Friends in the AIDS Prevention community

Yeah, I know Ssempa is supposed to be an HIV activist. But, an anti-gay, HIV activist is such a misrepresentation of facts that I beg to differ. I have already written about the guy here...


Here are some real friends in need. Coming out swinging...

UGANDA: AIDS activists protest anti-gay bill

NAIROBI, 16 October 2009 (PlusNews) - A draft bill before the Ugandan parliament that seeks to impose stricter sanctions on homosexuality would drive men who have sex with men further underground, making it even more difficult for them to access HIV services, according to AIDS activists.

According to Uganda's New Vision newspaper, the draft bill, tabled by ruling party MP David Bahati, proposes a seven-year jail term for anyone who "attempts to commit the offence" or who "aids, abets, counsels or procures another to engage in acts of homosexuality".

"If this bill is passed it will be a clear violation of human rights and will push men who have sex with men even further underground than they are," Beatrice Were, a Ugandan HIV/AIDS activist, told IRIN/PlusNews.

"Our national strategic plan for HIV/AIDS aims to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, treatment and care, but if people are criminalized and not allowed to exist, how can they access these services?" she added.

Homosexual acts, or "carnal knowledge against the order of nature", are already criminalized in Uganda, carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Under the draft bill, “promotion of homosexuality”, including publishing information or providing funds, premises for activities, or other resources, is also punishable by a seven-year sentence or a fine of US$50,000.

If passed, the bill would see the death penalty handed down for the crime of “aggravated homosexuality” - a sexual assault committed against a member of the same sex who is under 18 or disabled. Anyone found guilty of the offence of homosexuality would be forced to take an HIV test.

Morals don't stop HIV; what stops HIV is the evidence from science"Bahati's proposed bill also supports stigma and discrimination against HIV-positive people, and would undermine years of efforts to tackle the epidemic," Solome Nakaweesi-Kimbugwe, a human rights activist, and Frank Mugisha, co-chair of the rights group, Sexual Minorities Uganda, said in a statement.

"Uganda has been considered a 'best practice' leader in the fight against HIV and AIDS," the statement continued. "If [the bill is] passed, this leadership status would be put in serious question."

The Uganda AIDS Commission classes men who have sex with men (MSMs) as “most at risk”, yet there are no HIV programmes targeting them and no action has been taken in response to a 2009 study by UNAIDS and the Uganda government recommending that "legal impediments to the inclusion of most-at-risk populations, including commercial sex workers, MSMs and IDUs [intravenous drug users], in the HIV/AIDS national response should be reviewed".

"Morals do not stop HIV; what stops HIV is the evidence from science - we know that using condoms can prevent infection, using PEP [post-exposure prophylaxis] after exposure can stop infection, and ARVs [life-prolonging anti-retroviral drugs] prevent mother-to-child transmission," Were said. "People must feel comfortable enough to seek these services regardless of their sexual orientation."

Ignorance is a Curse.

Short story.

Ok, I had a very, very long night. Out partying. Continued sleeping into the early afternoon. And what with sex and sleeping again. Am exhausted!!!!!! Oh well, one is only young once. Let us party….!

Someone, a visitor to Uganda, came across this blog. Was kind of tickled. He decided to write a long letter to me. Instructive.

There were a couple of paragraphs that I would like to share with you. This is his experience. In his words.

“Reading your blog today about the water based lube, reminded me of a discussion I had with one of the guys when I was there. They had had a meeting of lgbt people shortly before I visited. They had discussed the use of condoms and someone mentioned that condoms were being used and people were still getting AIDS. The problem was attributed to the fact that being made in India and old, they tended to break. Then in my conversation with my friend , he mentioned they were using petroleum jelly. Needless to say, I was flabbergasted. I said "A--, if you use PJ, there is no point in using a condom!" He informed me that non of them could afford to buy KY jelly . I had a large tube of KY with me (hope runs eternal), I gave him the KY and later learned several people used it and as we say here, it was the best thing since sliced bread.”

Yeah, and I have come across this too many times. In this day and age, with HIV raging in the country for this long, gay men in Uganda still use Vaseline on their condoms for sex. Horrible.

And ignorance is a powerful weapon. This is the kind of knowledge that we should have, that every gay Ugandan man should have from when they first have sex. Sadly, it is proscribed information. Deadly knowledge.

I read a lot of irrelevancies. Or, relevant nothings which find their way into the blog. In Uganda, we have anti-condom activists. Their logic is that promoting condoms promotes promiscuity. Pastor Martin Ssempa. A condom burner.

