African Union endorses major new initiatives to end AIDS

GENEVA, ADDIS ABABA —African heads of state have endorsed two major new initiatives to help end AIDS by 2030. The community health workers initiative aims to recruit, train and deploy 2 million community health workers across Africa by 2020. The western and central Africa catch-up plan aims to rapidly accelerate access to HIV treatment in the region and close the gap in access between African regions. The initiatives were endorsed at the AIDS Watch Africa Heads of State and Government Meeting, held on 3 July during the 29th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Western and central Africa catch-up plan

Under the leadership of countries and regional economic communities, and in collaboration with UNAIDS, the World Health Organization, Doctors Without Borders and other partners, the catch-up plan in western and central Africa, which started implementation in late 2016, seeks to dramatically accelerate the scale-up of HIV testing, prevention and treatment programmes, with the goal of putting the region on the Fast-Track to meet the 90–90–90 targets by December 2020.

While the world witnesses significant progress in responding to HIV, with 57% of all people living with HIV knowing their HIV status, 46% of all people living with HIV accessing treatment and 38% of all people living with HIV virally suppressed in 2015, the western and central Africa region lags behind, achieving only 36%, 28% and 12%, respectively, in 2015. The gap is considerable: 4.7 million people living with HIV are not receiving treatment, and 330 000 adults and children died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2015.

“We cannot accept a two-speed approach to ending AIDS in Africa,” said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé. “To put western and central Africa on track to end AIDS, we must address stigma, discrimination and other challenges to an effective response, allocate funding to support the most effective strategies and implement delivery strategies that reach the communities most in need.”

The catch-up plan will aim to increase the number of people on treatment from 1.8 million to 2.9 million by mid-2018, giving an additional 1.2 million people, including 120 000 children, access to urgently needed treatment.

The first call for a catch-up plan for the region was made at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS in June 2016. Since then, at least 10 countries (Benin, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone) have developed country operational plans deriving from the western and central Africa catch-up plan with a focus on ensuring the needed policy and structural changes.

Two million community health workers

The community health worker initiative aims to accelerate progress towards achieving the 90–90–90 targets by 2020—whereby 90% of all people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90% of people who know their HIV-positive status are accessing treatment and 90% of people on treatment have suppressed viral loads—and to lay the foundation for sustainable health systems. Championed by the President of Guinea and African Union Chair, Alpha Condé, the initiative seeks to confront the acute health workforce shortages across Africa and improve access to health services for the most marginalized populations, including people living in rural areas.

“Recruiting 2 million community health workers is a critical step towards achievement of the Africa-wide socioeconomic transformation envisioned in the African Union’s Agenda 63”, said Mr Condé. “Few tools have the ability of community health workers to drive progress across the entire breadth of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

Substantial evidence, from both Africa and elsewhere, demonstrates that well-trained, properly supervised community health workers provide an excellent quality of care and improve the efficiency and impact of health spending. Community health workers have helped devise some of the most effective service delivery strategies for HIV testing and treatment, and studies have also linked community-delivered services with increased rates of immunization, exclusive breastfeeding and malaria control coverage.

“Sustainable community health work is a matter of survival and development in Ethiopia, said Prime Minister of Ethiopia Hailemariam Desalegn. “My community health workers have made better health happen. Achieving universal health coverage is not possible without building community health systems.”

UNAIDS estimates that there are more than 1 million community health workers in Africa today, but most focus on a single health problem and are under-trained, unpaid or under-paid, and not well integrated in health systems. The new initiative endorsed by AIDS Watch Africa seeks to retrain existing community health workers, where feasible, and to recruit new health workers to reach the 2 million target.

“Few investments generate such a remarkable social and economic return as community health workers,” said Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Earth Institute, Columbia University. “Community health worker programmes are essentially self-sustaining, in that they avert illness, keep workers healthy and productive and contribute to economic growth and opportunity.”

While community health workers may hold the key in many settings to achieving the 90–90–90 targets, the benefits of this new initiative extend well beyond the AIDS response. The initiative will expedite gains across the health targets of Sustainable Development Goal 3, create new jobs that will strengthen local and national economies and offer new opportunities to young people. The new initiative is aligned with the World Health Organization’s Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health.

