In Bangladesh is illegal to be gay, but the government does support HIV/AIDS interventions that reach out to men who have sex with men.
The General Assembly passed an important provision affirming the human rights of Gay and Lesbian individuals around the world. See how your country voted.
Dr. Gayle explains the significance of the commitment and explains why "scaling up" is an important buzz word this week; we also discuss the role of international NGOs like Care in Pakistan flood relief efforts. Have a listen.
SG to Kabul: after much media speculation, the SG’s spokesperson confirmed today that he has traveled to Kabul to co-chair the International Conference on Afghanistan tomorrow with President Karzai. In his opening remarks, he is expected to call on the Afghan people to achieve peace through reconciliation and build a future based on economic development and cooperation. He is expected to hold a joint press conference with Karzai as well. In his remarks this morning at the World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, he called on the
In reaction to news that Argentina legalized gay marriage, the excellent Nate Silver posts this chart showing that the number of people living in jurisdictions that approve gay marriage has steadily risen over the past ten years.
May 17 was international day against homophobia. As UNAIDS noted at the time, "Of the 192 member states of the United Nations, 85 have laws that still criminalize homosexual behavior." Apparently one of those countries is Malawi, where a gay couple was sentenced to 14 years of hard labor and imprisonment for...being a gay couple.*
Five Republican members of Congress penned a letter to Ugandan President Yoweri Mouseveni urging him to do everything within his constitutional authority to stop legislation that would criminalize homosexuality, sometimes under the penalty of death, from being enacted in Uganda. The signatories, Representatives Chris Smith, Frank Wolf, Joe Pitts, Trent Franks and Anh "Joseph" Cao are conservative, members of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and self-proclaimed "men of faith."
Fox News is scandal mongering a June UNESCO report titled International Guidelines on Sexuality Education: an evidence informed approach to effective sex, relationships, and HIV/STI Education. The report is apparently offensive to social conservatives for a number of reasons, but Fox is highlighting the fact that it encourages educators to broach the topic of masturbation with 5-to-8 year-old children. Specifically, the report says:
Learning Objectives for Level I (5-8). Explain the concept of private parts of the body. Key Ideas:
Most children are curious about their bodies
It is natural to explore and touch parts of one's own body
Bodies can feel good when touched
Touching and rubbing one's genitals is called masturbation
Some people masturbate and some do not
Masturbation is not harmful, but should be done in private
This catches the ire of one Michelle Turner of "Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum." This is a Maryland, USA based group that believes a "responsible curriculum" includes teaching that homosexuality can be "cured." In the Fox News report, Turner says, "At that age they should be learning about ... the proper name of certain parts of their bodies, certainly not about masturbation." Fortunately, Turner's curriculum advice was ignored for this report.