They use the same logic to deny gay Ugandan men of an HIV prevention programme. It is horrible because it promotes the Homosexual Agenda. Should I quote Martin Ssempa again? And, the same kind of argument is being used in the US against a vaccination that prevents cancer. See, it is supposed to be given to young girls before they have sex. So, if you give it, you promote promiscuity. (and prevent a deadly cancer at the same time…!)

This kind of attitude jars my mind. The logic is so flawed that I find it impossible to believe that someone does believe in it. But people do. And justify it in the name of god, and angels and religion. And, they are strong enough, and subtle enough to influence policy makers.

Anyway, if you are gay, have your sex. Use condoms, don’t use the readily available Vaseline. It makes the condoms useless. What should you use….????

Unfortunately, at the moment, I have no answer for you. We don’t seem to have a cheap ‘water based lubricant’ for sex, except the expensive KY Jelly. But use that, if you can afford it. Okay? And if you cant… well, doesn’t hurt for you to know what works and what doesn’t, does it? Is a hard world out here…!

Is your life anyway. Isn’t easy to live with HIV, so, help yourself, and your family, and everyone, stay HIV free. Yeah, I know. Sex is sweet. (Despite the marathon, planning to have more before I sleep tonight. Bite me, it is great, is sex!) But, don’t sell your life for a few minutes of heavenly pleasure. Aint worth it.

Use a condom. Use a water based lubricant. Have wonderful sex.



gug

HIV and Gay Africans

This is getting some play in the world media and blogosphere. True.

Closet Case: How Intolerance Fuels Africa's AIDS Crisis

Needs to be emphasized that the homophobes are actually driving the lack of HIV services for gay Africans. Back, about two years back, I quoted Ssempa here.

In Uganda, Martin Ssempa is known as an HIV campaigner, fierce, advocating for 'Abstinence' Want to know what dear, loving Martin Ssempa talks about HIV prevention for Gay Ugandans? And he is a very influential man, with the ear of the First Lady, another Abstinence and Anti-Condom campaigner. He has gone to Capitol Hill in the US to claim that his programmes are to be accredited for the fall in Uganda's HIV rates. Back in the days of Bush...

This is what dear, loving, Martin Ssempa said. A man who says he loves gay human beings. Is a Pastor who witchunts gay pastors to cleanse the church, and makes inter-religious alliances to 'Kick homosexuality out of Uganda'

When we demonstrated in 2007 at the Implementers meeting, we were asking for an HIV prevention programme. This is what was reported about Ssempa's reaction to that.

Indeed, he wanted to sue the UNAIDS for not treating us like the criminals we are. Surely!

And some more quotes from dear Dr Ssempa

Anti-gay activist Martin Ssempa said Uganda needs to send a clear message to homosexuals that they are engaging in a suicidal and un-natural risk that fuels HIV and other infections such as hepatitis.

“These people are just looking at ways of legitimising their practice, which is illegal and deviant in our society,” said Pastor Ssempa. “Our previous experience showed us that bringing homosexuals into campaigns against HIV only gives them a chance to propagate their illegal and unnatural acts.”

Dont need to write more, do I? Of course I love the guy. He is a gift that gives, and continues giving...!

gug

Ugandan LGBT AIDS Activist Re-arrested and Released, Charges Added

Dear All,

One of the three Ugandan LGBTI activists who was arrested at the HIV/AIDS Implementers' Meeting in Kampala on the 4th of June 2008, was re-arrested
and held for an additional four and a half hours today. In response to demands for his release from his lawyer, the Chairperson of Sexual
Minorities Uganda (SMUG), and UNAIDS, Usaam Mukwaaya was released this afternoon on the condition that he returns to the police on 10 June 2008.

Despite the fact that accredited cards for attendance at the 2008 HIV/AIDS Implementers’ Meeting were given to all three of the LGBTI activists by
the sponsors of the international meeting, the police have refused to drop the charge of criminal trespass against the three activists and have
added a charge of forgery against Mukwaaya today, claiming that he did not have a valid permit for attending the 2008 HIV/AIDS Implementers’
Meeting.

After the release of the three LGBTI AIDS activists yesterday, a collective decision was made by the co-sponsors of the 2008 HIV/AIDS Implementers
meeting to accredit Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) to attend the meeting. An official letter accompanied by three accredited official cards for
attending the conference was awarded to the LGBTI AIDS activists.