Start Free Stay Free AIDS Free

At the AIDS Watch Africa meeting, the participants also called on member states and development partners to support the African Union campaign to eliminate new HIV infections among children and keep mothers alive as part of the Start Free Stay Free AIDS Free collaborative framework.

“Complacency gives birth to regression of the gains made in reducing HIV prevalence, said, Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda. “We in Uganda have rekindled the campaign to end AIDS; the science exists, as well as the medication. We can win this battle.”

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Marriage equality moves forward in Germany

BERLIN — Today, the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany’s parliament, voted to make marriage equality the law of the land. Once the legislation is approved by Bundesrat, the upper house, – which is expected to be a formality – and signed into law by the president, Germany will become the 22nd country to secure full marriage equality for same-sex couples.

The vote came days after Chancellor Angela Merkel signaled that she was open to changing Germany’s marriage laws to include same-sex couples, prompting a hurried push from opposition lawmakers to pass the so-called marriage-for-all legislation, reported the Huffington Post.

According to the report Merkel’s shift came after she visited a lesbian couple raising eight foster children. She called her dinner with the family “a life-changing experience” and said she realized her party’s arguments against same-sex marriage were no longer valid.

“We welcome the German people into the growing family of nations that ensure loving and committed same-sex couples have the right to marry,” said Ty Cobb, Director of HRC Global. “With the very serious challenges the LGBTQ community continues to face around the world, this is welcome news and an important victory in working to ensure LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society. We congratulate the German advocates who made this historic day possible through their tireless advocacy.”

Although German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party, the conservative Christian Democrats, has been historically opposed to marriage equality, many individual legislators within the party do support it. Merkel indicated a possible shift in her viewpoint by opening a path forward for the vote. Her decision to allow the vote followed a move by her coalition partner, the Social Democrats, who announced their continued support for Merkel’s government would be contingent on her backing marriage equality.

Recent polling shows that 66 percent of Germans support full marriage equality. Germany has had same-sex civil unions since 2001, although those unions lacked the full dignity, legal protections and rights that come with marriage, including on adoption rights.

In Malta, another European Union nation, members of parliament are also expected to vote soon in favor of marriage equality. This progress in Europe comes on the heels of a recent victory in Asia, where Taiwan’s Constitutional Court ruled in favor of marriage equality in May.

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The LGBT community’s seal of approval should mean more than fundraising

While I am not associated with the No Justice, No Pride group I support its efforts against certain corporate involvement and financial support of Pride activities. Most recently No Justice, No Pride activists blocked Washington’ DC’s Capitol Pride Parade not once but three times.

According to Dcist.com, Jen Deerinwater, a No Justice, No Pride participant and a two-spirit member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, denounced several Capital Pride sponsors including the federal agencies FBI, NSA, CIA, and federal contractor Lockheed Martin for native genocide. She also mentioned Wells Fargo for its support of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Deerinwater might have also criticized former President Barack Obama who, in his final days in office, deployed federal agents to brutalize peaceful protesters in North Dakota.

Where I agree with Deerinwater and No Justice, No Pride is in their view the government brutalizes U.S. citizens for their political beliefs. Tea Party members who were brutalized by Obama’s Internal Revenue Agents might also agree with No Justice, No Pride.

I agree with No Justice, No Pride that corporate bad actor Wells Fargo should be banned from Pride activities in DC and around the nation. Disclosure: I am a dissenting stockholder in Wells Fargo. I criticized Wells’ predatory lending practices before and after they became public. Wells’ corrupt lending practices hurt tens of thousands of borrowers including customers of color and the LGBT community.

When Wells Fargo was exposed for creating accounts for customers without their consent, former corrupt CEO John Stumpf was forced to resign and forego multi-million dollar bonuses the corporation planned to bestow on him for his “leadership.” I believe Stumpf and other Wells Fargo executives should go to prison.

The economic damage Wells Fargo caused individuals, businesses and communities across the country is inestimable. Bad credit scores increase the cost of borrowing for those affected and this translates to less disposable income, less charitable donations and less support of community organizations like schools, houses of worship and others.

