Transgender population are not MSM

[Guest guest]

Dear all

Including 'transgenders' in MSM is nothing but completely denying their gender

identities there by disempowering them.

Lumping large sections of society with different sexual and/or gender identities

under one single category MSM doesn't help in addressing AIDS epidemic as well.

MSM doesn't recognize the different kinds of vulnerabilities people have with

regard to HIV based on their specific sexual and/or gender identity.

MSM also doesn't acknowledge the existence of people with specific sexual

preferences/identities (gay, homosexual, bisexual etc.) hence doesn't aid people

in building a positive self identity about their sexual preference.

MSM doesn't help in mobilizing and building communities, building movements and

solidarity, which is essential in addressing AIDS epidemic effectively among

marginalized populations.

'MSM' helps in making conservative funders (such as USAID, whose

conditionalities are against sexworkers, sexual rights - Eg. right to abort) and

conservative governments happy. MSM helps in making 'AIDS sector' or 'AIDS

industry' grow.

It often helps in making male/transgender sexworkers invisible to avoid taking a

stand on sexwork and sexworkers pay maximum price for this.

If we really want to address AIDS epidemic among sexual minorities, we need to

take stands - about sexual preferences, about gender

indentities/preferences, about sexwork, about criminalisation of consensual sex

between adults.

We need to defend human rights. We need to mobilize and build communities and

solidarity. We need to build democratic community

organisations.

Present (predominant) mode of delivering HIV/AIDS services and products doesn't

help in addressing AIDS epidemic.

In Solidarity

Elavarthi Manohar

Karnataka Sexworkers Union

Bangalore, India

e-mail: <manoharban@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Manohar and others,

Re: /message/7674

This is to inform you that right from the planning stage of NACP III from 2005

onwards, some of us have not only insisted that TG should be separately

mentioned and engaged but that bisexual women and lesbians were also at risk to

HIV due to their vulnerability due to gender disabilities.

At the inssistence of many activists and planners at that stage, we have managed

to get Transgendered M2F included in the NACO programs and presently all NACO

programs for MSM mention MSM and TG or MSM/TG as a separate sub-category at

higher risks to HIV.

Hence Manohar's fears are well founded but have been addressed by NACO and the

NACP III planners right from the beginning.

I must say that there are many MSM or gay organisations that seem to speak on

behalf of the transgendered without really understanding or knowing about their

problems or issues.

The organisation I come from, the Humsafar Trust , was instrumental in not only

giving space to the transgendered but finally was also a co-partner with the Dai

Society for hijras in Mumbai and helped it through many of its early teething

problems.

Though there are many probems, it is important that the more empowered MSM

organisations speak on behalf of TG but sometimes do not allow them to speak.

But given the larger issues around sex, sexuality and gender, the historical

existence of the trannsgendered is now better understood in India than in many

other countries of the world.

It is only in India that the transgendered can get a passport under the

category of EU and yet the paradox is that TG are totally disempowered thanks to

the debris of colonialism and its repurcussions.

Even in the planning stages some of us made it clear that hijra CBOs must be

nurtured through different stages of empowerment. Therefore relaxation of

protocols considered necessary for other NGOs/CBOs were written into the

operational guidelines of NACO. Hijra CBOs have been allocated more money for

community moblisation under various headings. The special categorical statement

that hijra and sex worker CBOs should get free condoms was put in at my

insistence. For the first year, lubrication was to be provided free to build up

a corpus to buy more from the next year.

A whole protocol for oral/anal STIs was set up on the NACO website and flip

charts prepared. In fact, there is very extensive protocol now ready for all

district hospitals that is being readied by UNAIDS in close collaboration with

various international bodies to look at the medical issues around transgendered

persons.

There is much more on the cards but that is as the NACP III roll-out takes

place. Till then we all mobilise for all marginalised communities.

regards

Ashok Row Kavi

Consultant, UNAIDS

e-mail: <arowkavi@...>