages based on acceptance and not discrimination by attempting to identify, label and target gay and lesbian people of whatever age, let alone children and young people”, said Midnight Poonkasetwattana, Executive Director of APCOM. “The Malaysian government, and its Ministry of Education above all, should focus on dispelling stereotypes and promoting the tolerance and acceptance of gay and lesbian people, especially young people who are especially vulnerable. Rather than these sorts of checklists, a better resource would be giving young people a list of organisations or support groups they could turn to, rather than promoting a ‘cure’ or re-orientation, efforts which only bring about great psychosocial harm.”

PT Foundation (PTF) is one example of an organisation available to support young people in Malaysia through HIV testing and counselling, face-to-face counselling and telephone counselling. Their services can be accessed Monday through Friday from 7:30pm – 9:30pm, at (03) 4044-5455 or (03) 4044-5466.

“Having someone to talk to who is non-judgmental is very important for our community, especially young people,” said PT Foundation’s Acting Executive Director, Raymond Tai. “We have a range of programmes that are based around acceptance and community empowerment. We also offer gender and sexuality counselling and referrals to professional psycho-social services and legal aid. To us, Malaysia is not just about embracing racial or religious diversity, but also of gender and sexual identity diversity.”

APCOM will continue to support these community networks and organisations in their efforts, and will continue to advocate for the social and human rights for the gay and transgender communities in Malaysia and across Asia and the Pacific region.

Launching Sexuality and Disability.org Blog Series

www.sexualityanddisability.org -- a joint effort of Point of View and CREA -- was launched in April 2012. We are now happy to announce the launch of a fortnightly blog on this site.

The blog posts will be written by Nidhi Garima Goyal, a visually impaired young woman, who researched and helped develop the content for the website. The posts will be edited by Richa Padte, who also played a major role in developing content for the website.

Click here to read the blog post by Nidhi Garima Goyal about the first-ever workshop on sexuality and intimacy for the visually impaired in Mumbai, India.

Browse. Ask. Discuss. And share the link with anyone who might benefit from it.

About sexualityanddisability.org

www.sexualityanddisability.org is a website that starts with the premise that women who are disabled are sexual beings -- just like any other woman. It is constructed as a bunch of questions a woman with a disability might have -- about her body, about the mechanics and dynamics of having sex, about the complexities of being in an intimate relationship or having children, about unvoiced fears or experiences of encountering abuse in some form. The website is accessible across disabilities.

The website -- a joint effort of Point of View and CREA -- has been created with the active support of women with disabilities and activists.

Click the pink drop-down menus in Body, Sexuality, Relationships, Reproduction and Violence to get to the questions -- and to the real-life stories that accompany them. Add your questions and feedback at Have Your Say. And check out the information at the bottom of the home page for families, partners, doctors and organisations.

B303 Rizvi House,
34 Hill Road, Bandra (West),
Mumbai 400050, India

t: 91-22-264-04162

E-mail: info@pointofview.org
Website: www.pointofview.org

7 Mathura Road, Jangpura B,

New Delhi 110014, India

t: 91-11-243-77707

f: 91-11-243-77708

E-mail: crea@creaworld.org
Website: www.creaworld.org

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