Wells Fargo’s business decision to support the Dakota Access Pipeline is controversial and has drawn protest supporters from Hollywood. Activists in many cities, like New York, have convinced mayors and city council members to divest from Wells Fargo over the pipeline. Whether this amounts to “native genocide” as Deerinwater said, I am not qualified to address.

Wells Fargo’s consumer credit fraud, however, was a violation of state and federal laws and it was outright theft for which the corporation should not be rewarded nor trusted to manage with any government financial accounts. Big Gay organizations which place their seal of approval on Wells Fargo’s employment practices should immediately remove any such endorsements until they are convinced the corporation has adequately compensated individuals adversely impacted by the massive customer fraud.

I am a dissenting stockholder in two other corporations, both bad actors, who are Pride supporters: Walgreens and Starwood Hotels. Myissues with Walgreens include sales of tobacco products and for repeated fines by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

I provided the editor with a letter from former Walgreens CEO Jeff Rein where he shamelessly defends the corporation’s right to peddle addictive and deadly tobacco products. I urge the editor to post Walgreens’s letter so all can read it. I wrote the corporation at the time San Francisco’s politicians banned tobacco sales at city pharmacies.

According to the Wall Street Journal, in 2013 Walgreen Co. agreed to pay $80 in civil penalties for violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Walgreens paid the fines for its illegal distribution of highly addictive painkillers in Florida. According to the DEA website, https://www.dea.gov/divisions/mia/2013/mia061113.shtml, Walgreens had an “unprecedented number of record-keeping and dispensing violations under the Act” for prescription painkillers, including opioids. This is one of many cases against Walgreens for its “violations” of the CSA.

When Walgreens announced support of blood testing by nutcase CEO Elizabeth Homes of Theranos, I immediately objected because industry reports questioned the reliability of the tests and the Theranos testing methods. The Wall Street Journal reported the same problems. What, if anything, was Walgreens CEO Stefano Pessina thinking when he endorsed this fraudulent medical testing? I do not believe the LGBT community should be taking money from a corporate crook like Walgreens.

Starwood Hotels, now owned by Marriot Corporation, was successfully sued many times by female employees and guests. Former CEO Richard Nanula posed as porn star “Mr. Rich” and videotaped himself having sex with adult film actresses. A Los Angeles Times investigation followed up on explicit photos posted at Thedirty.com. Nanula was ousted by the board. Starwood has lost sex harassment cases in Philadelphia, Florida and settled others to avoid press attention.

Corporate bad actors Wells Fargo, Walgreens and the former Starwood with its managers now at Marriot, create credibility problems for the LGBT community. Big Gay has its seal of approval on them despite consumer fraud and predatory lending by Wells Fargo, tobacco sales and opioid violations at Walgreens and sex harassment cases against Starwood formerly managed by “Mr. Rich.”

For Big Gay’s seal of approval to mean anything, it must stand for something more than fundraising cash, free hotel rooms, and access to cigarettes. The seal must stand for ethical business practices and withdraw endorsement from companies that commit consumer credit fraud, engage in “unprecedented” violations of the Controlled Substances Act and sexually harass employees and guests. It is time for the LGBT community to get real on what its endorsement really means.

Jim Patterson is a member of the California State Society and writes from Washington DC. See http://www.JEPWriter.blogspot.com for recent writing products.

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President Trump begins LGBTQ Pride Month with silence

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Trump has failed to issue a presidential proclamation honoring June as LGBTQ Pride Month. Instead, the Trump administration prioritized issuing proclamations June 1 around “Great Outdoors Month,” “National Ocean Month,” and “National Homeownership Month.” This silence halts an eight-year precedent set by President Barack Obama in honoring the achievements of LGBTQ Americans and showing support for the community via proclamations and other Pride Month events.

Ivanka Trump sent two tweets on the evening of June 1 wishing “everyone a joyful Pride” and saying she was “proud to support my LGBTQ friends and the LGBTQ Americans who have made immense contributions to our society and economy.” These tweets which were met with an outcry from LGBTQ writers, influencers and leaders.

