National News

(New York, NY) - Two U.S. Representatives, the Hon. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and the Hon. Howard Berman (D-CA) together have sponsored a forum on HIV, Human Rights and Men Who have Sex with Men at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Sept 16.

The Forum is scheduled to begin at noon and continue until 3:00 p.m in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2200. Organized by the lawmakers, it draws on the expertise of the United Nations AIDS or UNAIDS and is in collaboration with the HIV Policy Working Group on Men Who Have Sex with Men and other Sexual Minorities.

 

Presenters at the forum include: Ambassador Eric Goosby, U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator; Tudor Kovacs, Population Services International, Romania; Jaevion Nelson, Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network, Jamaica; Michel Sidibé, executive director, UNAIDS; and Cheikh Traoré, Ph.D., senior advisor, Sexual Diversity, UNDP.

Other organizations involved in the forum include, Advocates for Youth, "Until it's over" AIDS Action, Alliance, amfAR AIDS Research, AIDS Project Los Angeles, Global Health Council, Gay Men's Health Crisis, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, International Women's Health Coalition, MSMGF, National Association of Social Workers, and psi.

According to Traore, the United States spends several billions of dollars every year as its contribution and part of its global AIDS response.

"The meeting has been called…to sensitize U.S. politicians and law makers on the urgency of addressing the HIV-related needs of men who have sex with men, and transgender people, who have historically been largely forgotten by AIDS responses across the world. The U.S. has a powerful role to play to change this state of affairs," said Traore.

While the Forum is open and free to the public, those interested in attending are advised to contact Genora Reed , Pauline Muchina,  or 202-223-7613, or Krista Lauer,  or 213-201-1317; or the Website,

Other events around the world:

  
Sep 17 - 27 St. Petersburg, Russia
The International Festival of Queer Culture 		Web
Sep 20 Belgrade, Serbia
Belgrade Pride 2009		 Web
Sep 21 - 25 Zagreb, Croatia
Course - HIV Surveillance in Hard to Reach Populations 		Web
Sep 22 - 25 Gaborone, Botswana
Aids Impact Conference  		Web
Sep 25 London, UK
Critical Sexology Seminar:
Queer in Europe		 Web
Sep 29 - 30 Pretoria, South Africa
Conference Imagined Futures IV: Sexualities and Silences		 Web