HIVOS partners
Central America and the Caribbean Journal of Sexual Diversity
December 2014
We are the new political force of Central America and the Caribbean
Visibility Political Force According to the 20th Report of the Nation the LGBTI community of Costa Rica has become a new political force and that is what was shown by the number of activists in the march to Stop Violence Against Women. In Nicaragua the LGBTI organizations also manifested solidarity with women, the social sector that is hit the hardest by violence.
Trans demand Rights Concavis, a trans organization un El Salvador, is promoting a Gender Identity law and related policy. Also they demand that trans that are jailed receive special attention and protection against traditional violence of penitentiaries.
In Guatemala the message was subtle. The presence of witches dressed in black, always linked in the past with lesbian women, was viewed this year in the march to manifest their support to this struggle. In Puerto Rico, Gays dressed in red high heels in solidarity for this struggle.
The Observatory of Human Rights for vulnerable groups and Trans organizations of the Dominican Republic will present a report on violence and discrimination to motivate the fight against discrimination and violence. In the report the lack of job opportunities, limited access to quality health services and constant discrimination in educational centers are cited. From there the trans of the Dominican Republic can start to lend sexual services after the age of 16, since only 34% manages to complete high school. The trans of Costa Rica are demanding the depathologization, a change to the name on their identification, access to health services, job sources and to cease discrimination in all social spheres.
Celebrating World Response to HIV/AIDS
Sexuality in Abya Yala Prehispanic Masculine Sexuality Lesbitgay, with auspice of Hivos and COMSOL published the first part of a project on “Sexual Diversity in ABYA YALA, name by which the indigenous groups called the American continent. With excellent photographs of pre-Columbian art where the nature with which the indigenous practiced sexuality with no limits to their bodies, fully integrating enjoyment and pleasure while fully integrated to nature. It was the western patriarchal cultures that imposed male chauvinist schemes, condemning sexual expressions that were distinct from the heteronormativity and condemned to death those that practiced the denied sin or the sin against nature, as determined by fundamentalist Christianity The digital edition can be found at this link: http://issuu.com/caricr/docs/revista_prehispanica_1/0
Prehispanic female sexuality In very short time we will also publish the second part of this investigation that incorporates Female Sexual Diversity of ABYA YALA. In this second edition we will also offer magnificent photographs of the artistic inheritance that our ancestors left where likewise the naturalness with which the inhabitants of the continent embodied female sexuality in pots or sculptures made of clay, rock and jade. I hope that this next edition, much like the first, has important contributions to better comprehend sexuality.
First Couple with Insurance Rodolfo Barquero became the first gay to insure his couple, Daniel Morales, after the Costa Rican Social Security approved a regulation that permits the access to health services for couples of the same sex. The registration was possible because Daniel lost his job and since they fulfilled the requirements of cohabitation the insurance gave them identification that permits them to use the health services.
Government will promote gay unions The government of the republic, Luis Guillermo Solis assures that the government will send to extraordinary sessions of parliament some of the law projects that guarantee unions between couples of the same sex. He clarified, however that the Executive will not promote the initiatives that contemplate the figure of Equal Marriage.
Better care for people with HIV
The Costarrican Social Security will implement in 2015 a rapid HIV test that aims to considerably lower the appearance of new cases and to offer better attention to people that live with the sickness. In this manner access will be improved, coverage and quality of prevention processes and opportune attention of HIV, syphilis and the elimination of neonatal HIV and congenital syphilis.
Protocols against discrimination
In April, a trans girl managed that the Minister of Education, Sonia Marta Mora and the Human Rights Attorney Monserrat Solano, pledge to boost a protocol against discrimination in schools. The girl wrote to both officials commenting on the discrimination that she suffers in school due to her personal appearance, her identity and her gender expression and both officials met and assumed the public commitment to act and avoid that in the future trans suffer this discrimination or teasing in schools.
Sexual Diversity and Family This study “Family and Sexual Diversity in Guatemala” determined that 69% of gays that informed their families of their sexual orientation had considerable difficulties, while the other 31% of the interviewed were accepted in the family nucleus as well as their social environments. However, it was determined that the higher level of acceptance was given between people of higher economic levels and academic preparation The conclusions of this study indicates that due to a patriarchal system and with chauvinism ingrained, inherited and acquired, human rights are violated and sometimes recur to extreme violence. But this can change as society is informed of the damage caused to a person by homophobic acts and to create empathy towards the gay community. The study was carried out by the Friends Collective against Aids and the Science Institute of family from the Galileo University of Guatemala.