Michelangelo Signorile, HuffPost’s Queer Voices editor-at-large wrote: “As many pointed out, the tweets are beyond hypocritical since Ivanka Trump champions, defends and never criticizes her father, the president.

“All the while, Donald Trump has stripped transgender students of protections in schools, installed grotesque and overtly homophobic individuals in his cabinet ― from Tom Price to Ben Carson ― and has the anti-LGBTQ Mike Pence leading the way on domestic policy, along with many of the bigots he’s installed in the government as head of Trump’s transition team.”

Sarah Kate Ellis, GLAAD president and CEO spoke out issuing the following statement, “Every June, leaders from all walks of life recognize Pride month and stand together in support of LGBTQ people, however President Trump chose to start this Pride month with deafening silence. Even if Ivanka Trump tries to save face with LGBTQ Americans, President Trump’s negligence at the start of Pride month provided another example that this administration is no friend to the community. While the Trump Administration tries to systematically erase LGBTQ people and families from the fabric of this nation, LGBTQ Americans and allies must do what we know best this Pride month – stay visible and march for acceptance.”

Since Day One of his presidency, Donald Trump has approved policy that systematically erases LGBTQ Americans from the fabric of this nation. From removing any mention of “LGBTQ” on government Web sites to rescinding guidance that protection the rights of transgender students at their schools, the Trump Administration has made a point to halt full acceptance for LGBTQ Americans.

This is in stark contrast to President Barack Obama and the previous administration. Aside from issuing a president proclamation for LGBTQ Pride Month each year in office, the Obama Administration advocated for and ushered in a new era of LGBTQ acceptance in this nation, including the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act, and the a nationwide victory for marriage equality.

Landmark LGBTQ legislation advances in the California Senate

SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Two bills authored by Sen. Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) that enhance rights for transgender Californians passed Wednesday on the Senate floor.

SB 179, the Gender Recognition Act, would make California one of the first states in the country to create a third gender marker on state-issued identification documents for people who identify as nonbinary – neither male nor female. The bill would also streamline the process for transgender, intersex and nonbinary Californians to obtain identification documents that accurately reflect their gender. It passed by a vote of 26-12.

“I thank my colleagues in the Senate who took a brave stand today for Californians who have a hard enough time as it is,” Atkins said. “Most of us use our ID on a daily basis and take it for granted. SB 179 will make what should be a simple task much easier for our transgender and nonbinary neighbors.”

Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) is a joint author of SB 179.

“Today, California takes another bold step toward full equality for our LGBTQ community and a more inclusive society,” Wiener said. “We need to make it easier for transgender and gender non-conforming people to live their lives as who they are, not who society says they’re supposed to be. In particular, our LGBTQ youth need to know that we support them and want them to succeed as their authentic selves.”

Transgender Law Center is a sponsor of SB 179.

“Everyone needs access to an ID that accurately reflects who they are,” said Transgender Law Center Executive Director Kris Hayashi. “This simple measure will make daily life for many transgender and nonbinary people infinitely safer and easier.”

SB 310, the Name and Gender Act, establishes the right of people in state prisons and county jails to access the courts to obtain a name or gender change. It also requires corrections officials to use the new name of a prisoner who has successfully obtained a name change.

“Transgender people who are incarcerated should have the same right as anyone else to legally change their name or gender and to be recognized for who they are,” Atkins said. “In addition to providing transgender prisoners with a sense of dignity while incarcerated, SB 310 will give them a better chance to reenter society successfully.”

Equality California is a strong supporter of both SB 179 and SB 310.

“By the time a transgender person applies for a name change or a document accurately reflecting their gender identity, they’ve already made an extremely difficult personal journey,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. “The last thing they need is for the government to throw more obstacles in their path. These bills would make a difficult process easier and help protect the basic dignity of transgender and nonbinary people.”

Both bills now advance to the state Assembly for consideration.

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141 men arrested in gay sauna in Indonesia

Saturday, May 21 141 men were arrested by Indonesian authorities claiming they were engaging in a “gay sex party” at Atlantis Gym & Sauna in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. Those arrested were detained by the North Jakarta District Police. Indonesia does not have laws criminalizing homosexuality, except in the Aceh province, however the country does have severe anti-pornography laws which have been used to target LGBTIQ Web sites and activities.

