Indian Minister Convinced Men Don't ‘Commit Suicide’, Statistics Say Otherwise
The Express Tribune, India, 6/30/2017
India’s Union Minister Maneka Gandhi’s response to a query during a Facebook Live session about the government’s initiative to reduce suicide rates has upset the audience. ‘Which men have committed suicide? Why not try and resolve the situation rather than commit suicide? I have not heard or read of a single case,’ said Gandhi, the Women and Child Development minister. However, the statistics dictate, according to the National Crime Records Bureau of India, 1,33,623 suicides were reported in the country in 2015, of which 91,528 or 68 per cent were men who killed themselves and 42,088 women.
Baguilat Bats for Passage of Anti-Discrimination Bill
The Philippine Star - Baguio City, Philippines, 6/29/2017
Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Brawner Baguilat Jr. is urging his colleagues in Congress to come together and pass a law that will prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Ifugao lawmaker explained that while there is no law in the country that criminalizes LGBTs, there is likewise no law that expressly prohibits discriminatory actions against them, whether at home, in the workplace or in society. Rep. Baguilat also noted that while the Philippines has consistently scored high on gender equality reports, this masks systematic discrimination against the LGBT community.
Ghoonghat Is Haryana’s Pehchaan: Govt Magazine
The Indian Express - Chandigarh, India, 6/29/2017
A photo caption in a Haryana government’s monthly magazine portraying ‘ghoonghat (veil)’ as the state’s ‘identity’ has triggered an uproar. ‘Ghoongat ki aan baan, mhara Haryana ki pechchaan (pride of the veil is the identity of my Haryana)’, reads the caption along with a veiled woman’s photo in Krishi Samvad magazine’s March issue. The photograph appeared on the magazine’s last page meant for off-beat photos. Angry reactions over the caption began pouring in after it went viral on social media. Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the caption showed the government’s regressive mindset.
Kenyans Are First in Africa to Get Generic of Latest AIDS Drug
Reuters - Nairobi, Kenya, 6/28/2017
Kenya is the first African country to start using a generic version of the latest AIDS drug that can improve and prolong the lives of tens of thousands of people who suffer severe side effects and resistance to other treatments. A generic of Dolutegravir (DTG), first approved in the United States in 2013, is being given to 20,000 patients in Kenya before being rolled out in Nigeria and Uganda later this year, with the backing of the health agency UNITAID. DTG is the drug of choice for people with HIV in high-income countries who have never taken antiretroviral therapy before and for those who have developed resistance to other treatment.
Rape in Marriage: Jamaica's Churches And Human Rights Groups Are at War Over Legal Exemption
Newsweek, Jamaica, 6/27/2017
A battle is brewing in Jamaica over the definition of rape. Government officials have been working for weeks to review the country’s Sexual Offenses Act, a law that spells out provisions for the prosecution of rape and defines several sex crimes. But one facet of it in particular is causing debate: its marital rape exemption, which currently specifies that husbands don't technically commit rape against their wives unless the couple is separated. Human rights activists want the exemption stricken or at least rewritten, while religious groups are arguing that being in a relationship is the same as giving consent.
DOH: More Millennials Diagnosed with HIV
CNN Philippines - Manila, Philippines, 6/27/2017
The Department of Health (DOH) reported that in April 2017, 629 persons, most of whom are millennials, were diagnosed with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). More than 80 percent or 513 of those diagnosed with the virus belong to the 15 to 34 age group. In June 2017, 17 people have so far died of HIV-related complications, bringing the total number of HIV-related deaths this year to 172. Data provided by the DOH only involves those who got tested, and the numbers may go higher. Under the law, those 18 years old and below need parental consent before they get tested for HIV.
Tanzania Govt Issues Warning to Arrest, Report Those 'Protecting' Homosexual Interests
Firstpost, Tanzania, 6/26/2017
Tanzania has threatened to arrest and deport those campaigning for gay rights and de-register organisations protecting ‘homosexual interests’, local media reported on June 26. ‘I would like to remind and warn all organisations and institutions that campaign and pretend to protect homosexual interests...we are going to arrest whoever is involved and charge them in courts of law,’ the state-owned Daily News quoted interior minister Mwigulu Nchemba as saying. Nchemba's comments come just days after President John Magufuli slammed NGOs who campaign for gay rights, saying they should be countered even if this meant losing foreign aid. Gay male sex is punishable by anything from 30 years to life imprisonment under Tanzanian law.
Chennai Pride Parade Marches into 9th Year
The Times of India - Chennai, India, 6/26/2017
Chennai’s 9th annual pride parade on the afternoon of June 25 saw over a hundred people coming in from all walks of life to celebrate the LGBTQ identity and draw people's attention to the community's struggle. The march saw many supporters from other cities for Chennai City's LGBTQ community. People handed out badges, colourful umbrellas, urging others to join in. Many participants dressed up in colourful clothes and swanky headgears. A group of sex workers was also joined in to raise awareness. Participants were also seen raising voices against the recent beef ban (new cattle trade rules) and several ideologies.
Transgender Passports to Show Gender as 'X'
The Nation, Pakistan, 6/24/2017
An announcement by TransAction Alliance Pakistan says that that the Government of Pakistan has issued a transgender person with a Pakistani passport with a separate category in gender as X. The President of TransAction Alliance, Farzana Jan, is amongst first ones to carry this ‘X’ transgender identity on her passport. ‘This is a good sign at international level, however countries like Saudi Arabia don’t consider our identity nor allow us entry in the country for Umrah or Hajj,’ Farzana said. However some members of the transgender community are not happy about this development as this categorisation does not specify gender.
Special Court on Child Sexual Crimes a Step in Right Direction
New Straits Times, Malaysia, 6/23/2017
Child rights groups have commended the establishment of the special court to hear cases of sex crimes against children. The groups said the initiative needed to be complemented with more follow-ups to ensure the sustainability of the court process. United Nations Children’s Fund child protection specialist Selvi Supramaniam said officials handling child victims, such as judges, deputy public prosecutors, lawyers and welfare personnel should be sufficiently trained and qualified to minimise the trauma of the children. ‘It cannot be a one-off effort and has to be consistent with proper structure and specific training to ensure that the officials are sensitive to the children’s needs.’
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