New Masculinities Workshop Generation zero Guatemala and the Presidential Comity against Discrimination and racism of Indigenous groups held a successful workshop on “New Masculinities, Gender Equality and Mayan Cosmo vision” The workshop as held by the international lecturer Roberto Landaverry, by use of recreational activities pointed out different topics, among them sex, gender, chauvinism and others.
Vulnerable Defenders
The international court for Human Rights internationally blamed the Guatemalan government for lack of investigation on the death of Florentín Gudiel Ramos, human rights defender and the lack of protection of one of their advocates. The case was framed on the context of vulnerability for human rights advocates in Guatemala and it is in reference to the death of a human rights advocate that occurred December 20th 2004 and the threats made to his daughter whom is also a human rights activist.
Black Friday: Stop Crime On November 18th organizations of the Honduran Civil Society gave a shout to the government that became a yell: No more murders, No to Violence in Honduras! To show their pain and national mourning they declared this day: Black Friday and dressed in black the entire day. We the Honduran left our houses, but we don’t know if we are going to go back and sometimes we don’t. We will not become accustomed to death. We are not a people to live in fear. But we tell the inhabitants of the world that 50 thousand Hondurans have been murdered over the last five years, an average of 20 homicides per day. The LGBTI organizations denounce that 76 trans, gays and lesbians were murdered, and others dismembered in Honduras this 2014.
Sexual and Reproductive Health Leaders of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador participated in a workshop on “Advocacy on sexual and reproductive health and its relationship to violence prevention in Central America.” In the workshop, the participants shared experiences, lessons learned and good health practices on sexual and reproductive health associated with programs on violence prevention. Along with developing a strategy for advocacy to decrease the tension that exists in those countries. The workshop was organized by PASMO in collaboration with USAID
Gender Identity Bill On World Aids Day, Comcavis trans made their struggle to have a bill passed present, “Bill on Gender Identity and related standards� which is reported and analyzed by the LGBTI community if different parts of El Salvador, to attract support to this initiative.
UN calls for Gender Identity El Salvador received 159 recommendations in the Periodic Universal Exam that was done by the United Nations (UN), among them one is associated to a Gender Identity Bill. The member nations of the UN reminded the Salvadorian government that they still have not shown their position on male and female trans to use their name according to their sexual preference and that there aren’t benefits or judicial instruments that will allow them to benefit from a Gender Identity Bill.
Protestant Church against Hate Crimes
In reference to human rights and protection against discrimination, the countries claimed that as of five years ago since Pride marches started being held, hate crimes, beatings and murders have increased and so far this year there have been 12 deaths which have not been investigated.
The Protestant Church of El Salvador is against hate crimes and is shocked by the constant hate crimes due to homophobia and the indifference of the authorities and citizens in general. They have asked that the Salvadorian government and the Attorney General of the republic effectively investigate and jail them. They manifest that according to the gospels, the church and the community that has Jesus as its center, they have a much more important mission than to prosecute and convict sexuality and anything relative to it such as: love thy neighbor, care for the needy, share the gospel and to make the signs of the kingdom of God visible on the earth.
18 years of successful trajectory The New Men and Women Association of Panama reached its coming of age: it reached 18 years in a tireless struggle to support the LGBTI community and those that live with HIV. For Ricargo Beteta Bond, the current president, the organization has become a true bastion in the defense of Human Rights of the LGBTI community and a true mother of groups. He commented that in the heat of the AHMNP the association of Panamanian trans, New Horizons Association, The Association of Women with Dignity and rights of Panama. Also the organization has spread through the entire country and they currently have chapters in Chiriqu铆, Bocas del Toro, Veraguas, Col贸n and Los Santos. From Lesbitgay we wish many years of activism and success.
Politics and Human Rights The New Association of Men and Women of Panama held a workshop on human rights given by el Lic. Henry Kurwahn with the objective of updating this area and to hold a critical analysis of the Panamanian State in the promotion of LGBTI Human Rights. The activity was held in three sessions and the participants held a diagnosis on the advances that the LGBTI community has achieved for their human rights and to signal the pending route for claims.