Despite this fact, the police have refused to drop the charges of criminal trespass and forgery. UNAIDS has submitted a statement to the Ugandan
Police indicating that the card was not forged and was issued officially by the sponsors of the meeting.

NOTE: The charges against the three LGBT AIDS activists HAVE NOT BEEN DROPPED and their case is still scheduled to be heard on the 20th of June
2008. Please continue the pressure to request them to drop all
charges against the activists

SEXUAL MINORITIES UGANDA

UNAIDS official pleads for homosexuals

By Raymond Baguma

A SENIOR HIV/AIDS expert has urged the Government to release three gay activists arrested by security operatives during the HIV Implementers meeting in Kampala.

Dr. Michel Sidibe, the deputy executive director of UNAIDS, said the incident might overshadow Uganda’s HIV/AIDS achievements.

“We have received information that some people were arrested. We are looking forward to their safe and imminent release,” Sidibe told participants attending a plenary session at Imperial Royale Hotel on Thursday.

“I do not know if they were gay. But if they were not registered for the meeting and wanted to be part of the movement fighting against AIDS……Uganda is known as a country of openness. I do not want this incident to overshadow the national efforts,” Sidibe, who is also a former UNICEF representative to Uganda, told Saturday Vision.

Security operatives on Wednesday arrested a woman and two men who sneaked into the meeting, carrying placards and a 67-page document soliciting for funding for their activities. The placards and document were advocating consideration of homosexuals in HIV/AIDS programmes.

The Police identified the trio as Pepe Juliana Onzema, who said she was a freelance journalist, Usaam Mukwaya and Valantini Katende. They were detained at Jinja Road Police Station on Thursday night.

Homosexuality is a crime in Uganda, punishable by life imprisonment under the “unnatural offences” in section 140 of the penal code.

In his presentation during same the plenary session, renowned Ugandan AIDS activist, the Rev. Canon Gideon Byamugisha, said that some governments were using AIDS to control people rather than using people to control the disease.

Byamugisha, representing people living with HIV/AIDS said: “implementation is in chaos. we seem to have different agenda. To say that you cannot give me treatment because I have sex differently is beside the point. We are in implementation to save lives. Are we going to put conditions on who will survive and who will die?”

Press Release

Press Release

On 2^nd June, 2008 the Director General of Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC), was widely quoted by international media saying "Gays are one of the drivers of HIV in Uganda, but because of meagre resources we cannot direct our programmes at them at this time,"[1]

We would like to point out:

· 26 years since the epidemic of HIV started there has not been a single government led prevention programme amongst gay Ugandans.

· That from the very beginning of the world wide epidemic it was known that gay men are a vulnerable group.

The statement by the Director General is particularly sad, following statements of other Ugandan leaders that gay people should be marooned on an island to die[2], and from an advisor to the UAC that “Our previous experience showed us that bringing homosexuals into campaigns against HIV only gives them a chance to propagate their illegal and unnatural acts.”[3]

We are Ugandans. We are gay Ugandans.

We have a right to life.

We have a right to health.

We have a right to be free of HIV.

We have a right to knowledge about HIV prevention and treatment. We have a right to protect our selves, our lovers, our families and our communities.

26 years since the HIV epidemic started, Gay Ugandans believe myths and lies about HIV.

We are gay Ugandans, fellow human beings. We are your brothers and sisters, fathers, mothers, cousins and clans mates.

Please stop discriminating and stigmatizing Gay Ugandans in the fight against HIV. Gay Ugandans need an HIV prevention programme.

---

[1] http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN240719.html

[2] http://allafrica.com/stories/200710151334.html

[3] http://www.monitor.co.ug/artman/publish/news/Include_gays_in_Aids_fight_reports_say.shtml

HIV Prevention in Uganda

One thing really bothers me about HIV prevention campaigns in Uganda at the moment. They are purely and shamelessly driven by the morals of ‘good sex’. Does it work?

Someone has decided what constitutes good sex, and that is what is being promoted, in the name of HIV prevention.

For example, the current fad is that older men are preying on younger girls to have sex. So, campaigns are under way to target ‘something for something love’ and ‘cross generational sex’. It is being funded by the AID from the American Peoples (USAID)! Sorry, I was wrong. It is PEPFAR.

Sorry to all Bushites, but his influence is lasting more than a generation in Africa. Problem with these campaigns is that for me as a gay man, gay sex is considered immoral. So when will they decide to mount an HIV campaign for gay men in Uganda? They have not yet!

PS. Please, please, look at the spread from Daily Monitor today. Stupendous!

GayUganda