Jessica Stern, executive director of OutRight Action International, commented on the arrests and the wider environment facing LGBTIQ people in Indonesia saying: “OutRight’s research, Creeping Criminalization, shows that regional regulations are departing from national laws and are heavily influenced by fundamentalist interpretations of Islam. These laws are targeting women’s dress codes, any women having relationships outside of marriage, and LGBTIQ people, criminalizing them on grounds of breaching public morality.

“What is happening in Indonesia is dangerous and scary. Officials are using their own personal biases on morality to oppress different groups and especially LGBTIQ people. In the past, the LGBTIQ community has experienced more tolerance in Indonesian society, but particularly over the past 18 months crackdowns have increased and the situation has become much worse for LGBTIQ people. LGBTIQ Indonesians are equal citizens and must not be singled out and oppressed simply for who they love or who they are.

The Telegraph reported that police have so far said that ten will be charged, including the sauna’s owner and several strippers. If found guilty they face a jail term of up to ten years.

Others arrested must be released by Tuesday morning if there is no evidence of criminality found against them. Otherwise they could be detained for 20 days.

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Russian LGBT Network evacuating ‘at risk’ people from Chechnya

1 April, Novaya Gazeta reported that more than 100 men have been arbitrarily detained and at least three have been murdered by Chechen authorities for their alleged “non traditional” sexual orientation. Independent sources have confirmed the mass detention, described acts of torture, and suggested that the number of men killed may be as many as 20. The scale and scope of the crisis means that LGBTIQ people in Chechnya are in extreme danger, and the international community must act urgently.

In response to the crisis, the Russian LGBT Network is currently evacuating people from Chechnya who may be at risk for kidnapping, arrest or otherwise in harm’s way. The Network is calling on international institutions and governments to pressure Russian authorities to intervene to immediately stop the abuse. It has also underscored that even those LGBTIQ people not at risk of direct state violence may now be at heightened risk of family violence.

Jessica Stern, executive director of OutRight Action International, commented, “The perpetrators of this malicious campaign must be held accountable for the systematic detention, torture, and killings of innocent men in Chechnya. No government should get away with such wanton human rights violations.”

OutRight has requested swift and urgent action from a dozen governments, including that they engage their Russian counterparts to: condemn these reports, urge that the perpetrators be held accountable, demand the men’s immediate release, and insist that all survivors and victims’ families be given reparations. OutRight is also calling for statements of condemnation from United Nations officials.

A spokesman for Chechnya’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, denied the allegations. He said, “You cannot arrest or repress people who just don’t exist in the republic.” The spokesman also indirectly highlighted the violence and homophobia faced by gay men, saying, “If such people existed in Chechnya, law enforcement would not have to worry about them, as their own relatives would have sent them to where they could never return.”

International reaction to these reports has been shock and horror. However, people have also used the crisis to engage in islamophobic, racist, and anti-Russia rhetoric.

Stern said, “Using a violent attack on men accused of being gay to legitimize islamophobia is dangerous and misleading. It negates the experiences of queer muslims and essentializes all muslims as homophobic. We cannot permit this tragedy to be co-opted by ethno-nationalists to perpetuate anti-Muslim or anti-Russian sentiment. The people and their government are never the same.”

Stern concluded, “We remember the victims of this heinous crime. They are in our hearts as we call on the international community to urgently support the safety of all LGBTIQ Chechens.”

Those who may be in distress or in need of help within Chechnya are encouraged to reach out to the Russian LGBT Network at 8 800 555 73 74 (the call is free within Russia). Additionally, anyone with information on the current situation in Chechnya can confidentially contact ILGA-Europe at +32 2 609 54 10 or info@ilga-europe.org.

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European Court ends forced sterilizations of trans people

STRASBOURG, France — Thursday, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that requiring sterilization of individuals seeking a change in their legal gender recognition violates human rights. Twenty two countries in Europe currently still require sterilization to access gender identity recognition, however this decision mandates that these countries amend their laws to reflect this positive ruling.

