World's AIDs Day 2018

Worlds AIDs Day 2018 marks the 30^th anniversary of a pioneering global health campaign. A time all gay people and others open up a new conversation on AIDs, gay rights and access to health care around the world.  It’s a great opportunity to review gay rights the world over.  As LGBTQ people become more vocal and build an international network ten countries still have the death penalty for what they call sex against nature.  Many others have life imprisonment.  Even today here in the United States our government has started a new offensive against LGBTQ people.  My partner and I joke that we may not have to get divorced because all LGBTQ marriages may be annulled by the end of Trump’s presidency.  Vashon Island where I live is commemorating World’s AIDS day for the first time, a landmark occasion.  Worlds AIDs day gives us so much to reflect on.

Let’s look a little deeper into a few countries around the world.  Indonesia socially, politically and religiously holds a strong anti-gay position. In Indonesia religion plays a dominant role in society were 90 percent of the population are Muslin.  Homosexuality is not punishable by national law but Indonesia's LGBT community has always been vilified as immoral.  This stigma against homosexuality remains strong and getting stronger with recent incidents this November.  An already vulnerable LGBT minority has become more of a target as a political punching bag in the run-up to 2019 elections.  The public mood is turning increasingly ugly and LGBTQ people are confronted with deepening hostility.  Authorities hosed down a group of transgender women in what they called a "mandatory bath." This incident marks an increase in police crackdown against LGBTQ people.  Things have gotten so bad for LGBTQ people in Indonesia they are setting up hotlines and safe houses as well as removing all trace of their identity on social media sites.  I don’t have to tell all you LGBTQ people out there how devastating all this is for a community, my heart goes out to them.

Going on to Turkey where LGBTQ rights looks like a mixed bag.  Same sex acts even though legal since 1858 Turkey law has no prevision for nondiscrimination against LGBTQ people. Trans people have been able to change legal gender since 1988.  The gay community has organized a pride parade in Istanbul since 2013.  In 2016 the government banned the Pride Parade for the first time.  In 2018 people gathered anyways while activist unfolded a large rainbow flag as someone read a press statement.  The police then advanced on the crowed shooting rubber bullets as a strong warning they were breaking the law.  Couldn’t find anything about a celebration for the 2018 Worlds AID Day a further sign Turkey’s LGBTQ community continues to be under attack.

Sri Lanka has not seen LBGTQ laws change since colonial days 135 years ago, but today the laws are not strictly enforced.  Trans people have been able to change their ID to a different sex for a while.  Sri Lanka has an active LGBTQ community.  The country even has a national AIDs strategic plan for 2018 – 2022.  The down side is that the 135-year-old law cannot be repealed by the courts, courts can just rule to not enforce the law which is the laws current status.  As in any law when the political climate changes a law on the books can be enforcement.  For now, Sri Lanka’s LGBTQ openly celebrates pride for the last 13 years with a prominent parade.

Ending with some bright news in the world LGBTQ in India won a huge victory when the Supreme Court approved same sex marriage in September 2018 also ruling that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is a fundamental violation of rights.  We don’t even have this in the United States. As for World’s AIDs Day 2018, google didn’t turn up any concrete information but the land mark Pride Parade of 2018 came up with abundant celebrational news.  This parade was the first time LGBTQ people marched not as criminals but as full-fledged citizens chanting, “We Got Our Freedom.”  

Ending with India’s story of liberation hopefully gives you hope for the rest of the world on this World AID’s Day 2018 it certainly does for me.  I have met LGBTQ people from all over the world and find inspiration and hope in them personally and the work that they do and wanted to pass that message onto you. As part of your celebration for World’s AIDs Day reach out to an LGBTQ friend, an HIV positive person in way to help make a difference one day at a time.  And don’t forget to honor those in your community who are living with this disease or who have lost their lives to this disease and be thankful for their contributions as my community on Vashon is doing over the next couple of days for the first time ever.