Organized by TLF Share Collective and Health Action Information Network
With support from United Nations Development Program,
Philippine National AIDS Council and APCOM
22-24 July 2009, Greenhills Elan, San Juan
In the past few years the Philippines has seen a significant increase in the case of HIV transmission among males who have sex with male and transgenders (MSM/TG). Where before the ratio of homo to hetero sexual transmission is 1:3, in 2008 more than 50% of the new case are between males.
Also in the last five years, prevention, treatment and care interventions have increased because of funding support mainly from the Global Fund. These efforts were focusing with most-at-risk populations, which included MSM/TG. Because of this, many cities in the Philippines experienced a surge of peer education and condom distribution activities targeting MSM/TG communities and individuals.
While all these are happening there have never been any opportunities for MSM/TG groups to discuss these developments, analyze problems and come up with a common goal that will empower the MSM/TG community and take leadership in the responses to the threat of HIV.
From the 2nd quarter of this year up to the end of 2010, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is supporting a MSM program that will provide for two things: a study on MSM and HIV that will inform the national and local responses and a leadership development program that will empower the MSM/TG community. Both aims require the involvement and inputs from the MSM/TG community, the national government and other organizations that work and support HIV prevention among MSM/TG. The UNDP MSM project makes it more imperative for a collective discussion on the matter.
Thus, a first-ever national meeting on MSM/TG and Sexual Health and Rights was organized, specifically for MSM/TG groups and relevant government and non-government organizations to have a conversation and to agree on a common agenda for HIV prevention and rights promotion. Through this effort, MSM/TG groups and community were able to voice and be heard in the forum built around their aspirations.
The National Conference was supported mainly by UNDP and Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) and solicited funds from Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health in India (APCOM).
The idea was to gather as many MSM groups as possible from different regions in the Philippines, who are currently engaged in HIV prevention, treatment care and support programs, in sexual rights advocacy or in community service provision.
KEY POINTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS (Pink SONA and 1st MSM/TG National Conference)
On Human Rights
· There is no law criminalizing homosexuality, but some laws are used to harass MSMs:
o Anti-Vagrancy law
o Public Scandal law
o Anti-Kidnapping law (usually filed against a lesbian to break off a relationship)
· Raids are used to harass, threaten, and extort money from arrested MSMs
· Some schools, like San Beda, conduct masculinity test on effeminate potential students. CHED maintains a hands-off policy, on grounds that private educational institutions can implement their own policies.
· There is no labor law that would prevent same sex couples working in the same office from being terminated. (ex: a lesbian couple working in a human rights group was terminated; a case was filed but the DOLE dismissed it because there was no specific law)
· Spate of killings and theft involving gay men
· Cases of sexual abuses experienced by MSMs
· HR activities are more focused on legislative; efforts to popularize HR issues are minimal
Economy
· Economic crisis weakens the involvement of the LGBT community in key issues
Media portrayal
· There is a positive change in the portrayal of gays in the media, but most of these are limited in indie films.
· There is no clear cut definition of what positive portrayal is
TGs
· Including the TGs in the MSM sector is problematic because TGs self-identify as women
· There is a gap in health service provision for this particular sector (ex: a TG top with gonorrhea would think twice about going to a doctor because of the
TRENDS AND GAPS by Key Areas
1. LGBT events aided in our self awakening
2. self-advocacy – sarili mo muna ina-advocate mo; maconvince mo muna sarili mo.
3. More public spaces become more LGBT friendly
4. indifference among LGBT people still exist
5. Division among LGBT ideas (horizontal discrimination exists within the LGBT community; ex: poor gay versus rich gay)
6. repressive policies on LGBT
HEALTHCARE
Trends/gaps
1. increasing awareness, but still low in practice specially safer sex practices
2. improvement in services and treatment, pero hindi pa universal – may mga lugar na hindui pa naabot ng services
3. Intensification of peer work, but limited in reach
4. dependence on GF and other external sources – doon lahat natin kinukuha ang resources..what if matapos na ang fund na binibigay
5. lack of representation in LAC/other multisectoral bodies – ang vision namin is for every LGUs to have their own LACs or similar body
6. absence of champions of MSM and TG in healthcare issues within the government
SOCIAL PORTRAYAL
Trends and gaps
· LGBT used as subjects/themes in films (non-mainstream) – although pinapakita sa indie films and magazines, sometimes, hindi pa rin nakikita ng mga tao.
· mainstream portrayal is sensational and cliché – yun ang alam ng mga tao, yung parlorista, macho dancers. it doesn’t show the wide spectrum
· no established positive TV programs are on the air now.
· Catholic church or religious institutions still have big influence in the media – biggest influence
· most of the positive portrayals and pushing of the envelope are done by LGBT themselves –
HUMAN RIGHTS
Trends
· LGBT rights advocacy has been ;argely legislative
· CO happened mostly in the early parts
· high media profile incidents which could have maximized HR framework
Gaps
· popularize HR education – hindi lahat informed kung ano ang status ng mga bills
· info sharing/updates system
· resources
· popular mass support for LGBT specific legislations to push bill
Other recommendations/clarifications
· Possibility of releasing region-aggregated data
· Assess if the services reach MSMs residing in areas far from urban centers where most service providers are located
· Contingency measures after GF (ex: compulsory licensing)
· Gender sensitivity training, particularly for health personnel
· Monitor/assessment of BCC for MSM and TG (for baseline)
· Enhancement of current BCC approaches to be client-centered (positive prevention, TCS, interaction; capacity developments in all aspects, key messages)
· Scale up (social network initiatives, referral system)
· Profiling of MSM/TG
· More researches
· Program for disclosure in the family
· Develop a coordinating mechanism
· Institutionalize training of trainers
The conference was widely covered by print and broadcast media. Full proceedings will be posted.