While forced sterilization has been deemed a human rights violation, the EU Court upheld that medical examinations and a mental health diagnosis were in line with the European Convention of Human Rights.

Jessica Stern, executive director of OutRight Action International, commenting on the decision said, “Today the world moved in the right direction for for trans rights everywhere. Forcing unnecessary medical interventions to access basic human rights like legal recognition of a person’s gender is barbaric. As more countries review laws for gender identity recognition it is essential that they forgo outdated policies and follow legislation from places like Malta or Argentina which prioritize self-determination. The decision from the European Court raises the bar globally.”

In a press release issued today Julia Ehrt, executive director of Transgender Europe, a human rights organization that has been at the forefront of of fighting these laws, also gave insight to the ruling, saying, “Today is a victory for trans people and human rights in Europe. This decision ends the dark chapter of state-induced sterilisation in Europe. The 22 states in which a sterilisation is still mandatory will have to swiftly end this practice. We are looking forward to supporting those and other countries in reforming their national legislation.”

This ruling results from three cases against France submitted in 2012 and 2013 which leveraged Article 8 of the European Convention of Human rights, the “Right to respect for private and family rights,” Article 3 of the Convention the “Prohibition of torture,” as well as Article 14, “Prohibition of discrimination.”

In 2015 the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, considered an anti-LGBT hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, submitted a written intervention to the court on this case, positing that states should have the right to address issues as they pertain to transgender individuals based on national contexts, and that the court should not consider the Yogyakarta Principles, a set of international principles relating to sexual orientation and gender identity, when considering the three cases.

Stern commented on the intervention of ADF International, and said, “Alliance Defending Freedom makes a mockery of the word freedom when they put religious dogma over the rights of individuals to be legally recognized. These cases are about every trans person’s right to self-determination and the freedom of every trans person to not be forcibly sterilized. This is without a doubt a fundamental right that must be upheld in every context.”

European countries are moving in the direction of more progressive legislation on this issue. Since October 2016, France no longer force sterilization on trans citizens to access gender identity recognition. Sweden abandoned the requirement of sterilization in 2013. The Swedish Government has recently announced that anyone who was forced to undergo sterilization to access legal gender recognition between 1972-2013 is eligible for compensation from the state in the amount of 225,000 SEK ($25,000).

Maria Sjödin, Deputy Executive Director of OutRight and former Execuive Director of Swedens largest LGBTQ organizations RFSL, comments, “Money can never fully compensate the suffering of those that were forced to undergo sterilization, but it is an admittance from the state that the requirement was a violation of people’s rights.”

Only four countries in Europe, Norway, Ireland, Malta, and Denmark currently have gender identity recognition policies that are based on the principle of self-determination without any medical requirements.

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Parents of LGBT children form a support group in Mumbai, India

MUMBAI, India — For the first time ever 10 parents of LGBTQ persons came together in Mumbai, India for a closed door parents’ support group workshop that aimed to share experiences and also chart out a future course of action.

Organized by Solaris Pictures, as part of its ongoing engagement with LGBT community and parents, for its upcoming feature film Evening Shadows directed by Sridhar Rangayan, the workshop was structured and moderated by social development consultants Alpana Dange and Pallav Patankar.

The main objective of the workshop was to develop strategies for a cohesive parents’ support group that would help each other, help other parents who may need information or peer-to-peer counseling, and also to be a visible group in the media and society.

“There have been parents support meets and acceptance meets in the past, organized by Gay Bombay and Yaariyan, but the parents have mostly been sharing their experiences in public. This was the first time ever they got to spend an entire day with each other, sharing and discussing in a structured formal manner. It was not only a great learning experience, but also a very definitive move towards forming an Indian PFLAG kind of group, first in Mumbai and maybe later in other cities”, said Sridhar Rangayan who has been wanting to make this happen for many years now, “Part of the funds we raised for the film Evening Shadows was kept aside to facilitate this meet”, he added.

