Speak Out! is a digest of MSMGF news and activism in the global fight to promote sexual health and rights.
Happy Holidays from MSMGF!
We knew going into 2017 that there was a winding road ahead of us. An increasingly conservative political landscape had arisen in many parts of the world and our advocacy had to shift in response.
In spite of this, we here at MSMGF have accomplished quite a lot. Our staff has grown and we have moved into a new office space in Oakland to accommodate our increased capacity. We have worked with 120 community-based partners across 62 countries as well as conducted trainings in Africa and South-East Asia. We have expanded our resources for gay and bisexual men to include a free online learning series for healthcare professionals. We have been closely monitoring human rights at the international level as well as in the wake of the Trump administration. We have identified a set of advocacy priorities for our expanding network of gay, trans, and youth activists to ensure that our voices are heard and that our needs are sufficiently funded.
As we head into a new year and begin our preparations for AIDS2018 in Amsterdam, we consider the stories from around the world that continue to impact our efforts.
We are inspired by healthcare providers in New South Wales whose focus on key populations led to reduced rates of HIV transmission throughout their state. We are emboldened by our partners in Tanzania who continue to fight for their rights in a country that stigmatizes and even criminalizes same-sex behavior. We are motivated to empower gay and bisexual men from Cairo to Chechnya whose daily existence is an act of resistance.
Most of all, we are grateful for all of you who continue to support our vision of a world where the sexual health of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities is a human right. There is still work to be done.
With warmest wishes,
The MSMGF Staff, Board of Directors,
and Steering Committee
Achieving HIV Targets Through Human Rights Instruments:
HIV activists must know how to maximize existing mechanisms in order to reach national HIV goals for key populations. MSMGF, in conjuction with the International HIV/AIDS Alliance and Aidsfonds, lay out steps for increasing civil society members' use of human rights instruments as integral parts of their HIV advocacy.
Next Steps in the Global Response to HIV
Activists and advocates from around the world share their vision of an HIV response that empowers and engages the communities most affected by this epidemic.
Solange Musanganya • Maison de Culture de Diversites Humanites • Ivory Coast "As a trans woman, I had to work hard on myself to be comfortable with who I am. So many people helped me to reach that level of comfort. I believe now it is my time to give it back to people questioning about their identity, to start organizations in my region, to strengthen their knowledge, and to help my fellows trans people be comfortable with whom they are."
Barbra Muruga • East Africa Trans Health & Advocacy Network (EATHAN) • Kenya "Through my work in the community, I noticed that many organizations struggled to find funding and were not able to sustain their work. Because of this, the growth of our community would continue to be slow. I saw the TEACH program as an opportunity for me to put my efforts into changing this."