Promotional Health Tour Personal Health seminars, use of condoms, didactic health games and HIV tests are the main activities that the New Horizons Association is performing in several locations of western Panama. The promotional tour is having much success and contributing to create consciousness with adolescents and youths since HIV-AIDS cases have increased in recent years.
Week full of Cinema The auditorium and the PAC Cultural Center was full during the weeklong of movie Diversex Nicaragua, whom projected 6 movies. The successful program showed movies such as “Doll”, “Muxe’s: Authentic, Intrepid and looking for danger”, “I want space”, “The Mission”, “When Lesbians Talks”, and the short film “all”.
Large march on World AIDS Day On World HIV/AIDS awareness day, LGBTI organizations of Nicaragua held a large march in Nicaragua to reiterate the need of constant prevention against this pandemic. The march was from the Plaza of Victory to the National Engineering University (UNI), where an educational fair was held with young people and other participants. During the event the organizations offered free HIV tests and gave out educational material to participants..
Colombia Positive aspects of 2014 The year 2014 was positive for the LGBTI community of Columbia. La Constitutional Court authorized a same sex couple to adopt two children, since one was the biological parent. This opened the door so other diverse couples can adopt.
Claudia Zea and Elizabeth Castillo and Carlos Rivera and Gonzalo Ruiz is the first couples to marry in Colombia.
Also the Supreme court pronounced in favor of the recognition of the first diverse marriages and according to the ruling the condition of being legally married will be returned. On the other hand congress studies the creation of a law to protect the LGBTI community against violence.
Gay Activist Murdered
The LGBT activist Guillermo Garzón Andrade was murdered at his home in Bogota and his body was found mauled, gagged and with signs of extreme homophobic violence. The founder of the LGBT organization We are an Option was added to the list of 66 hate crimes related to sexual identity. “Guillermo was a defender of Human Rights so the state must sufficient guaranties to know the truth and to access justice” commented the leaders of Columbia Diverse.
Award for “Scandal of the year” goes to an ex-gay The showbiz program “The Network”, on chanal Caracol gave Nerú Martínez the award for “Scandal of the Year” due to his declarations of becoming a Christian and abandoning homosexuality, this made the media of all of Colombia to burst with opinions for and against his declarations and it became a wave of comments. During that opportunity, the acclaimed dancer and choreographer, winner of Dancing with the Stars, declared that “God changed my Life” and that all the years I lived as a homosexual was not him living and he announced that he wants a wife and kids.
The Caribbean is the second region in the world with HIV After the African Sub-Saharan, the Caribbean is the region with the most cases of HIV/AIDS in the world. The experts consider that the phenomenon presents itself due to homophobia, stigma and discrimination that prevail in many of these countries where sexual diversity is a crime or society considers it an act against nature. The countries that have penalized homosexuality marginalize men that have sex with men and push them to secrecy which feeds the HIV epidemic. Treating people with dignity and respect helps with education and efficiently preventing HIV. With no discrimination, many people from the LGBTI community could access diverse health services. According to data from UNAIDS just 230,000 people were infected in the Caribbean and of these, 10,000 have already died.
Tourist industry meets with Activists Representatives of the world tourist industry meet with a group of LGBTI activists of the Caribbean to discuss the manner in which they can support the efforts to consolidate their rights and promote the arrival of cruise ships with sexually diverse people into the region. The promotion of solidarity could strengthen projects to promote projects for human rights and to open the opportunity to have tourists speak with LGBTI advocates, so they can soak up their reality and to contribute solidarity with their struggles.
Jamaica, Haiti and San Vincent and the Grenadines are the nations with the highest levels of homophobia in the Caribbean. They are followed by Grenada, Antigua, Barbados, Saint Kits and Nevis, there homosexuality is penalized.
In the region the difficulties for LGBTI tourism has highlighted given that consensual sexual acts between people of the same sex are criminalized in Dominica, Jamaica, Belize, St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbados, Saint Lucia, Granada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines as well as Trinidad and Tobago.
Detached from Human Rights After a hard sentencing in the Inter-American Human Rights Court, the Dominican Republic was found guilty for discriminating citizens of Haitian origin between 1999 and 2000; the Dominican Constitutional Tribunal states that their adhesion to the CIDH was unconstitutional. The Dominican government classified the sentencing as “extemporaneous, biased and untimely”, and declared that “any position that questions the legitimate powers constituted over out state un unacceptable for the Dominican Republic. This vulnerability is dangerous because if any member of the LGBTI community is discriminated by the state, they have no tribunal they can look to.