Attended by 10 parents – mothers Chitra Palekar, Padma Iyer, Sarojini Dash, Nargis Wadia, Aruna Desai, Mangala Aher, Bharati Divgikar, Vidya Phadnis, and fathers Pradeep Divgikar and Ramesh Kathale – the day-long workshop was an eye-opener about the challenges faced by parents in coming to terms with their children’s gay, lesbian and transgender identities.

“This formal consultation is a start to many beginnings. My desire is to form an easily accessible group of parents who could assist other parents and children in the closet. Hopefully, one day, we will be able to build a shelter home for children who are forced to escape from their homes of birth. This would give all of us all a unique chance to become their foster parents”, said Padma Iyer, mother of activist Harrish Iyer.

“I think it’s an absolutely amazing initiative. We are simply hoping to create a network of families of LGBT individuals, so that we can work together and offer support to other such families and their children”, said Aruna Desai, a HR professional and mother of a gay son.

Dr. Sarojini Dash, the oldest parent in the group and someone who has been a great support to both LGBTQ children and parents for many years now, felt the parent’s meet was very useful for some parents whose children had recently come out and were anxious about their future. “They heard about those children who had done well in life, overcoming the stigmas and prejudices. Parent’s group made them realize that their fears were mere shadows without much substance”, said Dr.Dash who is also a psychiatrist.

Ramesh Kathale, father of Prachi Kathale, has been able to accept his lesbian daughter wholeheartedly, but finds it difficult to deal with relatives and neighbours who can sometimes be obtrusive and nasty. He said, “The workshop made me aware of experiences faced by other parents and has given me new courage”.

Mangala Aher, mother of transgender activist Abheena Aher felt that there should be more support forthcoming for transgender children, especially in terms of healthcare and livelihood opportunities. She has been a founder of the transgender dance troupe Dancing Queens and regularly performs with her transgender daughter and other transgender dancers.

The consultation focused on the why and how of forming a structured and functional parents’ support group. Speaking about her experience at the consultation, Chitra Palekar, one of the most vocal voices among the parents said, “We have shared our experiences informally at several events, but there was no real progress. This workshop, under the guidance of experienced facilitators, helped us gain clarity regarding the issues involved in this work.  The meet created a vision and took the first step towards forming an organization, which we all hope will cause a break-through in supporting LGBTQ children and their parents.”

“The formation of an organized Parents Group is the need of the hour. A vibrant and supportive parent group can provide the required cutting edge to galvanize more parents to join in the battle for the cherished rights of their marginalized and discriminated children. More power to this unique initiative!” said Pradeep Divgikar, father of singer Sushant Divgikar, who was also Mr.Gay India in 2015.

The meeting brought our various needs faced by parents of LGBTQ children and what are the resources needed to address them. Speaking about the process, facilitator Alpana Dange said, ‘’It was an enlightening experience to facilitate this workshop comprising moms and dads of LGBTQ children who have braved the world and have unconditionally supported their children. In this workshop, what I found most striking was their resolve to support not just their own children, but also help and support other LGBTQ children’s parents in coming to terms with their children’s sexuality and be their confidante and pillar of strength. They considered the meeting as a stepping-stone to help other parents in the city of Mumbai.’’

Echoing Dange’s sentiments, facilitator Pallav Patankar said, “Parents of LGBT people occupy an important space within the LGBT movement. The discrimination faced by LGBT people extends to the parents. Parents are allies, stakeholders and the strongest supporters in this fight for equality. In India, LGBT sons and daughters often continue living with their parents and involving parents’ participation in the movement becomes essential.”

Harrish Iyer concurred, “As a child, I have grappled with my struggle in letting my parents know about my truth and understand that a network of parents helping parents and LGBT children is a need of the hour. Bombay has been privy to other parents of LGBT events since the past two decades, and this  fantastic consultation, seeded by funds created by The Evening Shadows crowd funding campaign, will propel this initiative further towards being a strong group that helps other parents and their LGBTIQ children”

Speaking at the event, Karim Ladak, from Toronto, one of the executive producers of Evening Shadows, having contributed a substantial financial stake in the film said, “So much has changed for the LGBTQ community in India in the past two decades and this initiative is absolutely fantastic. The film and this support group will be the flagbearers for the future, inspiring greater acceptance of LGBTQ persons in society.

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