Men who have sex with men - points of view

[Guest guest]

MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN (MSM)

Points of view, October 2002

Shivananda Khan: Naz Foundation International

MSM is not an exclusive category or 'target group'.

However, it does include those with specific sexual

identities, such as gay-identified men, and those with gendered

identities, such as self-identified kothis.

MSM is not a ¡§target population¡¨ unless you wish to speak of

the category MEN as a population group.

MSM does not break into ¡§heterosexuals¡¨ or ¡§homosexuals,¡¨ or

even ¡§bisexuals¡¨.

The word MEN is problematic in different cultural frameworks

because of its association with other dynamics than biological age,

such as marriage, religious rituals, duty.

Not all MSM are at risk of STI/HIV infection in terms of

their male-to-male sexual practices. This would depend on specific

practices.

We should be talking about male-to-male anal sex as a high-

risk behaviour.

We should also be talking of male-to-female anal sex as well.

Male-to- male sexual behaviours may well be a normative

sexual practice, yet hidden and invisible.

The use of orientation labels for HIV transmission is also

problematic, i.e. heterosexual or homosexual transmission.

Male-to-male sexual behaviours as a term makes more sense

than men who have sex with men.

In south Asia (as probably elsewhere in the world) gendered

identities play a more significant role in male-to-male sex than the

concepts of heterosexual or homosexual orientations.

This means that the ¡§manly¡¨ (penetrative) partner perceives

himself as a MAN, while the penetrated partner is perceived (and

often by himself also) as NOT-MAN.

Thus the penetrating partner would perceive himself (and is

perceived by the kothis whom he penetrates) as a ¡§heterosexual¡¨.

Thus the experience of male-to-male sexual behaviours

includes broad categories of males, including¡¨

Street males

Males in all male institutions

Males across the spectrum of occupations and classes

Males who are deemed as ¡§normative¡¨

As well as those males with differing gendered identities and

sexualities

Males who sell sex to other males

Males who identify as gay or homosexual

Males who are married

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