Praise to Corporal Architecture .
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Outfest Movie Festival The north American, Ernest Montgomery just published “Dominicans” a photography book that praises the corporeal architecture of Creoles and the dazzling landscapes of the island. The photograph captured in their natural state, with no artificial effects, dozens of children emphasizing on the diversity of miscegenation, from an erotic and mischievous focus.
The international movie festival Outfest reached their fifth edition, with Brazil as its guest and presented the verdeamarelo film “Today I don’t want to Return Alone”. On the diversity carpet, famous political and social personalities paraded of Santo Domingo, which witnessed more than 20 films and a number of shorts. This has become one of the main festivals of the country due to its artistic nature, didactics and the promotion of respect for sexual diversity.
15th Reunion of People with HIV Creating community pharmacies and funding for medication to cover shortcomings that are generated by abandonment or bad therapeutic adherence, promoting habits and conducts toward a better quality of life and guaranteeing the presence and participation of the Help Line and its members to all public scenarios possible, were the main conclusions of the 15th National Meeting of People with HIV in Cuba. The participants also coincided with the need to carry out an active involvement in information and training health professionals and strengthening the commitment to continue working towards the objective of the National Response to stop the increase of infection of HIV.
Homophobia persists as a social conduct Web for the Married
“Consciousness does not change quickly. For more than 50 years Cuba has had a revolution and there are still dogmatic thoughts that persist in imposing a sexuality based on prejudices and exclusion. Just that those sectors have a problem: on the island there a state policy that promotes an integral education since childhood and prohibits discrimination due to sexual orientation.” Mariela Castro Espín, director of the National Center for Sexual Education (Cennesex) of Cuba, indicates that legal recognition has still not been achieved when it comes to gender identity, and reforms are pending to the family code on sexual orientation and gender Identity.
In the last months in Cuba the topic of legalizing unions of members of the LGBT community has reactivated. That is why the Cuban blogger Abd’Allah-Álvarez has created a web site so that same sex couples of Cuba that have married abroad can share their experiences. Legislators even have discussed the possibility of recognizing the civil effects of these types of alliances, without granting a spousal character.
Puerto Rico Judge denies the possibility of Marriage The federal judge Juan Pérez Giménez of Puerto Rico has maintained the prohibition on marriage between people of the same sex, against the tendency of sentences to favor equality. Citing an action of the Supreme court that is four decades old, the judge argument that: “Due to the fact that no rights for same sex marriage emanating from the constitution, the free associate state of Puerto Rico should not be obliged to recognize these types of unions. Puerto Rico, through legislative power, is free to give its own policies on matrimony. In a constitutional self governing system like ours, this is a prudent result. The people and their elected representatives should debate coexistence to redefine matrimony. Judges should not”. As precedent to the defense of the prohibition, Pérez-Giménez cited Baker v. Nelson, a case from 1972 in Minnesota where they looked for Equal Marriage, which the Supreme Court denied to hear on the basis that there was no federal right of question in question.
Clinics for Trans will be created The mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulín Cruz positioned herself in favor of the trans community and assures that in January 2015 a specialized clinic will be inaugurated for the trans community due to the discrimination and humiliation that they suffer daily. “We have started a project to have the first transsexual and transgendered clinic. There are few specialists in Puerto Rico that can manage a clinic for this population. It will initially be oriented on human rights, being spokes people and accompanying in the struggles. The last part is for medicine”. Without a doubt, this decision by the mayor supposes a novelty in the medical institutions of Puerto Rico and above all, an advance in LGBTI rights recognition.
Massive wedding in Brazil The biggest wedding of the world was held in Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. One hundred and sixty couples of the same sex said yes. This is the first civil marriage for same sex couples organized by the state, which has already united 500 couples. The objective is to guarantee the right without having the court interferes. This is also a response to the number of hate crimes that are committed in the country and a sample that diverse marriage can be consolidated.
Marriage in Finland and the in the state of Montana
One Thousand Trans Women March More than 1000 trans women staged the first pride parade to commemorate a year since the government of Bangladesh recognized a third gender. The hijras dressed un colorful wardrobes paraded through the busiest streets of Dacca and ended their activity with a great dance and their traditional singing. In the parade they deployed a huge flag of Bangladesh and banners in which you can read “The days of stigma, the discrimination and the fear have ended�.
