Noticias

In commemoration of the World AIDS Day on December 1st, the "Red Ribbon Week in Paraguay" was organized as an initiative of SOMOSGAY and the Kuimba'e Clinic, from November 24th until December the 1st.

The series of activities included a public panel to debate "HIV and Homophobia in Paraguay”, moderated by activist Simon Cazal. “HIV is a the most studied virus in the history of medicine, but we must not forget that, besides the biomedical approaches, community mobilization and empowerment is key to fight HIV, recognizing that stigma and discrimination are only two of the many social enablers of the epidemic”, mentioned Cazal during the panel. “Community interventions are key in the fight against HIV, and this is why SOMOSGAY has always taken into consideration the demands to our State to implement public policies that are evidence-based and data-responsive, with a strong human rights approach”, finalized.

In addition, a projection of the film "The Normal Heart" was organized at the LGBT Community Center. The film, which chronicles the beginning of the HIV crisis in the gay community of New York during the 80s, gained a lot of attention from the attendees, due to its focus on the efforts of activists and doctors who tried to expose the truth about the epidemic. On Saturday November 29th, the Red Ribbon Week gathered activists in a video-debate activity, based on the documentary "How To Survive A Plague", which narrates the story of Act Up, a group of self-taught activists who, despite having no scientific training, helped identify new HIV drugs.

To complete the range of activities, from Friday 5th to Sunday 7th, the Kuimba'e Clinic specialists conducted seminars and trainings on HIV testings, STIs and other sexually transmitted infections at Asuncion’s Central Bus Station, to mark the eve of a religious celebration consisting on a mass pilgrimage to the city of Caacupé.

All these activities seek to raise awareness of HIV and honor those who are no longer with us, focusing on issues that are fundamental to a successful and effective response. “The Red Ribbon Week in Paraguay seeks to inspire positive action in responding to the HIV epidemic in a comprehensive way, mobilizing our communities in the fight towards zero new infections and a stigma-free society”, stated Sergio Lopez, activist of SOMOSGAY and organizer of the RRW. “SOMOSGAY reaffirms its commitment to equality, universal access to health care and treatment services to support the dignity and human rights of every single one, living or not with HIV, recognizing that this is an issue that affects us all. We won’t stop until the last one is saved”, reaffirmed Lopez.