With support from United Nations Development Program,
Philippine National AIDS Council and APCOM
22-24 July 2009, Greenhills Elan, San Juan
In the past few years the Philippines has seen a significant increase in the case of HIV transmission among males who have sex with male and transgenders (MSM/TG). Where before the ratio of homo to hetero sexual transmission is 1:3, in 2008 more than 50% of the new case are between males.
Also in the last five years, prevention, treatment and care interventions have increased because of funding support mainly from the Global Fund. These efforts were focusing with most-at-risk populations, which included MSM/TG. Because of this, many cities in the Philippines experienced a surge of peer education and condom distribution activities targeting MSM/TG communities and individuals.
While all these are happening there have never been any opportunities for MSM/TG groups to discuss these developments, analyze problems and come up with a common goal that will empower the MSM/TG community and take leadership in the responses to the threat of HIV.
From the 2nd quarter of this year up to the end of 2010, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is supporting a MSM program that will provide for two things: a study on MSM and HIV that will inform the national and local responses and a leadership development program that will empower the MSM/TG community. Both aims require the involvement and inputs from the MSM/TG community, the national government and other organizations that work and support HIV prevention among MSM/TG. The UNDP MSM project makes it more imperative for a collective discussion on the matter.
Thus, a first-ever national meeting on MSM/TG and Sexual Health and Rights was organized, specifically for MSM/TG groups and relevant government and non-government organizations to have a conversation and to agree on a common agenda for HIV prevention and rights promotion. Through this effort, MSM/TG groups and community were able to voice and be heard in the forum built around their aspirations.
The National Conference was supported mainly by UNDP and Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) and solicited funds from Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health in India (APCOM).
The idea was to gather as many MSM groups as possible from different regions in the Philippines, who are currently engaged in HIV prevention, treatment care and support programs, in sexual rights advocacy or in community service provision.
KEY POINTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS (Pink SONA and 1st MSM/TG National Conference)
On Human Rights
· There is no law criminalizing homosexuality, but some laws are used to harass MSMs:
o Anti-Vagrancy law
o Public Scandal law
o Anti-Kidnapping law (usually filed against a lesbian to break off a relationship)
· Raids are used to harass, threaten, and extort money from arrested MSMs
· Some schools, like San Beda, conduct masculinity test on effeminate potential students. CHED maintains a hands-off policy, on grounds that private educational institutions can implement their own policies.
· There is no labor law that would prevent same sex couples working in the same office from being terminated. (ex: a lesbian couple working in a human rights group was terminated; a case was filed but the DOLE dismissed it because there was no specific law)
· Spate of killings and theft involving gay men
· Cases of sexual abuses experienced by MSMs
· HR activities are more focused on legislative; efforts to popularize HR issues are minimal
Economy
· Economic crisis weakens the involvement of the LGBT community in key issues
Media portrayal
· There is a positive change in the portrayal of gays in the media, but most of these are limited in indie films.
· There is no clear cut definition of what positive portrayal is
TGs
· Including the TGs in the MSM sector is problematic because TGs self-identify as women
· There is a gap in health service provision for this particular sector (ex: a TG top with gonorrhea would think twice about going to a doctor because of the
TRENDS AND GAPS by Key Areas
1. LGBT events aided in our self awakening
2. self-advocacy – sarili mo muna ina-advocate mo; maconvince mo muna sarili mo.
3. More public spaces become more LGBT friendly
4. indifference among LGBT people still exist
5. Division among LGBT ideas (horizontal discrimination exists within the LGBT community; ex: poor gay versus rich gay)
6. repressive policies on LGBT
HEALTHCARE
Trends/gaps
1. increasing awareness, but still low in practice specially safer sex practices
2. improvement in services and treatment, pero hindi pa universal – may mga lugar na hindui pa naabot ng services
3. Intensification of peer work, but limited in reach
4. dependence on GF and other external sources – doon lahat natin kinukuha ang resources..what if matapos na ang fund na binibigay
5. lack of representation in LAC/other multisectoral bodies – ang vision namin is for every LGUs to have their own LACs or similar body
6. absence of champions of MSM and TG in healthcare issues within the government
SOCIAL PORTRAYAL
Trends and gaps
· LGBT used as subjects/themes in films (non-mainstream) – although pinapakita sa indie films and magazines, sometimes, hindi pa rin nakikita ng mga tao.
· mainstream portrayal is sensational and cliché – yun ang alam ng mga tao, yung parlorista, macho dancers. it doesn’t show the wide spectrum
· no established positive TV programs are on the air now.
· Catholic church or religious institutions still have big influence in the media – biggest influence
· most of the positive portrayals and pushing of the envelope are done by LGBT themselves –
HUMAN RIGHTS
Trends
· LGBT rights advocacy has been ;argely legislative
· CO happened mostly in the early parts
· high media profile incidents which could have maximized HR framework
Gaps
· popularize HR education – hindi lahat informed kung ano ang status ng mga bills
· info sharing/updates system
· resources
· popular mass support for LGBT specific legislations to push bill
Other recommendations/clarifications
· Possibility of releasing region-aggregated data
· Assess if the services reach MSMs residing in areas far from urban centers where most service providers are located
· Contingency measures after GF (ex: compulsory licensing)
· Gender sensitivity training, particularly for health personnel
· Monitor/assessment of BCC for MSM and TG (for baseline)
· Enhancement of current BCC approaches to be client-centered (positive prevention, TCS, interaction; capacity developments in all aspects, key messages)
· Scale up (social network initiatives, referral system)
· Profiling of MSM/TG
· More researches
· Program for disclosure in the family
· Develop a coordinating mechanism
· Institutionalize training of trainers
The conference was widely covered by print and broadcast media. Full proceedings will be posted.
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