The Eduskunta (Finnish Parliament) approved the legalization of diverse marriage, 105 in favor and 92 against and it was agreed to reform the regulations to authorize links between people of the same sex. By decision of the federal judge, Brian Morris, Montana has become the last state in the United States to legalize diverse marriage. This mode of matrimony between people of the same sex is already legal in 34 states and in a third of the west coast. In blue states already recognize marriage
One single pill against HIV Taking a few pills to fight HIV might become a thing of the past. Gilead Sciences announced that they are authorized to commercialize “Eviplera”, the only compress that HIV-1 patients would take per day. However, this is only indicated for adults infected with HIV-1, with no known mutagens associated to the resistance of the inhibitors of the inverse transcriptase that are non analogous of nucleosides (NNRTI), tenofovir or emtricitabina, with a viral charge of less than or equal to 100,000 copies/ml.
Trans Models enliven Fashion Apple Model Management, one of the agencies with most weight in Thailand, announced a suggestive proposal. They created a trans model section to show their beauty and to make visible the collective struggle for equal labor. Despite the long road that still needs to be traveled, the trans collective enjoys a status in Thailand, which is like few places in the world. The transsexual collective is present, breaking prejudices that mine their presence in western society.
The authorization of this new indication of “Eviplera” in patients that are stable in their treatment, increases its potential to help more HIV patients and control their sickness”, the Doctor of Gilead Spain, Marisa Álvarez, indicated that “Exiplera” combines three antiretroviral in one daily pill. Janssen
Got the highest grade, but killed himself due to bullying Sergio Urrego, a student whom was the tenth highest high school average in Colombia, committed suicide after being the victim of bullying at school by the directors of the school, after declaring he was gay. The topic generated a stir in social media, where dozens of people claim that the bullying that Urrego was victim to not only ended his life, but also one of the countries promises.
Host to the 2015 Oscars The openly gay actor, Neil Patrick Harris has been chosen as host of the 2015 Oscars gala. Harris has had a great 2014, sowing great success for his interpretation on Broadway of the LGBT show “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”. His work has earned him a Tony for Best Lead in a Musical, no doubt due to the versatility he shows as an actor, singer and dancer.
“Los Tigres del Norte” sing to love between people of the same sex The northern band Los Tigres del Norte, launched their first single from their new album “Realidades”. The melody “Era Diferente” tells the story of a girl that buys flowers for her best friend when they were adolescent, and that her love is returned. The song is a large advance for the LGBTI community, especially coming from a band that is a basic element of the region, similar to country music in the United States.
Gays are pressured into changing sex
There are only two alternatives: flee the country or change sex. Ignoring the difference between identity and gender identity, the authorities of Iran are demanding that gays submit to gender reassignment surgeries. They are promised credit to pay for the operation, but the concern is that gender reassignment is being offered to people that are not transgendered, rather they are homosexual. The reason to demand this is that Ayatola Jomeini, issued a fetua (an Islamic legal pronouncement) authorizing sex changes and in Iran homosexual acts are punished by death. Due to this the doctors receive the instruction to tell homosexual patients that they are sick and need treatment. .
Winnie the Pooh is forbidden The popular Walt Disney character, Winnie The Pooh was forbidden in a Polish school yard due to “dubious sexuality” and his “inappropriate” clothes. It all began when they started to look for an animated character to represent the area in their playgrounds of Tuszyn, Poland. That is when the conservatives began the debate saying that Winnie the Pooh was a hermaphrodite (intersex), therefore his image should not be used.The popular Walt Disney character, Winnie The Pooh was forbidden in a Polish school yard due to “dubious sexuality” and his “inappropriate” clothes. It all began when they started to look for an animated character to represent the area in their playgrounds of Tuszyn, Poland. That is when the conservatives began the debate saying that Winnie the Pooh was a hermaphrodite (intersex), therefore his image should not be used.
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Sleeping with no cloths and accompanied is good for your health Even though only 10% of people sleep in the nude, diverse studies have shown that doing so has diverse and unexpected benefits. People that sleep in the nude have better relations. The contact of skin to skin liberates oxytocin, also known as the love molecule, which elevates happiness, lowers stress and reduces arterial pressure. It reduces the risk of genital infections, since it permits that the area ventilate, preventing the growth of bacteria and fungi, lowers levels of cortisol, that perturbs sleep patterns, increases the grease around the stomach and lowers sexual appetite.